Neo Major: International Business Status: Light Keeper A person with strange ideas in my head and strange feelings in my heart...

How to Find the Right School for You and the Money For It.
Andy Neo

Standard Testing
These several months are also the time for you to start preparing more extensively for the tests the schools require. Actually it is never too early to start preparing. The tests you will need are:
Ugrad – SAT I / ACT and SAT II, TOEFL
Grad – GRE, GMAT if you are applying to biz school.
A good source of info on what it is you will need is the site. www.collegeboard.com, www.toefl.org, www.ets.org, www.gre.org will give you the information you need about how to prepare, how to register and where to find helpful information and sample questions. Sites even have actual test questions that you can try answering and an appraisal of your success.
You may check abroadplanet's Test Preparations and Admissions section to find some useful test preparation materials.

Prepare For Essay Writing
No matter what type of school or program you are applying for you will be requested to write an essay / statement of academic purpose or something of the kind.
This month can also be used productively to find out the essay questions and tips on writing the essays. www.review.com provides you with this information. Practice writing these essays while you have time and it is not 2 days till mailing deadline. As you will see in the tips of sites you want to start the essay as early as possible, so that you can find your style, the personality you want to present there.

You Have Received The Bulletins
Once you have received the great many envelopes from schools with your proud name printed across the front of it read all the information carefully. A school at a time, paying particular attention to the questions that are important to you. Often you will not find the answers to your questions in the brochures and if you don’t – type in that address once again in the To: line and ask the questions. For general questions people at the front desk are OK, for more specialized questions contact the admissions officer directly.
When you have read the booklets divide them into 3 piles, as well as your records of your progress. The first one is the Long Shot, the second is True Catch and the third one is Safety Schools. In the Long Shot category are the schools where you really want to go, no matter how tough to get in or how expensive. The True catch are the schools that seem nice from academic and cost standpoint and that appeal to you. The third category are the schools that will readily accept you. There should be more schools in your second group and about the same quantity in the 1st and in the 2nd. It is important neither to underestimate yourself nor to overestimate your powers.
Once you are done with that, read the information again, to get a more clear look at what you have got. Concentrate on why do you like this school in particular, and if you are not a prospective architecture student don’t focus too much on architecture. You will probably have to answer this question in one of your admissions essays, if you are going for an undergraduate program.
Read every slip of paper that you find in the package and try to squeeze as much out of the Admissions office as you can, since you don’t have the advantage of visiting the campus and looking at everything yourself. Write down the questions you have as you read through the papers. They will need to be asked in your next letter to the Director of Admissions.