Creating a college list is no small task — it could even be considered as the most difficult step in the college application process. However, if you start early and keep an open mind, you can make discoveries about colleges and even about yourself that might greatly influence your mindset.
First, it’s important to start early in the process, perhaps in your junior year. Take as many opportunities as possible to take in-person and virtual tours of colleges you’re interested in and maximize the amount of schools you look into. Don’t count any college out too early unless you’re certain it isn’t the school for you. It’s best to consider at least 20 to 30 colleges. Another thing to keep in mind is that state schools often use just one application; to keep track of the amount of applications you fill out, count state schools as one application.
Second, create a spreadsheet for all of the colleges you visit or you’re interested in. Make columns highlighting their location, their yearly tuition, the SAT/ACT and GPA statistics of accepted students, undergraduate population, the majors or extracurriculars you might be interested in, and finally, what attracts you to the school. Start dividing them into reach schools (ones that might be difficult to get into), target schools (schools that you have a good chance of getting into), and safety schools (schools that you are very likely to get into). At the same time, don’t take these divisions too seriously. It is just to help you understand which colleges to prioritize and how to manage your expectations.
Third, create a list of priorities. This list could include college size, teacher to student ratio, location, weather, selectivity, campus activities, tuition and housing cost, and perhaps most importantly, major. While you may not have decided exactly what major you plan to apply to college with, keep your academic interests in mind while browsing colleges. Again, don’t eliminate any college too early, but keep track of the ones that specialize in your interests.
Now that you have your list of colleges and your list of priorities, use both lists to create your final shortlist. Based on how many colleges you plan to apply to, which could mean anywhere from 6 to even 20 applications, finalize your list before you begin your applications. Start eliminating schools from your list that you feel little connection to, or that you think might not be a good fit for your interests. This list doesn’t have to be concrete — as you start filling out your applications, you might find that it’s difficult to write about certain schools, or that you’re likely to refuse an acceptance. In that case, it is alright to change your mind, even at the last minute, but it still helps to have a clear list of colleges.
Ultimately, it is important to take your college list as seriously as your applications. Making a college list not only helps you organize the application process, but it also helps you broaden your perspective and be better prepared for your application results.
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