Need to Create a College List? We Got You.

Creating your list of colleges is no easy feat and requires tons of research, time, and thinking. It definitely can be super stressful right now when things such as college tours and in person information sessions are no longer available. Planning your future can have a serious toll on one’s mental health. Do not fear, however, because I am going to provide you with some tips on how to create the perfect college list for you.

Create a list of “make-it-or-break it” factors.

You are going to spend the next four years of your life at this school. You need to make sure that you are going to be happy within the school’s environment. Some “make-it-or-break-it” factors to consider are:

1. Cost of Attendance: This one is a major factor for consideration. Make sure that all the colleges fit in the budget you are working with or offer need-based scholarships. If you do require a need-based scholarship, do research to figure out how their aid program works and if you qualify for it. Also consider your plans/goals during and post college. If you wish to study abroad, make sure that you consider that as part of the budget. If you plan to do your masters, PhD, or MBA, make sure you account for those expenses. Make sure you are getting the correct numbers and estimates. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone especially within the bay area, but I do want to accommodate those who aren’t as lucky to have parents who can cover any tuition costs. Please remember higher prices don’t always reflect higher value.

2. Stats: Numbers are not everything as most colleges do a holistic overview of your application, but make sure you are within or near the stats demonstrated on each school’s student profile. For example, if Boston College’s average gpa is 3.96 and you have a 3.52 either consider looking at other places first or make sure you have ways to make up for that gpa in other parts of your application. When considering stats, make sure to look at the average stats within the major or program you have selected. Boston College’s average gpa may be 3.96, but their average gpa for psychology majors may be lower or higher. To figure this out, you may have to do deeper research. This can include reaching out to current students or asking communities on Reddit.

3. Program Ranking: Harvard may be the second best school in that nation, but it isn’t even top ten for its biomedical engineering program. Instead schools like UCSD and UCB that aren’t top 20 schools rank in top 5 for their biomedical engineering programs. Make sure you look at these school’s rankings for the programs you are interested in; don’t just go off of overall prestige. Good websites to find trustworthy rankings include US News because they clearly demonstrate their methods in deciding the rankings. Other sites are more questionable and go off of prestige more than results.

4. Weather: You may not realize it, but this is a huge component. Many students from California who move to the Midwest often go through weather depression. There will be times in Michigan and Illinois where there will be no sign of sunlight for days. The lack of sunlight hits the Californian students hard. Now this isn’t representative of everyone, but if weather heavily affects your mood then consider places that offer weather that suits your tastes. If you don’t like the idea of snow during Halloween or weeks upon weeks of rain, then do not choose schools that experience that weather.

5. Location: How willing are you to move across the country? Are you independent enough? More importantly, are you willing to pay for the expensive travel costs? Consider these questions before applying to schools in the east coast or even international schools. If you are someone who prefers to stay close to family, then look for colleges closer to home. Or if you're like me and need to go far far away then look at colleges located in the midwest or east coast. Something that is important to me, is looking for colleges near relatives or family friends. Especially in the post-covid world, it is important that you have access to familiar people wherever you are. I have relatives across the country, so I’m looking at colleges that will allow me to reach them by train or bus.

6. Off-campus life: Do you thrive in the city life or in a rural town? Make sure that the cities your schools are located in are fit for you. This isn’t as important as the others, but this can be handy in terms of food pricing, apartment pricing, and internship opportunities. Do your research or attend virtual campus tours.

7. Social scene: You must consider this! If you are an extrovert and you're applying to colleges like University of Chicago (also known as “where fun goes to die”) then maybe think twice. If you feel at home in schools that reek of pride and spirit look for colleges like that. If you need a campus that is competitive and will push you, then look for schools like that. If you need a small and quiet school, look for that. Places like Penn State may be great for extroverts but can be overbearing for introverts. I recommend going on Reddit to figure out if your school selection leans closer to the party side or studious side.

8. Sports: This is a given for athletes, but for athletes who aren’t planning to commit to schools for their sport, look into their club sports and their athletic facilities. Again it is really helpful to look into Reddit or other online forums for this information. It may also be useful to attend information sessions of these schools and use that opportunity to ask questions about the school’s club sports program.

It helps to organize this information in a spreadsheet.

Watch vlogs filmed at these schools.

There are plenty of “day in the life” vlogs for each university on YouTube. Spend some time watching these videos and try to visualize yourself at these schools. If you can’t visualize yourself at a college, then why bother applying?

Connect with current students in the major your planning to pursue.

My biggest tip is to go to the class of 2023 or class of 2024 instagram pages of these schools. Find students who got in for the major you plan to pursue and dm them. It can’t hurt to dm a few people and ask them about their application process and why they decided to choose the school. This can not only be helpful for getting into the college but it will give you a good idea as to if this school is right for you. Most of these students are super nice and more than willing to respond.

Revisit your list

Once you have completed all the previous steps, go back to your list and make any necessary changes. Keep doing this process, until you look at your list and feel excited about all the schools you are applying to (safety schools may be an exception).

I hope this was helpful, and I wish you all the best with the college application process! You will end up where you are supposed to be <3