The process of building a list of colleges to apply to is a huge step in your high school career. There are students who may have had their eyes set on a dream school and other students who may have a vague idea or even no idea what they are looking for in a college or university.
When it comes to creating a list of potential colleges to apply to, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to make the process as seamless and less overwhelming as possible. You need to keep in mind that this is a decision that needs to be beneficial to you and your future endeavors.
1. Access Your Personal Profile
Before you start compiling a list of potential schools to apply to, you want to do a quick evaluation of yourself. You can start by making a list of your GPA, strengths, weaknesses, test scores, extra curricular activities, and accomplishments. Having this information will help determine where you stand and which colleges would be a good fit for you. We recommend doing this assessment early, so you will be aware of any areas you may want to improve in before applying. Ideally you want to have a well-rounded list of schools consisting of 2-3 safety schools, 3-5 target schools, and 2-3 reach schools.
2. Campus Location
This is one of the most common places to start when thinking about which colleges to apply to. Do you want to stay close to home with your family and friends nearby or explore a city or country that you have always wanted to experience? Most students already have a rough idea of how close or far to home they want to be. In addition to answering these questions, you need to also look within yourself to figure out how you would deal with situations that might arise during transition like homesickness. Once you figure out the areas you want to go to college in, it will help you narrow down the schools in your desired regions. The setting of the school (urban, suburban, or large city) and size of the school (small or large) campus are two other factors to consider as well.
3. Course of Study – Major/Minors
If you already know what you want to study, researching schools that rank highly in that field of study would be beneficial to you. For example, if you want to major in Law, Stanford University might be a school to look into because they have one of the highest ranked Law programs in California. By doing the research, you will be able to discover schools that spark your interest that you might not have been familiar with or even heard of before.
4. Finances
Knowing how you are going to pay for college is something that should definitely be addressed from the start. The last thing you want to happen is applying to a school, getting accepted, and not being able to attend because of the cost. Most students apply for financial aid through Federal Student Aid, which gives you an estimate of how much you can expect to receive. There are also loan and grant options as well. Finding and applying for scholarships is another way to receive money to help pay for school.