Is it possible to set up excel so that the proper column is selected for
numerical entry dependent upon a text entry in a row?

Maybe.

Should a cell be selected after you type that text value in a certain column?

Or should a cell be selected when you select a cell in that row -- and the text
value in that other cell already exists???

I'm gonna guess that you type the value in column A. Then you select a cell in
the same row.

If you want to try:

Right click on the worksheet tab that should have this behavior. Select view
code and paste this into the code window that opens up.

Option Explicit
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)

Dim myOffset As Long

If Target.Cells.Count 1 Then Exit Sub
If Intersect(Target, Me.Range("a:a")) Is Nothing Then Exit Sub

On Error GoTo errHandler:

myOffset = 0
Select Case LCase(Target.Value)
Case Is = "a": myOffset = 1
Case Is = "b": myOffset = 3
Case Is = "x": myOffset = 18
End Select

If myOffset < 0 Then
Application.EnableEvents = False
Target.Offset(0, myOffset).Select
End If

errHandler:
Application.EnableEvents = True

End Sub

You'll have to change the values and offsets (18 means move to the right 18
columns). And the values that get typed into column A, too.

Then back to excel to test it out.

If you're new to macros, you may want to read David McRitchie's intro at:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/getstarted.htm

If you want to read more about these kinds of events:

Chip Pearson's site:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/events.htm

David McRitchie's site:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/event.htm

Snoopy wrote:

Is it possible to set up excel so that the proper column is selected for
numerical entry dependent upon a text entry in a row?

--

Dave Peterson