5 Simple Steps to Curate Your List of Colleges to Apply to

By: Charlene Wu

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Starting your college application starts from deciding where you want to apply to. There are over 23,000 universities in the world, all with diverse opportunities, students, and attributes. How are you supposed to narrow down all these options? Read more of this article for five steps on deciding your list of schools to apply to!

Consider the geographic location of where you want to study.

With options all over the world, it's easiest to narrow schools down to geographic location. An important thing to remember is that a university is not just a place to study, but a place you will live. Climate and location makes a great difference in what school you go to if you plan on living on campus. First decide what country you may want to move to, or whether you want to stay in your home country. From there, you can decide how far you are willing to move from your home town– 10, 50, 100 miles away or maybe even across the country? East or west coast?

Another element to consider is the school type: urban, rural, suburban. Urban schools are favored for its constant nightlife. Rural is favored for those that want to be near nature, or have more on-field research opportunities. Suburban is liked for being the "middle-ground" between the two, and is accessible by cars.

Once you decide what region you wish to study in, this will help narrow down your options.

Research which schools have programs you wish to study in.

Are you more interested in undergraduate research opportunities, corporate internship networking, or liberal arts education?

If you have a very specific major you want to study, make sure to choose a school that offers your major, and have strong faculty and undergraduate opportunities for the field. Some universities have unique and extra competitive schools to apply within the university for the major you want.

Another tip is to contact the university's faculty and research labs. Sometimes they are willing to answer a few questions you may have on the programs offered. This is also a great way to show demonstrated interest in the school!

Compare your academic standing to the school.

Most schools disclose information on the typical accepted students' GPA and test scores. Universities commonly use holistic admission processes which do NOT base the entire admission decision on grades and test scores. However, gaining a general sense of accepted students' profiles will help you know whether the university's academic rigor is fit for you.

If possible, tour the school!

As noted in step one, geographic characteristics of the school are quite important. Touring the school in-person allows you to get a better feel of what it would be like as a student. Some schools even allow you to sit in on classes or visit the dorms. Visiting the school can substantially help narrow down schools to your list.

From the pandemic, many schools have adopted virtual campus tours. This is an excellent option as well!

Compile a list of potential schools: 1 safety, 3 target, and 2 reach.

The amount of schools you choose to apply to is up to you. Keep in mind there are constraints of application fees and time. A common myth is that applying to as many schools as possible increases your acceptance chances. Applying to a great number of schools requires you to devote much more time and energy into applications. Oftentimes the quality of each application decreases and your priorities in other areas (high school classes, extracurriculars, social life) get ignored. This is why it is important to choose carefully what type of schools to apply to. When considering, there are three types of schools differentiated by their chances of acceptance.

"Safety" school: A "safety" is a school you are highly likely to get into, given your academic and demographic profile. These schools are still incredibly valuable in education, even if they are not necessarily the school you are trying your hardest to get into. Examples include in-state colleges and universities with higher general acceptance rates.

Target school: These are schools that, on average, accept students with the same academic standing as you. Make sure to also check specific majors and programs that may require an extra application process. Examples include more selective in-state colleges, out-of-state public universities, and private schools.

Reach school: Reach schools are typically defined as schools with comparatively lower chances of acceptance. It is still suggested you apply to a few reach schools to take you out of your comfort zone.

In general, it is a good idea to apply to at least one school you are highly likely to get into (safety), more schools that match your academic standing (target), and a few schools that have slightly higher academic rigor (reach.) A suggested 1 safety : 3 targets : 2 reaches ratio is ideal as it has a nice balance of all types of schools.

With a curated and balanced list of schools to apply to, you'll be all set to a successful college application process. The key is to thoroughly research each school, and demonstrate your interest in all of them in your applications. Best of luck!