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Making The List: How To Find The Right College For You 

Too Many Colleges To Choose From? Pinpointing What You Want Can Make The Decision Process Easier 

Trying to decide which college to attend can leave your head spinning. With so many to choose from, it’s understandable that picking just one can leave you stressed out and confused. If too many colleges are making the list of potentials, it’s time to narrow it down by figuring out what’s most important to you. 

Rule #1: Make a list of your dream schools. 

First and foremost, it is important to understand how to break down the schools into three categories: 

• Safeties; or safe schools are colleges and universities that you are very likely to gain acceptance.
• Potentials; or probable schools contain students sharing similar grades and SAT scores to yours.
• Reach schools are those colleges and universities whose average students possess grades, SAT scores and GPA numbers higher than yours.

As a general rule, it is best to apply to more reach schools than any other type of school. The reasoning behind this is that the odds are in your favor for getting accepted into safe and probable schools. Applying to more reach schools gives you a higher chance of being accepted to at least one or two of those. 

Start by sending out twenty applications – five for safeties, five for probable, and ten for reach. Doing so will take up both time and money. Therefore, if you cannot handle twenty, send out at least three applications to each type of school. Whatever you do, never apply to less than two safety schools. This will at least ensure you have options available as backup.

Rule #2: Make a list of what you want. 

Once you have offers, or at least an idea of where might attend, ask yourself these three big questions: 

• What types of majors am I interested in?
• Do I want to attend college locally or away from home?
• What can I afford? 

These main questions alone can narrow your list down considerably. Once you have the answers, you can move on to some of the smaller questions. 

• Are activities such as sports and band important to me?
• What do I expect out of campus life?
• Do I need to be close to shopping areas and nightlife?
• Will I want to join a fraternity or sorority?
• Would I prefer a large or small number of students? 

Keep in mind that the more questions you ask, the smaller the list will become. Not all students are alike. They all have different needs and interests. Therefore, trying to pick a college to attend without being aware of what you want, will make the decision process a nightmare. 

Rule#3: Make a list of what feels right. 

It’s very easy for a college to sound appealing on paper. The problem is, you can’t truly know what it’s all about until you find out for yourself. 

The best way to get a feel for a college or university is by visiting the campus. This is where you’ll be spending at least four years of your life. Find out what it has to offer. Is it clean? Does it have safe and decent housing? Is there edible food on campus or at least nearby? Is there campus security? Does the campus have internet connection in the dorms or just in the school labs? If the college doesn’t feel like a good fit, then it probably won’t be making the list. 

Before making a decision, take the time to closely evaluate all of your options. Follow your gut instincts and choose what feels like the best fit for you.