Improve your chances of getting into college,

Short answer: yes. HOW does it matter? If you like to discuss the matter taught, a small class is better for you. If you would rather listen, watch, and absorb, you would probably prefer a large class.

Not really. The economy will change during your lifetime, but the immediate economy will is about your own financial reality – that will dictate what you can afford to spend on college, as it always has. The future will be what you build, and you should build on your talents and interests – knowing that developing them will take you into your future, whatever its economy.

Keep yourself at the center of the visit: YOU call admissions to set up the visit. YOU ask the questions. YOU write the thank-you notes to the people who gave you their time and attention.

Go prepared. Know what the college has already published in print and on their website, and create your own questions based on what they haven’t told you yet. Bring your questions and areas of interest written out (I create a printed form, with space for recording answers to each area of interest, but that may feel too geeky for you!).

Start before the visit by adding all the information sent by the college and on the college website, then write down questions that those sources haven't answered - those are the ones to ask. Then consider whether you would like to speak with a professor in your areas of interest, or a coach, or .... And email admissions to request that contact. When you get go the campus, do everything you can both to get your questions answered and to get beyond the college's marketing: read bulletin boards wherever you find them, including the chalked. Stuff on the walkways if students do that on the campus. Eat in the dining room and check out everything there. Cruise the library, art studios, music practice rooms, gym. And see when they're open and how people behave there. TALK to people: remember that most students have done what you're doing, and don't be shy. ("People" includes adults: are the librarians friendly? How about the dining hall staff, people in the book store? If you're at all worried about campus safety, talk to the campus police ...) Walk or drive through the area around the college.

Be organized about what you want to find out from the website. I start with my major questions: does it offer the program/majors/courses I'm looking for, the sports, the arts, the activities? If it does, then I look at mission, requirements for graduation ... And only then do I go to the admissions page for entrance requirements, admission contacts, how to arrange a visit.

Start before the visit by reading all the information sent by the college and on the college website, then write down questions that those sources haven't answered - those are the ones to ask. Then consider whether you would like to speak with a professor in your areas of interest, or a coach, or .... And email admissions to request that contact. When you get go the campus, do everything you can both to get your questions answered and to get beyond the college's marketing: read bulletin boards wherever you find them, including the chalked stuff on the walkways if students do that on the campus. Eat in the dining room and check out everything there. Cruise the library, art studios, music practice rooms, gym. And see when they're open and how people behave there. TALK to people: remember that most students have done what you're doing, and don't be shy. ("People" includes adults: are the librarians friendly? How about the dining hall staff, people in the book store? If you're at all worried about campus safety, talk to the campus police.) And take time to walk or drive around the area around the campus.

Finding a number of colleges that would be good fits, with a range of selectivity. Presenting themselves well and fully – with the essays, the standardized tests when relevant, with supplemental materials that show them as artists or musicians or active in the community (even for colleges that don’t ask for this). Remember, if you don’t give admissions the information, how will they know all this about you?

See whether you can take some courses at a local college; community colleges often make that very possible. If that isn’t an option, look for online courses – a very different way to study, but many states have Virtual High Schools with advanced classes. Colleges and universities are also beginning to make college courses available, sometimes at no cost.

When the college is in session, but avoiding exam periods when everyone is hyper-busy and the vibe is a bit grim, and staying away from the euphoria of the first weeks of classes in the fall. You want to see everyday life. That said, visiting whenever is better than not visiting at all.

In Junior year of high school if possible. Freshmen and sophomores should concentrate on high school. Waiting until senior year makes the process very rushed, at best.

By asking themselves what they would like to study - "undecided" is fine, but what might they want to study? What else should be available on campus: what sports, arts, activities? What kind of school environment will support them best, both intellectually and emotionally? Once students have a sense of what kind of college and what sort of programs would offer the best next step in education, it's time to look at the guides and search engines to find out which colleges provide those.

That certainly varies, but if you go with others give everyone a job. Friends can help you sense the vibe of the school and advise you as to whether they think it's a good fit. Parents can visit the financial aid office and get the scoop on all the money issues. They are also your best eyes for other practical things: what shape are the buildings in? Is laundry easy/cheap, to do on campus? You should organize everyone to support YOU, the person who is going to college!

Rankings sell magazines – I’m not sure they are of much more use than that. The data is not always reliable, and attempts to quantify the college experience are iffy at best. Since the rankings began, colleges have tried to game the system – the most recent egregious examples are chronicled in this February 1 New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/education/gaming-the-college-rankings.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23

That said, in Asian countires where "face" and prestige are highly significant, rankings are important for future employment; those rankings are not necessarily our magazine rankings but may be on a list internal to the country. One wonderful rumor, not entirely false, is that there are those in China who believe that the US News and World Report rankings are offical US government rankings ... because of the name of the magazine and because some governments like the UK do official rankings; makes sense if you live that far away, I guess.

Do well in tough courses, first and foremost. That said, get started on figuring out why you want to go to college, which leads to which colleges might be good for you. Take the SAT and the ACT, and think about taking some Subject Tests. Make sure to practice at least a little before taking the tests – you wouldn’t play Varsity anything without practice: same idea.

Use the Internet, and the telephone, to gather information. College websites are very informative, and may even include a virtual tour. Call or email the admissions office for printed materials, and ask them to connect you with students and faculty if possible so that you can meet them "virtually."

Misrepresenting yourself in any way. Filling in the forms carelessly, not sending everything in or sending things late, writing essays or letters with the name of one college but sending them to a different college. Rudeness of any kind, to anybody, while visiting or in contacts with college representatives (student or adult).

For some careers, in-state colleges give its students better connections with the people with whom they will work in that state. Think politicians – they have better cred with an education in their state.

And there’s the personal question – out-of-state is 49 options: you could be very far from home. Studying far away in a different region of the country gives you a chance to see the culture of that region: a New England Yankee in Alabama or the Big Easy, a Kansan in Connecticut. You get the idea! It’s a whole second education, for the price of the first.

A general guide is one way. Some are very basic, and others more chatty - check them out at a big bookstore before you buy. General online search engines are similar - there are many, but the www.collegeboard.org is probably already on your radar. Then go to the college websites.

First, will it provide the kind of education you're seeking? If you want to be a nurse, or an engineer, you need a nursing program, or an engineering program. Does it support that program with good facilities? If you're an artist, what are the art studios like and when are they open? and so forth. What are the graduation requirements - too stringent? too liberal? just right for you? What is the social atmosphere on campus? Does the college offer extra-curricular activites that interest you? the athletics you can participate in? and so forth (again). After you're satisfied that the college will provide the education you seek, can you afford it? Check out financial aid. Only then is it relevant to find out whether or not you might be accepted. (NB you should already have some clue about that from your GPA and test scores)

Short reply: it depends. If Early Decision or Single Choice Early Action, one (and tentative applications to others "Regular Decision" or "Early Action"); if finances are not an issue, 5-8; if finances are an issue 8-12. Generally, one third could be reaches, and one third safeties (if you believe there's safety in this process!). And that's a VERY rough estimate, definitely not a "one answer fits all."

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The major difference between college programs in any of the arts and a conservatory or art school program is the balance of work in the major and the rest of the curriculum. A liberal arts college arts major comprises roughly 40% of a student's college work and usually leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree; in a conservatory that percentage is more like 60% and the degree is a Bachelor of Fine Arts. (Juilliard's description may be helpful here: "The Dance Division offers four-year undergraduate programs leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) with liberal arts requirements, or a Diploma without liberal arts requirements. Most students in the Dance Division pursue the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree. In addition to dance and dance-related studies, the four-year degree program includes 24 credits in the Liberal Arts department.") Please note that there is the option of study without liberal arts requirements at this conservatory - that would not be available at a college dance department.

A dance, or arts, major at a liberal arts college may be pre-professional, but at a conservatory it is definitely pre-professional.

My first response is: for whom? What is the dancer ready for? That said, there are many options for skilled and talented dancers seeking a fine education in ballet. Since the question is about a ballet department, I am assuming that ballet is part of a liberal arts program rather than a stand-alone conservatory education.

It is worth checking whether the program is allied with a professional dance company: Dancers at Boston College and Boston University train with the Boston Ballet; dancers at Barnard and Columbia can train at Juilliard (that program is more oriented toward Modern than Classical). Another alliance for those interested in Modern is Fordham's with the Alvin Ailey Company. Princeton's dancers train with the American Repertory in Princeton. And check the visiting faculty: Indiana University has one of the finest programs in the country, and is known for attracting strong visiting faculty from the dance world. The College Issue of Dance Magazine and/or http://dancers.invisionzone.com are solid resources.

A short list, with some variety of type of institution (and some programs which require both Classical and Modern):

Arizona State U

Butler University

Connecticut College, allied with the Hartford Ballet

Cornish College of the Arts

Dominican U. of California

George Mason U

Goucher

Hartt School-U. of Hartford

James Madison U

LINES Ballet

Mills

Northwestern

Pacific Northwest Ballet-Professional Development School-Seattle U

Radford U

Rider University affiliated with the Princeton Ballet Company

San Francisco State.

Southern Methodist University

Stanford

SUNY Purchase

Texas Christian U

U. of Cincinnati

U. of Oklahoma

University of the Arts

U. of Utah

York U (Toronto)

Many if not most artists do not immediately get full-time work as a performer/artist. "Arts" is, of course, a very broad term - graphic designers find work in their field much more readily than independent visual artists who paint, or sculpt, ... So some of the answer depends on your field. If you design the visual or musical elements of electronic games, you may well find work relatively quickly. If you are an independent ceramicist, it is likely to take time before you have a large enough clientele to pay the bills.

So let's say that your field is not one that is currently in demand by companies that seek specific creative skills. As a performer, you would seek venues to perform: coffee houses, small regional theaters, local orchestras and bands. You may form your own group whether musical or dramatic, and perform as often and broadly as possible. Artists may band together to arrange shared studio space. To pay the bills, you will need to find other work that fits into your artistic life: one musician I know is also a very fine carpenter - he can take on work that fits within his performance schedule.

Since most performance takes place in the evening or weekend, day jobs are an option - preferably in an area connected to your art: in music stores, book . stores, doing the support work in theaters and concert venues. Artists might seek steady work in galleries, museums. Working in a related area keeps you in touch with the arts world in which you hope to work full-time. And don't overlook teaching: private lessons in any of the arts has not only supported artists for centuries, but can afford a schedule flexible enough that you can arrange your time to keep your own artistic work central.

And look around broadly to see whether a career outside the arts has appeal; a surprising number of entrepreneurs and executives have an arts background. What has made them successful is the ability, learned from their arts experience, to think creatively and problem solve "outside the box." Some of these people perform on the weekends or keep up their studio work, but have found satisfaction in business and manufacturing as well.

The bottom line: investigate the possibilities as broadly as possible, so that you choose with "full malice of forethought." Make a long-term plan and have the patience and faith in yourself to follow it. Know that most successful artists have begun with a period of struggle - and some remember it as the most creative period in their lives.

Depends on what you post! Don’t post any comments or pictures that you wouldn’t want to see in the newspapers. FB privacy is one thing, but friends can re-post what you post. If it’s even a little scandalous, keep it off the Web – where it will live forever. And don’t let your friends post pictures/comments that you don’t want admissions (among others) to see.

Do they have the program(s) and courses you want to study? the activities you'd like to participate in? the support you need - academically, socially, and in the areas of your interests? Can you afford it (check out financial aid)? Will you be happy there?

Retention rates tell you how may students came back to the college after a year there. Some may transfer, seeking a different environment or different opportunities; some may flunk out – because they were poorly prepared, or because they forgot that college is about academics; some will need to withdraw for financial reasons. The more students who have succeeded and want to stay in the same college, the stronger your reason for seeing the institution as serving its students well.

Of course. The professional ethics of admissions would keep admissions officers from becoming your personal friends, but social media offers admissions a way of connecting through groups, for example, or having you like the admissions office.

Colleges can and do revoke admissions offers, but not arbitraily. If a student lets academic performance slide way below that of prior semesters - on which the college based their offer of admissions - should expect a stern response: antyhing from being put on academic probation upon matriculation to having their admission offer revoked entirely. Same goes for serious disciplinary infractions: if a student is suspended or expelled from their high school (or arrested and charged with a crime) after being accepted into college, the college(s) will certainly revisit the decision to accept. Students can protect themselves by keeping their grades up and staying on the right side of school rules and the law.

Imagine yourself as a student there. Do everything you can to increase your awareness of life as a student at that college: the classes and workload, the peers and professors, the social life and extra-curricular activities. Talk to students, talk to professors in the fields that interest you, talk to coaches, visit the places where you would engage in other activities – like the studios, the office of the student union. Eat the food. Research something in the library and see whether there’s help within easy reach. Breathe in the atmosphere. Can you see yourself spending four years at this college, with these people, engaged fully at this college?

If all things are equal it’s up to you, but know that your life will center more around college life than you can imagine. My daughter went to the college closest to home so she could come home on weekends, and – other than vacations - came home once (in four years) for a weekend – with laundry. She was too busy at school for all the other weekends, and we visited her when invited!

Make a list of all the elements you can compare and contrast: the academics, the finances, the facilities, the “vibes” … and consult your heart: which most appeals to you? As you compare and contrast, the obvious will emerge – whether it speaks through academics, finances, extracurricular opportunities, or the people you met there.