This page summarizes the college-planning advice I have given to students over the years. This is my own spin on the process and was pretty successful for me. Your results may vary.
A note about rankings: there isn't a huge difference between #1 and 5 on the list, but there's a big difference difference between number 10 and number 100.
Forbes College Rankings - focuses on graduation in 4 years, earnings after college, and prestigious awards given to students.
US News Rankings - focuses on college reputation, retention after the first year, alumni giving to schools. (You probably want to look at Regional Universities first, then at Liberal Arts Colleges and National Universities).
Peterson's Guide lists schools by major offered and other interesting criteria.
Your Junior Year is the most important year for your preparation for college.
Get good grades. Colleges will see either that you worked hard, or that you didn't. If your Junior Year grades were an improvement over the first two years of high school, colleges see that you will likely be a good student. Junior year grades are for a full year and have more weight than the one term from Senior year.
Junior year will contribute tremendously to your GPA, which is a significant part of your application.
You should impress the teachers that will write your recommendation letters later.
Embrace academic challenges, participate in long-term community service, and do activities that will distinguish you from the pack when you apply later.
This year, start collecting info about the type of college you want to go to:
Large school (10,000+ students) or small (a few thousand)?
City or Suburban/Rural?
Close to home or far away?
Academically rigorous or not?
With a specific major, program, sport, or activity you want?
You can visit schools this summer and start narrowing down your options to 4-6 schools. Whittle down your list to safe schools (Massasoit?), a few mid-range schools, and a reach school or two (that would be hard to get into). Resist the urge to apply to too many schools.
Realize that applying to colleges is a lot like dating. You want to stand out from a large pool of applicants/suitors. Woo the college: Visit its booth at the college fair. Get the business card of the person you talk to, then later send a follow-up email question. Send a thank you note to anyone who helps you (or interviews you). Use every ounce of courtesy you can muster. Explicitly show your interest in the school. Customize your application essay for the school (for example, by referring to a program they have that you really like). Every contact you have with the school makes you stand out above the pack.
Also, realize that colleges are trying to create a first year class whose members have a variety of experiences and backgrounds. Think of the slot you will fit into in their class and show them that you'd be the best fit for that slot.
Your parents
Your Guidance Counselor
Your teachers
Current college students
Representatives at college fairs
Don't go to a school if you're going to need to take out $30,000+ in loans per year. It's not worth it and you'll be paying off your loans till you're 50.
Local scholarships are helpful, but they're just a drop in the bucket. Some schools even count them against your financial aid that comes from the college.
Private schools offer much more money in grants and scholarships than state schools even though their tuitions are higher. Don't count them out just because of the sticker shock.
If you're a borderline student, consider starting at a community college and transferring to a state school later; you can save a lot of money.
Do you want to go to a state school in another New England state? If you take a major that's not available in Massachusetts, you will still pay in-state tuition through the Tuition Break program. Instead of majoring in Biology, you can save $30,000 by majoring in Botany/Plant Biology, or Biological Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering. You'll take 75% of the same courses, but pay a reduced price.
The more the college wants you, the more money they will offer. Make yourself as desirable to the school you're applying to as possible (see tips above). Play up how you will contribute to the school through sports, academics, or diversity. Geographic diversity is a kind of diversity; a student from Massachusetts applying to a mid-level college in Illinois will seem like a rare flower to that school's admissions staff.
If you get inadequate financial aid, appeal. Write a letter describing your special circumstances (parent that recently lost his/her job, an illness in the family that requires large financial support, extra dependents, etc.)
Grants are MUCH better than loans and aid that is guaranteed for 4 years is much better than need-based aid that isn't.
Get the most bang for your buck. You pay the same whether you take a challenging course where you learn a lot, or an easy cakewalk of a course that you forget the next month. Make use of the school's resources and student activities. Participate in internships. GET GOOD GRADES. College is an investment in you, so get the most impressive transcript and resume out of it that you can.
Finally, consider living at home if you're going to a school locally. Yes it might be a pain, but you can save $30,000 over 4 years.
College is not an end goal in itself. Your real goal is to get a good education so that you have the knowledge and skills for an uncertain life ahead. You want skills just as much as you want an education.
Get a variety of experiences. A communications major is only useful if the person obtains the skills to work at a TV station or prepare marketing materials for a business (or something similar).
Today, college isn't the end of training for many careers. You'll brush up and specialize in graduate school or specialized training (for nursing, teaching, etc). You don't need to know what you're going to do for a career at the beginning of college, but you should be narrowing it down by the end.
Life is full of choices. A lot of times, we don't choose between something good and something bad (that's easy!) Instead, we're choosing among all good things. It can be difficult to let go of a great opportunity. Be comforted by knowing that you have many good choices; but, you need to choose one.