Your College List
Your College List
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Now that you've researched colleges, reviewed requirements, and determined chances--it's time to build your college list.
Your college list will include all the schools you are applying to.
Your final college list should consist of 3 reach, 5-7 target, and 3 likely schools. 11-13 Colleges total is a good recommended amount.
Two other types of schools you may include in your college admissions process are the “highly competitive reach school” and the last-minute safety school.
• A highly competitive reach school accepts very few (5-15%) of its applicants. Even the valedictorian of an FUHSD school is not guaranteed a spot! In fact, chances will be slim for everyone, including valedictorians. Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, Yale, and Northwestern are all examples of highly competitive reach schools.
• A last-minute likely school is a school you may turn to if something happens in your life to change your college needs or plans. Let’s say you don’t get the financial aid you need at your other schools, or an illness in the family makes you suddenly decide to stay close to home. In these cases, an application to a last-minute safety school is the trick.
Want more resources about building a college list? Check out this article: "How To Build A College List"
Want ideas of how many colleges to apply to, watch the video!
Types of Admission Deadlines
Types of Admission Deadlines
Before you start to apply, you should decide what kind of admissions deadline do you want to use for that particular school. Here are the different types of deadlines.
1. Early Decision
1. Early Decision
With Early Decision, you submit your application around November and usually get your decision by December. Though Early Decision deadlines have a similar timeline to Early Action (see below), it has one huge difference: they are binding. That means by applying to a school Early Decision (and you would only apply to one school Early Decision), you are agreeing to enroll if you are admitted. If accepted, you must contact any other colleges you applied to and withdraw your applications. Early Decision is not for the faint of heart—or the unsure applicant. Only apply Early Decision if you are 100% sure the college is the one for you.
2. Early Action
2. Early Action
Of the two most common early application options (see Early Decision), Early Action is the non-binding one—aka, the less intense one. With Early Action, you'll also submit your application around November and usually get your decision by December, but you can still apply to other schools Early Action, and you don't have to commit to a school if you're admitted. Some schools also split these deadlines, with an "Early Action I" falling a few weeks before "Early Action II" (but still before Regular Decision deadlines).
Related: Early Bird Gets the Worm? Early Decision vs. Early Action
3. Single Choice Early Action
3. Single Choice Early Action
Single Choice Early Action is a non-binding but exclusive deadline; it functions much like the typical Early Action deadlines, except you can only apply to one school this way (hence “single choice”). Not many schools offer this option, but for those that do, it shows you’re that much more interested in attending the institution (and admission counselors like to see that!).
Related: The Pros and Cons of Applying Early
4. Regular Decision
4. Regular Decision
Ah, good ol’ Regular Decision. Nothing too crazy to report here: these deadlines are non-binding and widely available. Regular Decision deadlines for fall admission usually occur in the preceding January or February, and students will receive a decision by April.
5. Rolling admission
5. Rolling admission
Schools with rolling admission deadlines (also non-binding) accept applications until their programs fill up, often as late as April and through the summer. However, there's a chance of losing your spot if the class fills up, and you could miss out on scholarship opportunities, so it’s best not to wait too long. (Many rolling admission schools recommend applying on the same timeline as their Regular Decision counterparts.) Also, some colleges with rolling deadlines will still have set admission deadlines for particular academic programs (such as Physical Therapy). Again, check with your schools to be sure!
Related: Ask the Experts: Which Application Deadline Is Right for Me?
Pulled from "5 Types of College Admissions Deadlines"
Check out our page instructing you how to apply through Naviance. Look at the screenshot below to get started.
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