Can some jellies help me unravel this parenting puzzle?

One of my daughters is a high school junior. For those jellies unfamiliar with the US school system, that means she’ll graduate in June, 2014, when the school-year ends here in Hawai`i.

This coming March, 2013, she will take an important standardized college entrance exam called the SAT. She’s nervous about that.

She’s beginning to search for colleges in her field of interest(theater design and technology), and she is also planning a trip with her mother for this coming summer to visit some of those schools. She’s always talked about going to school back East. That includes the mid-Atlantic states and New England.

My dilemma is that whenever I try to mention the subject, she squeals and finds ways to change the subject. I’m truly not trying to add to her stress. I understand that choosing a university or college is a big decision.

I have spent some time online researching schools, and I believe I have some good suggestions.

How do I approach her so that I’m helpful without pressuring her?

Please, note this is a General Section question.