College Match has been providing guidance and direction to students and parents on successfully navigating the college search process for over 27 years! Four assumptions guide the writing of College Match: 1. All students, regardless of grades or test scores, have colleges from which to choose. Now more than ever, great colleges are out there waiting to be found. Students merely need to seize the opportunity by taking the time to search. Through the use of College Match, along with proper guidance and support, students will find colleges where they can be successful. While it is true that admission to college has become more competitive in recent years, it is also true that the collegiate opportunities in the United States and around the world are limitless. 2. There is a sequence of steps that, if followed, will lead to solid, suitable college choices. College Match is organized around those steps. Systematically moving from one step to the next will lead to self-knowledge and college awareness. These awarenesses provide the foundation on which students should base their college choice. 3. The college choice process neither has to be, nor is, inherently stressful. Over the last several years, anxiety, even panic, about selecting a college has increased. Some of that stress comes from false assumptions about the nature of college admission. Once students and their families replace the quest for the best college with one focusing on the best-fit college, the level of tension is significantly reduced. While College Match covers both getting in and fitting in, it focuses on fitting in because Antonoff feels this should be the primary emphasis throughout the college selection process. Fitting in is the largest contributor to creating a good college experience. 4. Finding a college builds important, lifelong skills in taking initiative, making decisions, and assuming responsibility. College Match encourages students to take the lead in their college planning and to grow as a result. For many students, choosing a college is their first real-life choice. By making difficult decisions during the college choice process and accepting the consequences of their decisions, students gain not only self-understanding but also an understanding of how life works. This knowledge will stand them in good stead long after their college careers have ended. In a crowded field of college guides and resource books, College Match offers the best, most up to date, relevant advice. We have used College Match as a part of our College Counseling Advisory Class for the past six years. Our philosophy is for students to find the right fit and the book offers a clear blueprint to do so. --Gerard M. Brett, Director of College Counseling, La Salle College High School, Wyndmoor, PA College Match is truly a blueprint from A-Z of the application process. From busting myths to insider tips and invaluable worksheets this small book is a gem. --Laila F Alamuddin, M.Ed., Certified Educational Planner, Senior Consultant, College Bound Consulting LLC, Hinsdale, Illinois Every college-bound student should have this book. Antonoff s worksheets and explanations lead you through the process of reflection and research that gives you the best chance of applying to and attending a college that suits all your needs and wishes. --Nola Healy Lynch, CEP, Northwest College Search, Ferndale, WA For over 35 years, Steven R. Antonoff has built his knowledge of colleges and universities. That knowledge led to the creation of College Match. Dr. Antonoff has worked with more than 3,500 students and has visited (and revisited) hundreds of colleges. In addition to College Match, Dr. Antonoff is the author of The College Finder: Choosing the School That s Right for You. Now in its fourth edition, it was published by Wintergreen Orchard House. Since 1993, College Finder has been a go-to source for helping students and college counselors build college lists. Barron s Profiles of American Colleges has included Dr. Antonoff s article, Know Yourself, for almost 20 years. Dr. Antonoff is also the author of A Student of Colleges: Fundamentals of Independent Educational Consulting. The book is a textbook for college consultants including topics such as college affordability, building a college list, learning disabilities, counseling strategies, and acquisition of knowledge. A popular speaker and webinar presenter, Dr. Antonoff has covered a wide range of topics. Session titles include: Ranking the Academic Quality of Colleges, Parents and College Planning, Solving the College Admission Puzzle, College Shopping: Getting in and Fitting in, College Admission: Separating Fact from Fiction, and College Planning: De-stressing or Distressing? . Dr. Antonoff is an instructor and member of the advisory board for the certificate program in independent educational consulting through the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He previously taught college consulting courses through the Univ