Let’s look at that phrase that pops up so often: Location, Location, Location. Here these three “L’s” refer to Geography, Setting, and Distance from Home. First go find a map of the U.S. (one you can mark) and markers.

GEOGRAPHY:

Is there part of the country where you want to be?           Yes___                        Not Necessarily___
If “Yes:” I want to go to school in the_____________________ (e.g., Northeast, South, West Coast, etc.)
Because____________________________________________________________________________
Is there part of the country where you do NOT want to be? Yes___                        Not Necessarily___
Because____________________________________________________________________________
If “Yes:” I DO NOT want to go to school in_________________________________________________

First exercise concluded!  Congratulations!

Conclusion 1:

Ideally, the area of the country where I could be happy attending school is________________________

SETTING:

Is an urban setting or access to a city important?       Yes___            Not Matter___
If “Yes:” I want to be within ____ hours drive of a city
Is a rural setting important?    Yes___            Not Matter___

Conclusion 2:

I want to be in (an urban, a rural, any) ____________ area within_____________________________ (geographic location).

DISTANCE FROM HOME:

When considering “Distance from Home” think both in terms of “Travel Time” and “Miles.” In fact, I think “Travel Time” may be more important to consider than “Miles.” For example, I can get in my car in my central PA driveway and 7 hours later get out at the hallowed halls of Harvard in Cambridge, MA; OR, after a 1 ½  hour drive to the Harrisburg Airport, a 1-hour wait, a 2-hour flight to Chicago, then a 45 minute drive to Sheridan Road in Evanston, IL, I can be at Elder, my second son’s Northwestern University dorm. Distance and time: the reality is that Northwestern, 5 ¼ hours away, can be perceived as closer to my home than Harvard. So try to look at distance by taking into account travel time not just miles. Consider more than just that initial moving-in trip but also the time, expense, and weather problems (e.g., winter storms) possible during vacation trips home. Do not dismiss schools automatically because they are located farther than you or your parents may be willing to drive.

Based on Conclusion 1:

What is the Maximum Time you wish to spend traveling to school (hours or portion of day or days)?___________

Is there a Minimum Distance from home you wish to be?     Yes____                      Not Matter____
If “Yes:” I want to be at least ______ miles from home.

Conclusion 3:

My ideal schools will be located in a (rural, urban, any) _____________ setting in ______________ (geographic location) and will be at least ___________ (distance in miles OR time) from home and at most___________  (distance in miles OR time) from home.

Now that you have determined an area(s) of the country, a setting, and an ideal distance from home, take your map of the United States and draw a circle, or circles, within which you will identify your colleges or universities. See, this exercise is not so difficult, is it?<,p>

Before going any further, I suggest you stand up and stretch, because I am going to ask you to change gears in your thinking in Chapter II. After you complete the next chapter, you will remove a page from this book so you can list things to look for when you go to the college guides available in your college counselor’s office and at bookstores (several are listed in the Appendix).