This is a dreaded topic for a lot of people applying to college. The list of schools that you are picking to apply to and one of these schools is where you will go for the next four years (less or more depending on circumstances).
So how do you decide on a college list? How do you pick which schools to apply to? Well read on to see how to do that.
Before you decide which schools you are going to apply to, first figure out your major. This can help you choose which schools have a good program for your chosen major(s) and this can help you narrow down the schools you want to go to.
This can help you feel the vibe of the school and what it is actually like. You can also meet other students who go to the school and see what they say about it. Also, you can get a feel with how far it is from home. A lot of people don't mind being far away from home while others want to be close to home. So being able to visit you can get a feel for it.
Now here is where the money part comes in. Unfortunately college is very expensive and it is important to pick a school that will be good for your family. On college websites you can find the price of attendance. These also take into account boarding fees, food and even if you scroll down it has an estimated cost of travel and books. These costs can add up overtime. Cost is a huge deciding factor for a lot of people, so using these steps can assist you in your college search.
Also, if you are expecting/want to receive financial aid colleges have a net price calculator. Your parents and/or guardians might have to do a lot of this but using this calculator you can estimate the cost it will take to attend. But if you are again expecting/want to receive financial aid some schools will be helpful with that. There are some colleges that are Need-Based and Merit-Based. Need-based colleges are schools that will try to meet your families demonstrated financial need. With Merit-Scholarships, these are scholarships for good grades, sports, arts, other extracirculars and more. Finally, with public colleges they can give a bit of a discounted price with tuition if you live in state.
Now, these steps should have assisted you in your search to find the college that would be the right fit for you. Now you need to split up this list between reaches, targets and safeties. This can actually help you narrow down your list even more. You should apply from anywhere to 8-15 schools. You can apply to more or less depending on what you feel like. Here is how to split up your list.
These are schools you think you can confidently get into. With your grades, test scores, extracurriculars and more they are above what the standard is to get into this school. You should have anywhere from 1-4 of these.
These are schools in which you match their admission standards. Your grades, test scores, extracurriculars and more are pretty much right in line with the standards to get into these schools. You should have anywhere from 3-8 of these.
These are schools where you might be a little short of their admission standards (or are just hard schools in general). Your grades, test score and extracurriculars are either lower or in line still but again these are selective schools. You should have anywhere from 2-5 of these.
Yes, you have to pay to apply to these schools, even though you might not end up getting into all of them. These fees can be free or even be as much as $100. This is a huge reason why you shouldn't really be applying to more than 15 maybe even 20 schools because these costs can add up. But even applying to 10 schools can be pricey. So to try and save money, see if your high school offers some support when applying to these schools. Go to your college counselor/career center and your school might be able to pay or waive a couple or all of your college expenses. Also, some schools might offer a fee waiver. You can reach out to see if these schools do and see if you qualify. This can help you save some money when applying.
Now before you apply to these schools make sure that you have fully researched the college even after all of these above tasks. Do you really want to go there if you get in? Are you willing to pay the application fee?
But also, don't sell yourself out short with colleges thinking you can't get in. Have hope in yourself. Yes it can be upsetting not getting into schools but don't get down on yourself. You got this!!
Good luck with your applications!!
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