Special Report: Knowing How to Narrow Your College Search

"I'm in love with Missouri," said William Beaudoin, a  graduate and sophomore at the University of Missouri who is  incredibly happy with his college choice. "I couldn't see myself going anywhere else."

While in high school, Beaudoin wanted to keep his college application process simple. "I wasn't nervous, I just wanted to get in," he said.

After applying to the University of Indiana and Mizzou, he picked the latter, and hasn't regretted it: "I think it was one of the best decisions of my life."

But fairy-tale outcomes like Beaudoins' can be few and far between as many make the transition from high school graduate to college student. 

A DHS report found that 94 percent of its 413 expected graduates for 2011 planned to go on to either a two- or four-year post-secondary school.

Jan Caron, a local ACT tutor, says she often hears horror stories about top-notch students with perfect scores not getting into their first-choice school.

"You never see stories about regular kids," she said. "Almost every student [from Deerfield] goes to college and most don't go to elite schools."

DHS's profile seems to prove her right, reporting the intended destination of its 2010 college-bound students:

• In-state public university - 19 percent
• In-state private - 10 percent
• Out-of-state public - 51 percent
• Out-of-state private - 20 percent

That's why Caron wants to set the record straight for anxious students and their parents who are about to dive into the college application process. She encourages them to do their research, noting that if done right the pieces should fall into place.

Caron has been an ACT coach on the North Shore for years and stands by her methodology.

"I have never had a student who did not go to college," she said. "There are thousands of colleges, there's a place for everybody."

But there are tricks to the trade that she has gained from her experience and shares with others.

"I think it's really important to be realistic about your child and what their goals are," Caron said. "If a student is successful in a certain situation, you want to replicate that in college."

In helping teenagers through the standardized college admission test and other obstacles, Caron deals with many students who start with a list of schools based upon popular names, which is what Beaudoin tried to avoid.

"You need to apply to schools you want to apply to," said the Missouri sophomore.

Which is why Caron urges college applicants to take a close look at the school's academics, social scene and location. Other factors to consider include specific activities they might be interested in as well as the majors offered.

"They should look for a school where they are likely to be successful," Caron said.

Editor's note: This is the second of a three-part education series offering insights into navigating the college application process. The first part can be found . Our series continues on Sunday.