The college search can be an exercise in frustration, but there’s a secret to successfully choosing the perfect school to compliment your (or your child’s) specific skill set and wish list – think outside the box.

No matter the grades, test scores, extra-curriculars, or presumed major, there are schools out there that match those metrics perfectly, and will provide quality education, phenomenal exposure, and exceptional opportunity – and the price tag may even be a pleasant surprise. Consider these factors:

College Visits don’t have to be a series of formulaic “Tour-With-Lunch-in-The-Dining-Hall” events. There’s so much more to the college experience than just academic building exteriors, and campus visits are your first chance to experience all of it. Yes, you should take the tour – the guides are always knowledgeable and they’re happy to answer questions. But after the tour, it’s time to head off into the deep college wilderness and figure out what’s really happening on campus – here’s how you do it.

You’ve probably already started anxiously prepping for dorm move-in day like the parent of someone you hope can survive a zombie apocalypse. Slow down, and take a deep breath. There's no need to reinvent the wheel here - college freshmen have been moving into housing since - well - since the first iteration of college housing. Whatever you do, do these things - they'll help to ensure a smooth move-in and a worry-free start to the next big adventure.