Brace yourself! You're entering the opinion zone. Everyone has one, you know — from your friends to your parents. Everyone thinks they know what's best for you. Some do, but some don't.

So here's the challenge: selecting the right education (a.k.a. career option) at the right college at the best price for you.

Seems like a daunting task, doesn't it. But if it's any consolation, it feels that way to every high school student looking toward the future. And I promise, there are people who are ready, willing and able to help you along the way.

Choosing the right college

Start with this weekend's 2011 Saint Louis College Fair, sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Here, gathered in one large room (the Simon Recreation Center at Saint Louis University to be exact), you'll find hundreds of college admission counselors who can answer questions about hundreds of schools. They are the experts on everything from what their colleges can offer to how to apply. They can set you up with interviews with coaches, professors and department chairs. They can point you in the direction of career counselors and financial aid officers. They can even give you pointers on social etiquette in the college search. Talk to them. Ask lots of questions. Then, when you find a college you're really interested in, develop a relationship with the college admission counselor there. It will make your college exploration easier if you do.

Consider all the possibilities. Two-year, four-year, private, public, small, large ... the list goes on and on. Are you an urban dweller? Maybe you need a college that's right in the middle of the city. The point is: you need a college that's right for you. This is a very personal decision. Of course, you have to be able to afford it, too.

"The tuition (low not high) was huge for me," said Fabrizio Medrano, explaining why he choose Southeast Missouri State University.

Robin Taylor added, "When I choose SEMO, I looked at how the degree program was accredited nationally." (For the record, it places in the top 25 percent of business programs nationally.)

Catherine Brown added that the university's willingness to accept transfer credits was another selling point. She also had nothing but great things to say about DegreeWorks, the university's degree audit report.

"The university is very encouraging in helping you get your degree completed and helping you reach your career goals. The degree audit report (part of the university's Finish in Four program) shows you the classes you have taken and advises you on what you still need," she explained.

"Finish in Four helped me to finish in three-and-a-half," said Robin.

"Me, too," exclaimed Catherine, reaching up to receive Robin's high-five.

Robin, Catherine and Fabrizio had gathered at the Sheraton in Clayton, Mo., for St. Louis Interview Days, a SEMO-sponsored event that brings regional employers together with students from the university's Harrison College of Business.

Make sure your choice is a good fit. At Missouri Baptist University, Katie Brown (no relation to SEMO's Catherine Brown) said her college choice was less about money and degree, and more about fit.

"In choosing my college I went back and forth quite a bit," she admitted. "It was a really difficult decision for me. Ultimately, several external factors played into my choice to attend Missouri Baptist."

One of the biggest factors to contribute to Katie's choice was SpiritWing, a ministry music group made up of Missouri Baptist University students.

"SpiritWing got me interested, but Missouri Baptist was way out of my price range," Katie said. Or so she thought. "I received a lot of institutional aid (from the university) as well as federal financial aid, which played a huge part in my decision to attend Missouri Baptist University."

Katie admitted that she entered college without a major, which isn't always the best choice.

"It's very stressful to try and decide what you want to do with the rest of your life," she said.

Now in her junior year, Katie has chosen a major that she is passionate about (ministry and leadership with a minor in psychology), but she said, "The thing that scares me most is graduating and not being able to find a job."

Katie is not alone in that fear, which bring us back to those SEMO students waiting for job and internship interviews.

Choosing the right degree (A.K.A. Career)

"Half of the students who enter college with a declared major will change their major in the first two years," said Debbie Below, vice president for Enrollment Management and director of Admissions at SEMO.

However, career counseling can lower those numbers. In fact, it's not a bad idea to start looking at career options as early as your junior or senior year in high school. Check with your guidance counselor about career assessment tools and job shadowing opportunities that can help you narrow your degree focus before you even set foot on a college campus. And, when you get to campus be sure to engage the services of the university's career counseling staff.

At SEMO, Dr. Below explained, a program called "Career Linkages" keeps students on track to graduate with the skills they need to be "career ready." Theresa Haug-Belvin, SEMO's director of Student Transitions, explained.

"We start with them during their first year. The initial program is Focus-2, an online career assessment tool that can help students map out their career and educational goals. I hear from students frequently who say that Focus-2 got them thinking that the career they were considering might not be right for them," Dr. Haug-Belvin said.

That's a good thing, because the whole point is to get students thinking, so that they can make the best use of their time in school.

On that note, Dr. Haug-Belvin added, "We really want students to think about finishing in four years."

Economically, finishing college in four years really is in your best interest, so is participating in career checks and internships throughout your college experience.

SEMO's second career check is a continuation of Focus-2 and involves meeting with a career advisor, registering with MissouriCareerSource.com, and exploring career-related part-time jobs.

"In 2004, we entered into an partnership with the Missouri Division of Workforce Development and have counselors with the program who work directly with our students on their career plans," Dr. Below said.

The third leg of SEMO's four-part program has students demonstrating minimal proficiency in finding information about career readiness through Career Linkages and correctly answering a 25-question quiz.

The goal is to get students to renew and review basic components of the job search process each year that they are on campus.

Take a lesson from the real world. Finally, in Career Linkages IV, students are expected to demonstrate advanced proficiency in locating an open position in their field, crafting a cover letter for that opening, and tailoring a resume for the position. This isn't college anymore ... it's life.

"Students can't graduate without completing all four components of the Career Linkages program," Dr. Haug-Belvin explained, "which helps to ensure that none of our students graduate without basic career assistance."

However, even with all this wonderful help — and every university has some form of career counseling (ask for it!) — you still have to do the work.

Conversationally, Dr. Below cited a survey with a surprising result: 99 percent of college students felt faculty should be involved in the student's career development. Here's a news flash from the real world: it really is up to you to own the process and choose your path to success.

But anything is possible — the choice is up to you.