Building a college list

Being a junior going into twelfth grade, summer is less about fun and more about having to think about the colleges that I want to apply to next year. There are tens of thousands of universities in the world and even in the U.S, there are still over 4,000 schools to choose from. So how exactly do you narrow down that 4,000 to 7-15 schools? That’s what I’m here to help you with! 

For me, the process of narrowing down my college list was overwhelming, to say the least. I had no idea how to start and felt as if the decisions I made during this process could either make or break my entire future. Talking to my counsellor and some of my friends that had already applied to college was very helpful for me. After having gone through the long process and finally limiting my options to 20 schools, I believe I learned many great tips regarding how to compile a college list best suitable for you. So, here is how to get started on narrowing down your college list: 

1. Get to know yourself - What are your preferences and interests? 
College can be a huge investment and to get the most out of your college experience, it is important to make sure that you are going somewhere that meets your needs and wants. Considering the fact that college is where you will most likely be spending four years of your life, think about even the smallest things. For example, here are some questions that you can think about as you start the process. 

1. Do you like warm or cold weather?
2. Do you want to be near your family or further away from them?
3. Do you like a rural, urban, or suburban environment?
4. Would you rather live on-campus or off-campus? Do you want to live with a roommate or by yourself?
5. Are there specific extracurricular activities you want to take part in during college?
6. Do you want to only take courses in the specific fields you like or do you want to take courses across all subjects?
7. Do you want religion to be a part of your college experience?
8. Do you want to go to a small school with small class sizes or a bigger school with big class sizes? Or do you want something in the middle?
9. What else is important to you in a college: a good sports program? A gym/fitness centre? A strong career or internship centre? 
10. Do you want to be in a college with a majority of the people looking like you? Or do you want this to be an opportunity to be around people that are different from you?

2. Research, Research, Research
Once you have figured out what you want, it is time to see which schools will be able to meet those needs and wants. The easiest way is to search up: “Best schools for intended major.” However, make sure that you look beyond just the academic rankings. Instead, look for lists of schools that are most diverse, have the best sports programs, have the happiest students, have the most school spirit, or whatever else is important to you. 

Going to college fairs, watching YouTube videos, and talking to your high school alumnus are a few other ways to find colleges to look into. Once you have a rough list of schools that you are interested in, whether that be 30 or 60 schools, it is time to do in-depth research into each of the schools. This definitely took me a long time, but you do not have to do it all in one day, and being thorough here will definitely be helpful later on. Here are a few ways to do your research:

1. Dig deep into the school’s website. 
2. Sign up for virtual information sessions and tours for the school. This will give you a chance to ask questions to admission officers and talk to real students from the school. Some schools even have pre-recorded sessions if you prefer that. 
3. Search up “pros and cons of university name” and read student reviews on Quora, Reddit, and College Confidential. This was the most helpful step for me since I learned things that the school’s website and student tour guides would not tell me. Try to find out if a school is unaccepting of certain communities, has a cut-throat, competitive environment, in a location that is not easily accessible, has old and outdated equipment and resources, etc.
4. For more student perspectives, go to unigo.com, where you can read student reviews of colleges on a variety of topics. You can find out whether drugs and alcohol are a large part of the college culture, whether students are politically active, what popular student groups/activities are, what is unique about the college, what the worst thing about the college is, and much more! 
5. Niche.com is another resource where you can read student reviews. You can also find colleges’ “report cards” where public data sets and student reviews are used to grade a school on a scale of A-F on its diversity, athletics, party scene, academics, safety, and more! 
6. I often lost track of which schools I had looked at and what I learned about each school. Therefore, I recommend using a spreadsheet to organize the information you find. 

As I did research, I started eliminating schools that didn’t fit what I wanted and was able to narrow down my list. 

3. Split the colleges you are interested in to reach, safety, and target schools. 
While I am not a professional on college admissions it is recommended that you have a list of around 8-15 schools with around 2-3 safety schools, 3-6 target schools, and 3-6 reach schools. Safety schools are schools that you have a good chance of getting into, target schools are those that you have a 50-50% chance of getting into, and reach schools are those that you do not have a good chance of getting into. So, how exactly do you know which colleges fit into which category? Here is what my own counsellor recommended:

1. Look up the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores of the college. This information should be easy to find out online. 
2. If your GPA and SAT/ACT are above or well within the range of the college’s average scores, it should be a safety school. 
3. If your GPA and SAT/ACT are a little above or in the top range of the school’s average range of scores, it should be a target school. 
4. If your GPA and SAT/ACT are below a school’s average, it is probably a reach school. 
5. You should also look at a school’s average acceptance rate. On average, a school that has an acceptance rate of 20% or below is a reach school, 20%-60% is usually a target school, and over 60% is usually a safety school. 

Of course, your extracurriculars, essays, family history at the school, the competitiveness of your major, etc. would all play a role in your admission decision. However, following the steps above should give you a rough idea of whether a college is a safety, target, or reach school. 

I know that coming up with a college list can seem daunting, and I definitely felt worried and unprepared myself as I started the process. However, the more I did research, the more confident I became in knowing what I wanted and whether or not a school is a good fit for me. Your college list will evolve over time and you do not need to do it all in one day. So, don’t worry too much and I know that you got this!! 

Have a great day, 
Erica​