How to Make a College List
Sophie Fishman is part of the High School of American Studies class of 2021
Applying to college can be overwhelming, with over 4,000 colleges in the US it's hard to know where to start. So here are a few things to keep in mind when putting together your college list:
There are three major classifications for colleges on your college list - likely, fit, and reach schools
A likely school, or safety school, is a school that you’re almost certain to be admitted to. It’s good to have these on your list as a fallback, in case some of the more competitive options don’t work out. As a general rule, your grades and test scores should be within the 75th percentile of admitted students. Most schools have information about admitted students on their websites, so compare there. Make sure your safety school has an acceptance rate of 40% or higher, depending on your scores and grades
A match school is a school that you are likely to be admitted to. Generally, for these schools, your grades and test scores should fall within the fiftieth percentile of admitted students. One thing to keep in mind is that match schools should have an acceptance rate higher than 20%. For schools with lower acceptance rates, your scores may be within the range, but the seats are so limited and a lot of students with similar statistics will apply, meaning admission will be more difficult
A reach school is either a school where your grades and test scores are in the 25th percentile, or the acceptance rate is below 20%.
The next step is to start thinking about what you want out of a college and to begin research. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:
Location
It’s good to have a mixture of locations and location types when you’re looking at schools, depending on your needs, but here are a few questions to consider:
How close (or far) do you want to be from home? A train ride? A walk? A plane ride? What type of weather do you want? What setting do you feel most comfortable? A city? A suburb? Rural?
What type of internship and work opportunities are available in that location?
Major
At most schools, you will need to write in an intended major when you apply, but this is not necessarily binding. So if you are unsure about your major, be sure to research how easy it is to change your major at a school and at what point you need to declare your major. A few other questions to consider when picking an intended major and a school:
What am I interested in studying? What subjects have I enjoyed most in high school? Is this area of interest offered at this school? Can I double major at this school? Take a minor? How will my selected major affect admission?
Size
There are benefits to both small colleges and larger universities. Small colleges allow for intimate more discussion-based classes but larger universities offer more opportunities for research and have more resources available. Both offer very different social lives, too. So when choosing schools, it's important to keep these advantages and disadvantages in mind, you may want to include a mixture of both on your list.
Extracurricular activities
Are there certain activities that are important to you? A sport? An art? Most colleges have a list of their clubs and groups on their website, so when you do your research make sure you’re going to have the opportunity to pursue the activity you love. If they don’t already have a club, you may be able to start one yourself, look into it!
Student Groups/Support
College is a huge transition and can be extremely overwhelming, and it's important to find both support and community while there. So look into the school’s student groups! Is there a religious organization you want to join? A cultural organization? An LGBT+ support center? In addition to college being overwhelming socially, it can also be a challenge adjusting academically. So when you’re looking for a school look into their Student Academic Resources. A lot of schools offer peer tutoring or writing assistance, which you should definitely take advantage of.
Affordability
College is expensive. The tuition of a school shouldn’t rule it out, as many schools offer merit and need-based financial aid, but it’s important to have a discussion with your family about how much student debt you are willing to take on if any at all. While public colleges may appear less expensive, as they often are, private schools may end up being more affordable, as they have larger endowments for aid. So make sure you have a mix of both types of schools on your list.
For information on scholarships feel free to read and use the resources posting on the outsiders guide website! Check out the college support page for specific college guidance programs and resources, and the college page for lots of other stuff!
Anything else!
Maybe there are other amenities you want like a gym, no communal showers, a beautiful campus. No one knows you better than yourself. So, when looking at schools ask yourself whether this is somewhere you see yourself. Look into the school culture and ask yourself, “Is this somewhere I could find community?” Look into student testimony on the schools or speak to current or past students to get a feel as to what the school culture is like. College should be a place where you feel safe and comfortable, so make sure you feel that way about every school to which you apply.
Now it’s time to start to compile your list and decide where you want to apply! When you start to research colleges, don’t limit yourself by number. It’s best to start with a list of a lot of schools, and as you research more in-depth, you can eliminate schools from your list.
When considering how many schools you want to apply to, it’s important to keep application fees in mind. On average, application fees are around $50, so as more schools get added on the more costly it becomes. But, if you look at a school’s website you may be able to qualify for a fee waiver.
The level of competitiveness of schools you’re applying to will determine how many schools on your list. If you’re applying to more competitive schools, it may be to your advantage to apply to a few more. When making your list important to have a good mix of likely, match, and reach schools, but most importantly you should be applying to schools you want to attend. Don’t put a safety school on your list just for the sake of having it, but really research and try to find safety, match, and reach schools you would be excited to attend! Searching and applying to colleges is so exciting, and you should feel happy about the schools you’re applying to.
I personally have found it helpful to organize my college list by using a spreadsheet. Categorize your schools by likely, match, and reach, acceptance rate, location, size, and application deadline. Having an organized spreadsheet will help you later on down the line for planning and organizing your supplemental essays!
Here are a few resources to get you started on your search:
Big Future from the College Board
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/
College Navigator (Includes information about financial aid)
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Scholar Matcher
https://scholarmatcher.scholarmatch.org/
“A free college search tool designed to assist prospective college students from households earning less than $50,000 per year with their college search”
US New and World Report 2021 Best Universities Rankings
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities
Colleges With the Best Return on Investment
