Questions to ask yourself when picking a college

Do you prefer lectures or discussions? Are you self-motivated or need nudging? How do you work under pressure? Do you like large classes, where you can get lost in the crowd, or small classes, where your profs know you by name?

Where do you want to live?

Would you like to take your laundry home on weekends or explore new ground?

What size school would you prefer?

"If you're not sure, you can always sample some of the local ones," says Audrey Threlkeld, a college counselor at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. Her suggestions:

To get the feel of a small liberal-arts college of around 1,000-2,000 students, try visiting Whitman College in Walla Walla, Evergreen in Olympia, the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, or Lewis & Clark College or Reed College in Portland.

For the feel of a small university of 3,000-6,000, try Seattle U or Gonzaga University.

For a large school of 7,000-10,000, try Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University or the University of Southern California.

And a mega-university? Stroll around the UW.