Which Colleges Should I Apply To?

Which schools should I apply to? How many schools should I apply to? What schools can I get into?

If you’re a high school sophomore or junior, these questions may be swirling around your head right now.  But the stress and pressure of the college application process are both unnecessary and unproductive.

There seems to be a trend toward finding the school with the “best reputation” for your grades and scores.  But choosing based on prestige and selectiveness is often an unbalanced measure. Students who move through their college search with a holistic outlook, both on the college experience and also long-term career success, tend to have the best experience.

There are many factors to keep in mind when beginning your search. You need at least a few schools that you can realistically get into and afford to attend.  You don’t want to fill your list with all highly selective schools, but you don’t want to shoot low, either. And just because it’s your “dream school” doesn’t mean it’s the best school for you. Many a student has transferred out at the end of one year after discovering the dream school wasn’t a dream fit.

So how do you avoid that? Ask yourself questions and do the research:

• What do you want to study?
• What interests do you have?
• What are your test scores?
• What is your budget?
• How far away do you want to be?
• What size school do you want?
• What sort of setting are you looking for?  City or country or something in between?
• What extracurricular activities, clubs, and sports do you want?
• Can you get in?
• Do you want to be near the top of the percentile, or are you comfortable squeaking in and having to work like crazy to keep your grades up?

These are sometimes tough questions for high school students to really consider, but we will work closely with you to help you answer these questions honestly and accurately. Then we’ll help you develop a list of dream schools, target schools, and safety schools, so you have reasonable options.

The college admissions process should be organized and fun.  When you take the stress out of it with an experienced guide to help you make the best choices, it will be a positive experience you’ll always remember.