The College List
by Sarah M.
There are thousands of colleges in the United States, and picking which ones to apply to can be an overwhelming task. Schools differ in size, location, academic requirements, selectivity, extracurricular opportunities, and culture.
With so many choices, you will need time to explore what is out there and how the options match your interests and needs. Start your research early, and as you make a list of schools to consider, keep your mind open to schools you may not have heard much about before. Students who focus only on a handful of the most selective or well-known colleges are missing out on the wonderful range of schools that exist and that might be a good fit for them.
Your goal is to create a list of colleges that range in selectivity, but which all have elements that fit your needs. The more carefully and thoughtfully you’ve considered each possible college, the stronger your applications to those colleges will be.
There are many resources available to help you with your research. Each college has a website, and current students frequently publish material online about their experiences.
It is also a great idea to to visit colleges before applying, if you are able to. Choose your visits wisely! If you only visit a few of the most selective research universities, for example, your trip may not help you to learn about all of your options. Instead, you might want to visit a handful of different types of colleges and universities.
Here are some questions to consider while researching colleges:
- What are your career goals? Does the school offer the courses, extracurricular resources, and post-graduate networks to help you achieve your goals?
- How far from home do you want to be? What kind of setting do you want? Rural, suburban, urban, small town, big city?
- What size school appeals to you? What student-to-faculty ratio best suits your style of learning?
- Do the cultural or religious groups that are important to you have a welcoming presence on campus?
- Are scholarships or financial aid policies in place that will make this school affordable? If you plan to earn money while attending college, what kinds of campus jobs are available?
- What percent of students are admitted? What criteria does this school see in its strongest applicants?
