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(MoneyWatch) Do you know where you're going to be attending college in the fall?

Time is running out for the fence sitters. Many colleges and universities require ananswer and a deposit by May 1. For those still agonizing about a decision, here areseven ways to help make that important decision:

1. Compare financial aid packages. If you don't have the money, it can befinancial suicide to attend a school that requires borrowing large amounts ofmoney. Ideally, you'll want to limit your borrowing to federal students loans,including the Stafford Loan. If you have trouble deciphering your financial aidawards, read this post: The end of confusing financial aid awards.

2. Talk with students. If you're visiting the campus, make sure you ask somestudents these questions:

-- What do you like about your school?-- What don't you like about your school? -- What attracted you to this school? -- Would you pick this school again?-- What would you change about your school if you could?

If you can't visit a campus, ask the school to connect you with students by phone,chat or email.

3. Read student opinions online. You can also get a feel for what currentstudents think by heading to the websites of College Prowler and Unigo. Thesepopular sites serve up lots of unvarnished opinions that students post about their

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schools.

4. Decide between colleges and universities. There are significantacademic differences between attending a college and attending a university.Unfortunately, Americans tend to use the words interchangeably. Here is a postthat explains the key differences: Do you know the difference between a collegeand a university?

5. Check graduation rates. Most students do not graduate with a bachelor'sdegree in four years. You can find the four-year grad rates of the schoolsremaining on your list by visiting College Results Online.

6. Assess how happy the freshman are. You can find out how manyfreshmen stuck around for their sophomore year at College Results Online or byheading to the federal College Navigator. Here is post about why it's smart to lookat freshman retention rates:26 colleges with the happiest freshmen

7. Inquire about graduation requirements. It's important to know whatthe general education requirements of a school are. Are you going to be requiredto take math or science classes or writing courses? My son Ben decided against onecollege because it required four classes in a language. That was a nonstarter forhim.

University of Chicago image courtesy of Flickr user Imgadelha.

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

Lynn O'ShaughnessyON TWITTER

View all articles by Lynn O'Shaughnessy on CBS MoneyWatch» Lynn O'Shaughnessy is a best-selling author, consultant and speakeron issues that parents with college-bound teenagers face. She

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explains how families can make college more affordable through herwebsite TheCollegeSolution.com; her financial workbook, Shrinking the Cost of College; and thenew second edition of her Amazon best-selling book, The College Solution: A Guide forEveryone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price.

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