The challenges of college begin long before a student enrolls. The first hurdle often is just finding the right college, and the range of educational institutions in the U.S. can make it hard for students to be aware of the many options.
Considering the numerous factors that prospective students ought to weigh, choosing a college can be difficult. But a well-thought-out and targeted approach can make finding the right college less cumbersome, say experts, who encourage prospective students to weigh their options carefully before deciding where to enroll.
Developing a college list often involves significant research and refinement over the course of the search, experts say.
“I would really think about the meaningful factors that have an impact on anyone’s college experience,” says Colleen Paparella, founder of DC College Counseling, an independent company that offers admissions guidance. “Come up with a list of factors that led to your success or enjoyment of your high school experience. If there were things you really loved about your high school or didn’t, what were those? Use those, at least in part, to develop your list of factors for college.”
The length of that list may vary depending on numerous factors.
Finding the Right Number for a College List
Experts differ on how many colleges you should apply to, with recommendations ranging from a handful to 20. The College Board suggests submitting five to eight applications.
Sonia Lal, founder of education consulting firm Ivy League Potential and a former admissions interviewer at Harvard University in Massachusetts, recommends making a list of 15 to 20 colleges.
[Read: A Complete Guide to the College Application Process.]
That should include a mix of safety schools — colleges you’re highly likely to get into — alongside schools where you best match the profile of accepted students, and reach schools where acceptance may be a long shot because they are more competitive.
“It seems to be getting more competitive every year, so what we want is for the student to have as many letters of admission at the end of the day when they have to make this decision,” Lal says, along with “as many letters of financial aid as possible. That way they can really compare and make the best decision.”
The list needs to include a strong mix of colleges, experts say. This could include public and private schools as well as those in different settings, such as urban, suburban and rural schools.
Students shouldn’t discount a safety school just because it may not seem as prestigious as other colleges on their list, Lal says. The important thing is finding the right fit — a place where a student “will thrive and have a good quality of life for the next four years,” as well as one that will position them well for their career goals.
“The biggest mistake I’ve seen students make is that they just go by the name brand and they think, ‘if I just attend that university, everything will be set for me in life,'” she says. “That’s actually not true, because the good fit is really important.”
Many colleges that fall into the safety school category offer a great student experience, Paparella notes. Because academic profiles and ambitions vary, one student’s safety school may fall into the reach or dream category for another.
The Common Application, which many students use to apply to multiple schools at once, caps the number of applications at 20. For balance, Paparella recommends trimming your initial list and applying to no more than 10 to 12 colleges.
Completing a lot of applications can be time-consuming and hurt the quality of the applications, she says. “It’s so much better to focus your time, rather than looking at volume.”
[Read: How Many Colleges Should I Apply to?]
Factors to Consider When Making a College List
Admissions experts encourage students to consider these questions as a starting point when creating a college list. A comprehensive set of questions will vary based on student priorities.
— Does the college have my intended major?
— What financial aid is available?
— What are the net costs after financial aid?
— Are there opportunities for internships or undergraduate research?
— What is the average class size?
— What kind of academic experience am I looking for?
— Does the college offer extracurricular activities that interest me?
— What housing options are available?
— What are retention rates for first-year students?
— What are the graduation rates?
— What are the graduation rates for students by income level?
— What are job-placement rates for students in my intended major?
— Will this college allow me to express my cultural or religious identity comfortably?
Regarding college costs, experts say the sticker price isn’t necessarily what you’ll have to pay, since it doesn’t reflect tuition discounts, scholarships and other forms of financial aid. You should talk to college officials to determine the actual cost of attendance.
“There are a lot of families that fall into this — what’s called a donut hole — where they make too much money to qualify for a meaningful amount of financial aid but can’t pay for the private tuition,” Paparella says. “Their best bet is to go to a public university or a school that might be a little less selective but would offer them a meaningful merit scholarship. That is incredibly important to discuss early. That can save a lot of heartache down the line for the whole family.”
How to Organize a College List
Admissions experts suggest using the time between Memorial Day of junior year and Labor Day of senior year to whittle down your college list to the institutions where you’ll actually submit an application.
“Often between this period, students will have received their junior year transcript and summer test scores (e.g., APs, ACT or SAT) as well as have visited some campuses that will help them narrow down their choices and decide on the best-fit ones,” Christine Chu, a premier college admissions counselor at IvyWise, wrote in an email. “And by Labor Day, they should really begin their applications in earnest if they haven’t done so already.”
[read: Nonacademic Factors to Consider When Choosing a College]
While time and finances may make it impossible to visit every college on your list, doing campus tours in person at a variety of schools can make a big difference, especially when you can interact with professors and students or sit in on classes.
“So much of it is intuition and good fit,” Lal says. “Every student is a bit different. We also recommend they visit schools of different sizes. They can get a good idea of what size is good for them, too.”
Tools to help prospective students get started on their college search are abundant. Admissions experts highlight free tools such as BigFuture from the College Board, College Navigator from the National Center for Education Statistics — an arm of the U.S. Department of Education — and application management systems such as Naviance that are available through high schools.
U.S. News offers the College Compass search tool, a paid subscription that provides access to expanded rankings and data on more than 1,800 schools as well as the MyFit custom college ranking feature.
Experts have a few suggestions on how students can stay organized when crafting a comprehensive list of prospective colleges, such as using a spreadsheet or making a list of pros and cons.
“Think about weighting your factors,” Paparella says. “Maybe you really prefer being in the South, and that’s a strong preference for you. But at the end of the day, you’re willing to overlook it for job-placement statistics. Realize that not all pros and cons should be weighted the same.”
Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.
More from U.S. News
How to Get Into College: 9 Strategies
9 College Application Tasks for the Summer Before Senior Year
How to Make a College List originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 11/06/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
