What is the best conclusion to be drawn from this passage? A. Choosing a college can be a very exciting time for students.

B. Choosing a college can be a very stressful time for students.

C. Students should make an informed decision when choosing a college.

D. Students should consider only financial aid when choosing a college.

Because a college education requires an enormous investment of time and money, it necessitates careful planning. Beginning with their junior year of high school, students should begin compiling lists of the colleges or universities they'd like to attend. Publications in the school library may be available to help educate students about the universities in their region and elsewhere. Using these and other resources, students should make a list of at least 5 to 10 schools they'd like to attend. Financial considerations will eventually require students to narrow this list. However, students shouldn't rule out the possibility that scholarships and/or financial aid could make otherwise expensive schools affordable. When compiling a list of prospective schools, it is extremely important that students keep an eye on admission deadlines. Too often, students miss opportunities because they wait too long to apply.

Perhaps the most important part of the decision process is when students make their college comparison chart. This chart can be created by hand or by using spreadsheet. It will consist of a row of the student's favorite schools across the top and a column of decision factors on the left-hand side. Some decision factors are location, tuition cost, availability of scholarships, academic reputation, average class size, and total number of undergraduates. The more decision factors included in the chart, the easier it is to narrow down the list of schools. Based on the decision factors, students should then rate each of their prospective colleges or universities on a scale of 1 to 5. Rating is an excellent way to narrow down a list of schools while identifying the most important characteristics of a college education.