Choosing a college is a major decision for many high school students. A study was conducted to determine at what point in his/her life a student makes college plans, what factors influence college choice, and what information resources students use in choosing a college. College freshmen (N=3,708) completed questionnaires concerning their college choice decision-making process. Subjects indicated: (1) their ideal and actual distance between college and home; (2) when they began college planning and when their final decision was made; (3) whether they had considered each of 15 factors in making their choice; (4) which college information sources they had used; and (5) characteristics of their chosen college. The results revealed that most respondents had begun their college planning before their senior year in high school and had made their final decision during their senior year. Top factors considered by subjects included the academic reputation of the college, the quality of available programs, costs, faculty reputation, and friendliness of the school. Males and females differed on 10 of 15 factors, while blacks and whites differed on only 4 of 15 factors. College students, friends, and the high school counselor were the three information sources most frequently reported by all subgroups studied. School counselors were the information source most frequently used by blacks, while college students were used most frequently by other groups. The paper concludes by noting some implications of these findings for school counselors. (References and 10 data tables are appended.) (NB)