This study examined the process of college choice focusing on the earlier stages of the college choice process among 4,923 high school students (3,110 students participated by returning completed surveys) involving 21 high schools in Indiana. The study attempted to: (1) construct a mid-range model representing the search phase of the college choice process; (2) determine what factors accounted for the variance within this mid-range model; and (3) test the variables found in the model using a structural equations modeling technique. Study variables involved student background, attitudes, parental support, and search criterion. Among 11 conclusions were the following: female students appear to have a stronger commitment toward their after-high-school plans; male students receive more parental support than female students; fathers with lower levels of education provide more encouragement for their child's educational plans; and the search stage of student college choice has structure and can be represented by a mid-range model. A description is provided of the final empirical model that was developed from the study, followed by explanations of the influential impact of each of the variables on student search process. Recommendations for policymakers, secondary and postsecondary institutions, and researchers are provided. The appendix includes the student questionnaires developed for the study Contains a 104-item bibliography. (GLR)