How to Build a College List a Checklist TKG

How to Build a College List a Checklist Building your college list can be an overwhelming and somewhat daunting task. When we construct our college lists with our students, we make sure that the list is balanced in terms of the likelihood of application review (sorry if this is “way harsh, Tai,” but applying to Yale on a whim with a 26 ACT score “just because,” is probably a waste of time and money), but consistent in terms of fit. What do we mean when we say “fit?” We mean that we want you applying to schools that are all of the following: cultural, academic, and social fit. Here’s a checklist to methodically take you through how to make sure that your college list is built-out correctly. Visit as many schools as possible.Why? Because data. The more schools you visit, the more we know about what you like and what you don’t like. And you can find schools that are similar to those schools. Particularly reach schools. We’ve published lists of schools that are similar to each and every Ivy League school (and some others). We know it’s not hard to fall in love with any of the Ivies, so consider taking a look at these lists when you’re building out the rest of your list so you have a similar “vibe” across schools.Write everything down.Creating a spreadsheet or taking notes in a journal will help you keep your thoughts organized and, more importantly, easy to reflect back on. It’s hard to remember your exact thoughts about Haverford when you’re editing your college list down in August before your senior year when you visited over winter break of junior year. Being able to flip back to your Haverford page or “Notes/Thoughts” cell on your spreadsheet helps. Start long and plan to eliminate.It’s always easier to edit down that it is to add on. So start with a broad list of schools you’d be excited about. Really ask yourself if this school is one that you’d attend if it was the only school you got into. Do this with each school on the list. If the answer is that you’d rather take a year off and reapply than to attend, it’s time to find a replacement school where you’d actually be happy. Okay, now that you have between 15-20 schools, let’s start to edit down, first by putting things into your categories: Reach, Target, and Safety. One great way by which to categorize schools is to log onto their websites and figure out their median ACT or SAT scores. Why is this more useful than averages? Because averages are easily skewed. Medians tell you the central 50% range of test scores of their admitted applicants. If your test scores are smack dab in the middle of their median, it’s a Target school. If your scores are near the upward limit or above, it’s likely a Safety, and if you’re not in range or on the much lower end of their median, then it’s a Reach. Check your list for exceptions this categorization process. There are some schools that NO. MATTER. WHAT. are going to be a reach. These are schools that get the highest # of applicatio ns each year and even if you got a 36 on your ACT are going to be a reach because of sheer #s and odds. The odds are not on your side, and the following schools are always (yes, always, always, always) going to be in the “reach” category. Even if you’ve discovered a probiotic-fed microbe that safely eats only cancer cells and infuses healthy cells with endorphins AND you’re a first-generation college student, it’s a reach:HarvardStanfordYaleBrownCornellColumbiaDartmouthPennMITPrincetonDuke GeorgetownPomonaUC Berkeley USCJohns HopkinsTufts NorthwesternSee where you need more, and where you need to edit. You should aim to have 3-4 schools in each category. Balance is the key here. Cross of schools that don’t pass the “Would I go here if this was the only school I got into?” test, and take note of where your list is insufficient (oftentimes this occurs in the Target and Safety categories). Build out your sparser categories. You can do this a few different ways:Expand your horizons by looking at our website of many lists for various majors. We have a list of schools all over the country that are great for everything from computer science, psychology, dance, and Africana studies, to classics and government/political science.Visit a couple more schools that you may have discounted, or at least take a virtual tour on the website. Finding a school where you’re able to study what you love and be inspired should not be discounted. It might not be at a school you had ever imagined you’d apply to, but you might be surprised by what you find once you spend an hour doing some dedicated web-research. Talk to your community! Friends and family (perhaps who are in colleges you weren’t considering), parents, or other important mentors might have some good ideas for you. Don’t overlook the wisdom of people who know you well and who might be able to share their experiences, guidance, or suggestions. Help is good. Refine your list as you go on! Again, you want 8-12 schools, 3-4 in each category.Your list is never unchangeable. It’s your list. You can alter it as you go along. What you don’t want is to apply to too few schools (risky!) or to too many (exhausting! Diminishing ROI when you’re writing your 23rd supplement and misspell something and forget to replace “UChicago” with “Bowdoin” and hit submit and feel really dumb). As you know, we do this for a living, so, if you need help just email or call us and we’d be happy to offer our guidance through this process.