Chapter 2: Crafting Your College List
Written by Kaashvi, Dartmouth College
Welcome back to The College Countdown! If this is your first time stopping by our blog, I am Kaashvi, your friendly neighborhood college admissions enthusiast and your guide through this series. Whether you’re a returning reader or a newcomer, I’m pumped to have you join us for this wild ride. In today’s episode, we’re talking all about the crafting of the mythical college list.
Now, if you’re reading this article, you’ve probably either just started the spring semester of your junior year or are wrapping up a very stressful junior year, only to be hit with the realization that the much talked about college applications process is inching closer. Making a college list seems like a natural starting point.
But does this process have to be limited to tossing a bunch of random names on a piece of paper and calling it a day? No, not at all. Crafting your college list is a thoughtful process, a blend of self-reflection and research. It’s about finding the right fit—academically, socially and personally. So, whether this is the first time you’ve started thinking about colleges or you’ve had a dream school in mind since you were twelve, this guide has a little something for everyone. So, grab your pencil and a notepad (or open up that trusty Google Doc) because I’m going to share the insider information.
To get started, the first step is to make a preliminary list of schools without worrying about the number on the list. Let it reach ten, twenty, thirty. Just write it all down. I approached this process by adding every single school that had ever piqued my interest on the list and then researching every school to eliminate the ones I couldn’t envision myself attending.
There is a simple reasoning for choosing this strategy: it’s easier to narrow down a long list than to try and add more schools later on. Also, by casting a wide net initially, you give yourself enough room to discover hidden gems that probably would’ve been overlooked otherwise. For example, had I started making my list with an arbitrary number of schools to apply to, I would’ve definitely not applied to Wake Forest University and would’ve missed out the signature scholarships they offer for my major.
There is another lesser known reason why applying to as many schools as your time and means allow for is a good idea. It is tough to predict your chances of getting into any college because of institutional priorities that change every year. So, when applying, you never know what exact metrics a college is using to admit students each cycle and by extension, if you fit into their goals. One of my friends was accepted to Harvard but rejected by Dartmouth. Why? Harvard was interested in the specific skill set she had but Dartmouth wasn’t. To some extent, it does come down to numbers; the more places to apply to, the better are your chances of getting into at least one.
Now that you have a long list of colleges that you’re interested in applying to, it’s time to get more specific. Ask yourself what you’re looking for from your college experience. These are the basic factors to consider while making your list.
Location and weather:
Do you prefer the east coast or the west coast? Maybe you want to go to the Midwest or the South? How far do you want to move away from your home? Round trip flight tickets to and back from home can add up. Are you looking for an urban campus, a college town or someplace rural? Are you excited about the snow? If not, Cornell is probably not the school for you. Would you be okay with living in the area after graduation? Even if you’re planning to leave the city your school is in, make sure you wouldn’t mind living there in case you get an opportunity you can’t turn down. Talking about the job market, did you know, Microsoft and other Silicon Valley companies recruit more students from San Jose State than they do from any other school? Or that students graduating from Baruch get considered for Wall Street jobs just because they’re right there in Manhattan? Geographic location can be a huge factor in determining how successful you’ll be.School size and student body:
Have you always wanted to attend a bigger school? Maybe consider applying to public universities like UC Berkeley, University of Michigan and University of North Carolina with a big student body size. If you want a more tight-knit community, liberal arts colleges like Amherst and Williams might be the perfect fit for you. Do you learn better in classes with a smaller student to professor ratio? Is it important for you to surround yourself with people with similar backgrounds to you or is diversity of the student population more of a priority for you? Do you want a bigger international student population to expand your worldview? What about the male to female ratio? Are you okay with how male dominant the STEM departments tend to be at schools like MIT?Prestige and rankings:
This might be the elephant in the room. While a highly contentious topic, I personally do think having a degree from a top-ranked university influences your job prospects and ability to get accepted to graduate programs. The alumni network at these schools helps to get your foot in the door at most companies.Major:
What field of study are you leaning towards and how strong is the school’s program for that particular major? It would be smarter to attend Georgia Tech if you’re majoring in computer science over a humanities-focused school like Yale. What is the faculty like for that department and how does the school rank for your major? Are you on the pre-med track where your GPA is the main determinant for your medical school applications? Then you might want to make sure that none of the schools on your list have grade deflation, maybe reconsider Princeton? Your acceptance to some schools also changes wildly based on your major. For example, UIUC has an acceptance rate of 56.5% for environmental sciences but only 7.5% for computer science. Overall, UIUC has an acceptance rate of 45%.Extracurricular activities and athletics:
What kind of student organizations do you want access to? If you’re a theater kid, joining a school with improv clubs and student performance groups can help nurture your talent.
If you’re an aspiring astrophysicist, going to a school with astronomy or rocketry clubs could be a non-negotiable for you. Maybe you want to be a college athlete and play division sports, then a school like Caltech that doesn’t prioritize sports heavily may not be the best fit for you.
Student life:
Would you be interested in attending a school where a majority of the student population is involved in Greek life? If so, Lehigh has a big Greek life presence on campus where about half of the student population is involved in fraternities and sororities. Do you have any other specific preferences? Maybe you have certain dietary restrictions or some disability and need a school that is equipped to accommodate you?Finances:
College is expensive but if you factor in finances from the beginning by calculating your estimated family contribution (EFC) for each school you plan to apply to, it will help you understand how much aid you’re eligible for. If you require a significant amount of aid, you should add more need-blind schools like Vassar College to your list that promise to meet your full demonstrated need. It is a simple truth that your ability to pay does impact your chances of admission which is why adding schools like Emory that offer merit-based scholarships to your list is also a good idea. As a general rule of thumb, don’t apply to schools you cannot afford. Also, always look at the school’s endowment and their history of aid for families with similar financial situations to yours. Barnard and Brown are more expensive than Columbia because of their smaller endowment. Are you a National Merit Finalist? If so, consider applying to schools that offer massive discounts based on your test scores.Religious affiliation:
If attending a college with a religious affiliation is a priority for you, it will significantly narrow down your list. At some schools like Georgetown and Notre Dame, you have to take a theology related course as a graduation requirement. A lot of such colleges also have a stricter code of conduct you’re expected to adhere to.
At this point, you should have a fairly comprehensive list of colleges that align with your preferences. These schools will fall in one of the following categories: dream, reach, target or likely.
Dream schools are ones that you apply to so as to not have any regrets later down the line. After all, you only get to apply to colleges once in your life. Reach schools are those where you have a sub-twenty percent chance of getting in. Target schools are where you have about a 25% to 75% shot of getting in. If you properly identify these schools, you don’t need to apply to a lot of them. And finally, likely schools are those where you have a 75% or better chance of getting in. For a likely school, really consider why you’re applying. Would you actually go there? Don’t apply to 6 safeties just in case. Every single school needs to be one that you’d actually want to attend if you got in.
As we wrap up, remember that your college list is not set in stone. It’s okay to make adjustments as you learn more and your priorities evolve. Getting a headstart is more important than ever and having a finalized college list before the fall semester of your senior year begins is a great idea. The more you can do now, the better things will be for your future self. So, keep your research organized (bonus tip, you can use this information for your supplemental essays) and trust your instincts. And when you're ready for the next chapter, join us in the next episode as I take you through my process of researching colleges. Until then, keep dreaming big!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey there, college-bound crew! I’m Kaashvi, an undergraduate student at Dartmouth College from India. I’m the brains (and heart) behind the College Countdown series here at The Ivy Institute and I am stoked to be your guide through this process.
So, a little bit about me: I was a STEM kid through and through in high school and all my classes were the highest level ones offered at my school and graduated at the top of my class for three consecutive years. Outside of class, I was involved in activities that let me nurture my love for inventiveness, responsibility and storytelling. From designing a vehicle to aid oil spill cleanup to working as an elected representative for the youth advisory council to volunteering at the local deaf school—I devoted a lot of my time to projects that were true to my values.
When I’m not typing away at my keyboard, dishing out college advice to people in my inbox and on this blog, you can catch me exploring new hiking trails, whipping up some questionable (but oddly delicious) desserts at my bakery or getting lost in a gripping mystery novel.
As an international student, the application process wasn’t just about finding a spot at a prestigious university but also about finding a place that felt like a second home. Now that I’ve made it out alive to the other end (with a boatload of stories to tell), I'm here to spill all the tea on how you can do the same. With some guidance and a whole lot of oversharing, together we’ll crush this admissions game like absolute pros.
Catch you on the flip side,
Kaashvi
