Where do I apply?

Let’s start with a reality check: 3,350 of the nation’s 3,500+ colleges do NOT reject more applicants than they accept. So does it make sense to limit yourself to the hard and stressful game of highly selective college admissions? Only You you can answer that. Ideally, you’ll have a variety of colleges on your list, based not only on selectivity, but also on the things that matter: atmosphere, programs, great teaching, or the chance to meet interesting people and maybe lifelong friends, and the opportunity to be challenged both personally and academically. In the field of college counseling, we call this the right match. There are not Perfect university for you; perfection lies in opportunities for growth and experience. There are several universities that may be right for you. While there is undoubtedly one type of college that is more suited to your needs than another, it is not wise to limit your view to just one or two colleges. A better plan is to research several possible options to find out what we know: that each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Step 1: Factors to consider when researching and selecting a college

What not to do:

Don’t put any faith in US News & World Report or similar classifications

Just because a school ranks highly doesn’t mean you’ll like it or that it will suit your needs. Rankings are based on factors including things like faculty salaries, average spending per student, alumni donation rate, and number of students transferring. While these factors are important to college, they have little or nothing to do with whether or not you’ll be happy there.

You don’t attend because your best friend’s boyfriend didn’t like school

Just because he didn’t like college doesn’t mean you don’t like it. There may be a very specific reason the school turned you down: a weird freshman roommate or a teacher you didn’t connect with. Those things can happen in any school. Be your own person in researching universities.

Do not incorporate “I heard that…” in your search

Much of the information circulating about particular universities is at least 10 years old, sometimes more. Many universities that had rather light academic reputations in the 1970s or 1980s have refocused their priorities and are now the best institutions. Similarly, some schools were considered party schools and others were considered easy to get into. Schools have changed, and the way they might have been 10, 20, or 30 years ago is the way they might seem to your parents. Do your research. What are the social and academic realities right now?

Do not incorporate “Never heard of that” in your search.

Many of the smaller liberal arts colleges are actually some of the best colleges in the country, and might also be some of the best kept secrets. If you’ve never heard of Oberlin, Pomona, Middlebury or Center College, Connecticut or Wheaton College, St. John’s or Harvey Mudd, broaden your search and keep digging. The average well-educated person can probably name only a small number of the nearly 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States. These tend to be older schools in the Northeast, the big state universities, those with outstanding athletic teams, or those that happen to be local.

It is important to remember that a college that may be right for you may be unfamiliar to you now, while some of the colleges you are most familiar with may not be appropriate choices.