Applications have been mailed off and now, all of a sudden YOUR mailbox is full — responses are flowing in.

How on earth do you choose?

There is no 'one size fits all' answer about how to make this choice — mainly because there are so many possible situations in which you could find yourself. Perhaps you had one college you REALLY wanted to attend, and the others were just backups in case you didn't get into their dream university. Maybe there were a few first choices, or you didn't get accepted into their only first choice. This is the time that you need to make the hard decisions.

If you were accepted to more than one college, with no clear first choice, you could tape them all on a wall, blindfold your kid and have them throw a dart, and see which one it hits… Or you could take a deep breath, get all of the responses and have a discussion about it. The criteria you used to determine where to apply can be the same criteria you use to whittle your choices down:

* Location — do you want to come home for the holidays… or are you hoping to travel, explore and 'find yourself (while allowing your parents to go to Jamaica for Christmas!)?

* Size — how many students on campus? In a class? Student Population — How diverse is it?

* Academics — Does the school offer the mix of programmes that you want?

* Extracurriculars — If you need to play football or netball, see which schools offer it.

* Facilities — What does the campus look like? Did they just build a new multimillion dollar athletic centre, or do they have computer labs in every building?

* Cost — Do any of the schools offer financial aid for international students?

Maybe size isn't as important as facilities in your estimation, so do a "side-by-side" comparison, perhaps using www.collegeboard.com or www.petersons.com, which both allow you to see a comparison chart of whatever colleges you choose.

After you've done that, it may also help to see if you can find some people that attended one of the colleges you're interested in. Just ask your neighbour's cousin's best friend's colleague! Someone will know someone who can give you some first-hand knowledge, and will most likely be more frank than the admissions office. You can also ask the guidance counsellors, as they may be able to put you in touch with a former student who is currently attending one of the colleges on your list.

If at all possible, one of the best ways to make a decision is to visit the campuses! Once you are there, your gut instincts will let you know if it's a good fit. Remember, you will be spending about four years there, so it has to be a place where they will feel comfortable and safe.

If you were not granted acceptance by one or more colleges, don't panic. It isn't the end of the world. Colleges have many reasons for rejecting students — not just student achievement. They must also address their own needs for a diverse population or for strength on sports teams or in specific degree programmes. It would be a mistake to treat rejection as failure.

Now, in the worst-case scenario, you aren't accepted anywhere. This could happen if you didn't apply to many schools or if your grades faltered. Still, it's not the end of the world. If going to college is really your dream, then you need to re-evaluate the situation, and look at your options. Yes, you have options. Apply to schools whose deadlines haven't passed — many schools offer rolling admission — or apply to the same schools again, after retaking the SAT or improving grades. You would have to contact the admissions office of the school to determine if that's acceptable. Also contact the office to ask why you weren't accepted. It's better to know, in case you want to reapply in a subsequent year. Good Luck!