What college do you want to go to?— one of the most stressful conversation topics you and your child will ever have. While you want your child to stay close to home, they want to get as far away as possible. While you want your child to attend a 4-year public college because it’s cheaper, your child wants to enroll in a costly private university.

Much like choosing a wife or husband, your child’s school-of-choice will ultimately have long term effects. And, like when selecting a spouse, your child not only wants for it to be a perfect match, but secretly seeks for your approval. In the end your child will pick a school that he or she feels is best suited for them, but you can play an important role in the decision process –helping your child pick a school that’ll make the both of you content.  There are more than 7,000 higher education institutions in the U.S. and filtering through all the choices can be hectic. Here are some questions to discuss with your child to narrow down the options in the hopes of finding the perfect college for your child.

1. While your child doesn’t initially need to know exactly what they want to major in, looking into their interest is a good start. Does your child enjoy art? Writing? Technology? Are they more focused on developing technical skills?
2. What schools are tailored to meet your child’s needs and interests?
3. What specific programs and sequences are offered at the school?
4. Does your child want to attend a college that is close to home or out-of-state?
5. What type of school would your child prefer? A small intimate college or a large university? Do they prefer a public or private school?
6. Do they prefer to attend a school with a particular religious affiliation?
7. Is the institution accredited and by which agency?
8. What is the student/teacher ratio?
9. Is it coed or single sex school?
10. Is your child interested in online courses? Does the school offer them?
11. Does your child want to participate in a specific extracurricular activity or sport? Which ones? And does the school offer these options?
12. What kind of living arrangements would your child prefer? Does the school offer on campus and off campus housing? Would your child rather walk to class or drive?
13. What’s the cost of tuition? This includes room and board, textbooks and miscellaneous expenses.
14. Does the school offer financial aid or scholarships to help cover these costs?
15. What else is important to you and your child? Does the school meet these additional concerns?

While most school Web sites, brochures and admission officers will answer most of your questions regarding the institution, College Navigator is also another good source to scour different colleges around the country.

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This guest post is contributed by Olivia Coleman, who writes on the topics related to online colleges and universities.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: olivia.coleman33@gmail.com.