Creating a Strong College List

Selecting the right colleges to form a college list is an important part of the application process that can determine if a student gets admitted to several colleges or none at all. There are several factors to consider, including personal interest, fit, acceptance rate, and cost.

Personal interest is a major factor because no student wants to be stuck at a college that they do not like and have to endure or transfer. To gauge personal interest, applicants should get an understanding of what academic degree and career they are interested in pursuing. This will likely dictate what colleges applicants will consider based on the programs they offer. Personal interest and fit are both contingent on this consideration as well as the feel of the campus. Some students may want a large, medium, or small college. Some will want to be in a rural area while others will want to be in a city. Visiting a college is an important step, but it is not necessary due to online options, including virtual tours and information.

After considering these factors, students should research the acceptance rates of their colleges of interest. Also, research their stats, such as average test scores and GPA. Students should try to be in the 75th percentile for test scores or at the very least be between the 25th and 75th percentile, meaning the middle 50% of accepted students. A student's GPA should be average for the college if not higher. There is not much room for variation in GPA. These factors should demonstrate which colleges are safety schools (students dramatically exceed the college's average stats), mid schools (students have the average stats for the school), and reach schools (students have below average stats, or are applying to the Ivy League and other top colleges no matter their stats). Students should use this information to select at least 2 safety schools, 2 mid schools, and 2 reach schools. To ensure students get into a college, safety schools must have essentially guaranteed admission. There should be no doubt whether a student will get accepted. 6 schools is the minimum that is recommended. If students have competitive stats for top colleges then consider applying to closer to 10 colleges. If doing this, apply to 2 safety schools, 4 mid schools, and 4 reach schools. If students qualify for fee wavers and have good stats, they should apply to as many colleges as possible.