Developing a List/Finding Fit
Developing a College List/Finding Fit
There are over 4000 colleges and universities in the United States. How do you begin to develop a college list?
Too often, students develop a college list by…
-Only looking at colleges they have heard of
-Only thinking about the colleges rank/level of selectivity*
*Students will often say they want to get into a “good” college. Think to yourself what makes a college “good.” It is usually much more than simply selectivity. What makes a “good” college varies among individuals and you need to think about you. You are the one going to college; you will be walking across the campus, taking the classes etc…
Instead of focusing on just college names or on what is already familiar, you should think about college CHARACTERISTICS. How you feel about these characteristics will help you develop a list.
Remember, your list junior year is a working list to help you research colleges. Cast a wide net and reach beyond your comfort zone. Keep a running list in your SCOIR account. You don’t have to have a final list until senior year.
When developing a college list, consider…and here is a Google Sheet to help you organize your notes.
LOCATION-
Where would you like to live? For many of you, this is the first time you have had an opportunity to decide where you would like to be. Tired of Massachusetts? Curious about California? How will you travel from home to college (car, train, bus, airplane)? Would you consider living at home and commuting to college? Also consider...*
*Distance from home, *Area of the country, *International, *Weather
SIZE-
The undergraduate student population of a college varies dramatically. “Big” or “small” mean different things to different people, but generally…
*Very small (<1000) (Cooper Union, Scripps)
*Small (1000-3000) (Middlebury, Connecticut College)
*Medium (3000-8000) (Villanova, Quinnipiac, Fairfield)
*Large (8000-20000) (Syracuse, U Vermont)
*Very Large (>20000) (U Michigan, U Maryland)
SETTING-
What surroundings do you most enjoy? Typically, we think of college settings in three general ways…
*Urban-Campus is immersed into a city (BU, Northeastern, Suffolk, Emerson)
*Suburban-Campus is near a city and/or in a larger town (BC, Bentley, Stonehill)
*Rural-Campus is outside a city and is surrounded by nature (UMass-Amherst, Colby)
ACTIVITIES-
What do you like to do? What do student do for fun? Does the college offer…music, drama, clubs, sports, etc.
*Fraternities and Sororities
MAJORS OFFERED-
You may not know what you want to study, but if you think you might want to study, for example, “communications”, you should find colleges that offer “communications” as a major.
Guide to choosing a college major
STUDENT BODY CHARACTERISTICS-
Will you be comfortable and fit in? It is usually easy to find your niche in college, but it is helpful to know what the student body is like. Perhaps important to you are (among other things)…
*Diversity (racial, ethnic, socioeconomic etc.)
*Political view and activities (liberal vs. conservative)
*Religious affiliation
*Coed vs. single sex
*Academic intensity
COST-
Your college education is an investment in yourself. You pay for something and hope to get something in return (an education, a good job, social status etc.). College is also very expensive. As you move along in this process, you must educate yourself about financial aid. Financial aid can help you immensely. You also must openly discuss the cost of college with your families/caretakers.
*In your initial stages of research, do not eliminate anything simply because of cost.
SELECTIVITY-
Selectivity is based on the percent of applicants accepted to a particular college. Admissions decision are based on many factors, including (but not limited to) academic performance, rigor of curriculum, standardized test scores, activities, essay, recommendations, etc.
Different books and websites use different terms for degrees of selectivity. For our purposes…
Group 1: Colleges that accept 4-20% of applicants
Group 2: Colleges that accept 20-30% of applicants
Group 3: Colleges that accept 30-40% of applicants
Group 4: Colleges that accept 40-60% of applicants
Group 5: Colleges that accept 60-75% of applicants
Group 6: Colleges that accept 75-85% of applicants
Group 7: Colleges that accept 85-99% of applicants
Reflect upon what is right for you
1) Do you like being close to home? Yes No
Do you enjoy spending time with your family? Yes No
Do you want to be able to get home at a moment’s notice? Yes No
Do you enjoy the climate in New England? Yes No
Are there a lot of family event you won’t want to miss? Yes No
Will money prohibit you from flying to/from college? Yes No
Are you considering commuting to college? Yes No
Do you want to save money? Yes No
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, you might want to consider colleges or universities that are closer to home.
2) Are you independent? Yes No
Do you want to experience another part of the country? Yes No
Do you hate the cold weather? Yes No
Do you love to ski? Yes No
Do you have relative in a different part of the country? Yes No
Are you comfortable visiting your family only two/three times/year? Yes No
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, you might want to consider colleges or universities that are further away.
3) Are you independent? Yes No
Are you comfortable being “lost in the crowd”? Yes No
Do you enjoy lots of school spirit and highly attended sporting events? Yes No
Do you enjoy listening to lectures rather than participating in class? Yes No
Do you enjoy being around different types of people? Yes No
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, you might want to consider colleges or universities that are large or very large.
4) Do you like being noticed? Yes No
Do you enjoy smaller classes with lots of discussion? Yes No
Is knowing your professors important to you? Yes No
Do you want professors teaching all of your classes? Yes No
Do you like everything easily accessible (classrooms, dorms, library etc)? Yes No
Are you comfortable around people with similar backgrounds and interests? Yes No
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, you might want to consider colleges or universities that are small or very small.
5) Do you like cities? Yes No
Do you enjoy a busy lifestyle and exploring beyond campus? Yes No
Do you like having access to shopping, museums, clubs, restaurants etc? Yes No
Will you be looking for internship opportunities? Yes No
Are you comfortable using public transportation? Yes No
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, you might want to consider colleges or universities that are in an urban setting.
6) Do you want a distinct campus with lots of grass, trees, and outdoor space? Yes No
Do you like rock climbing, hiking, biking, skiing etc.? Yes No
Would you be happy if your social life centered on campus? Yes No
Do you prefer a slower pace of life? Yes No
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, you might want to consider colleges or universities that are in a rural setting.
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As you think about characteristics of colleges and universities, brainstorm things that are important to you or that you would find on your ideal college campus.