So far these articles have talked about how to work along with your child to determine the best college for them, and also how to get those applications in the mail. But now, all of a sudden your mailbox is full ? responses are flowing in.

How on earth do you and your child choose the right college?

There is no ?one size fits all? answer about how to make this choice ? mainly because there are so many possible situations in which you could find yourself. Perhaps your child had one college they really, really, wanted to attend, and the others were just back-ups in case they didn?t get into their dream university. Maybe there were a few first choices, or they didn?t get accepted into their only first choice. This is the time that you and your child need to make the hard decisions.

If your child was accepted to more than one college, with no clear first choice, you could tape them all on a wall, blindfold your kid and have them throw a dart, and see which one it hits? Or you could take a deep breath, get all of the responses and have a discussion about it. The criteria you used to determine where to apply can be the same criteria you and your child use to whittle your choices down. does your child want to come home for the holidays ? or are they hoping to travel, explore and ?find themselves? (while allowing you to go to Jamaica for Christmas!)? how many students on campus? In a class?

Student Population ? How diverse is it?

Academics - Does the school offer the mix of programmes that your child wants?? If he needs to play football, and she needs to play netball, or vice versa, see which schools offer it. ? What does the campus look like? Did they just build a new multi-million dollar athletic centre, or do they have computer labs in every building? ? Do any of the schools offer financial aid for international students?

Maybe size isn?t as important as facilities in your child?s estimation, so do a ?side-by-side? comparison, perhaps using or , which both allow you to see a comparison chart of whatever colleges you choose.

After you?ve done that, it may also help to see if you can find some people that attended one of the colleges your child is interested in. Just ask your neighbour?s cousin?s best friend?s colleague! Someone will know someone who can give little Suzy some first-hand knowledge, and will most likely be more frank than the admissions office. Your child can also ask the guidance counsellors, as they may be able to put you in touch with a former student who is currently attending one of the colleges on your list.

If at all possible, one of the best ways to make a decision is to visit the campuses! Once you and your child are there, your gut instincts will let you know if it?s a good fit. Remember, your child will be spending about four years there, so it has to be a place where they will feel comfortable and safe.

If your child was not granted acceptance by one or more colleges, don?t panic. Help your son or daughter to realise that it isn?t the end of the world. Colleges have many reasons for rejecting students ? not just student achievement. They must also address their own needs for a diverse population or for strength on sports teams or in specific degree programmes. It would be a mistake to treat rejection as failure.

As we discussed in the first article, your child should choose several colleges to apply to ? in fact, they should have at least one college on their list that they think they probably won?t get into. These sorts of schools may have an acceptance rate of lower than 30%, which means your child wouldn?t be alone in being rejected. It?s important that your child set their sights high, and that means perhaps a few rejection letters will roll in. But, as they say for the Lotto, ?Hey, you never know?? And you?ll certainly never know if you don?t try.

Now, in the worst-case scenario, your child is not accepted anywhere. This could happen if they didn?t apply to many schools or if their grades faltered. Still, it?s not the end of the world. If going to college is really a dream for your child and you share in that goal, then you need to re-evaluate the situation, and look at your options. Yes, you have options. Your child can apply to schools whose deadlines haven?t passed ? many schools offer rolling admission ? or apply to the same schools again, after re-taking the SAT or improving grades. You would have to contact the admissions office of the school to determine if that?s acceptable. Also have your child contact the office to ask why they weren?t accepted. It?s better to know, in case they want to re-apply in a subsequent year.

Whew ? well, hopefully you?ve found some of this helpful. It may seem like a daunting procedure, but getting an early start is the key, so Middle School parents should be reading this too! The Bermuda International College Fair Team hopes that parents and students of all ages attend. We even have a special Open House/Parent Night planned for Thursday, December 1 from 6-9 p.m. So make plans to attend with your kids in tow ? it?ll be one of the best ?family trips? you ever take.

@EDITRULE:Next week: How to make the most of the College Fair