Developing your college list
CONSIDER YOUR PERSONAL CRITERIA
student body size
location
academic programs
campus life and extracurriculars
Liberal arts or research university? Not sure? Check out this short video comparing the two.
Not sure what you want or where to start?? Try one (or both) of these worksheets:
https://schoolbuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/19-Self-Survey-for-the-College-Bound.pdf
RESEARCH COLLEGES
· Search online with Scoir and College Board
· Review college guides such as Fiske or the College Finder
· Read individual college websites
· Visit colleges when possible
Consider costs
Talk with your parents about paying for college. Remember, many of the more expensive, private colleges are able to offer more financial aid in the form of institutional grants or scholarships. Try not to rule out a school because of its sticker price. You won’t know the total cost of attendance until after you have applied for financial aid!
All colleges and universities are required by the Federal Government to provide "Net Price Calculators" on their websites. Use these calculators to estimate the cost of attendance at each college
The Finance Authority of Maine has a lot of great resources to help you learn more about the financial aid process: https://www.famemaine.com/
Consider the odds of admission
Research admissions percentages. Develop a list that includes schools that are “Sure Bets” and “50/50”. It’s ok to consider colleges that are “Reach” schools as well but make sure they aren’t your only schools.
Sure Bet: Your credentials are significantly higher than those of the college’s average admitted student. The college's admit rate is at least 25%
50/50: Your credentials match those of the colleges admitted students AND the college’s admit rate is at least 25%
Reach: The college’s average admitted students have stronger credentials than yours OR the admit rate is lower than 25%. *Any college with an admit rate that is lower than 25% is a "reach" school, regardless of your credentials!