College Application Series - Part 3: BUILDING “THE COLLEGE LIST”
By Karen Treon
What does your student’s list look like? Many college counselors suggest that lists include 8-10 schools, at most. Seniors sometimes use the words “safety school,” “target school,” and “reach school” to describe categories of schools on the list, but we don’t love those terms because they focus on acceptance rates more than programs, classroom experience, and cost. Whether your student is in the process of expanding their list or refining their list, here are some pointers to help guide conversations and decisions.
Make sure you are talking about cost and budget. Every college and university in the US includes a Net Price Calculator on its website, and students and families should use them. (CPA Members can view our video series on Paying for College – check out this free preview.) Talking about money is not the most fun part of this process, but addressing this head on will lead to happier and better outcomes at the end.
We recommend that lists include 2-3 colleges that are accessible from an admissions standpoint (meaning that they accept over half of their applicants and your student’s grades meet or exceed the college’s published averages) AND from a financial standpoint (meaning that your family has used the Net Price Calculator to investigate the cost and reasonably expects the school to be affordable).
Some students might want to include 1-2 colleges that are “lottery schools.” When we use this term we mean colleges that accept very few of their applicants. Your student can find information about GPA ranges and test scores and the like on College Scorecard. If your student is applying to schools in this category, remind them that admission decisions aren’t a reflection of their worth. The majority of students applying to these colleges have the “stats” to fit right into a freshman class, but only a small number will be accepted. Another important thing to keep in mind here is that most of these “lottery schools” don’t offer merit scholarships at all. Many do offer need-based aid, so don’t skip the Net Price Calculator step to get an accurate sense of cost.
If parents are reviewing the list with their students they can ask questions that will help identify the common threads and throughlines, such as
What do you like about each of these schools?
What are the similarities between the colleges you have listed?
What drawbacks can you identify at these schools?
Let’s look at the Net Price Calculator outcomes - are these schools all realistic?
In-State Schools: Now is the time for students to get familiar with their state’s public schools and programs. Many times, these are the most affordable options for families AND they offer great educational opportunities. Every state has a different public higher education system, and public schools within those states have different schools and programs. Some have early application deadlines, others have rolling application deadlines. Some offer lots of merit aid to in-state students, and others little. Some offer generous Promise programs for lower-income students, and others offer much less. If your student is in the process of researching in-state schools, here are some tips to point them in the right direction:
High school counselors are usually very knowledgeable about their public university systems. Admissions reps from public universities make a point of visiting in-state high schools regularly. This is the best starting point for students looking for more information.
Encourage your student to consider a variety of public school options. Many students think they know a lot about their in-state schools, but their information can be anecdotal and incomplete. Take advantage of admission day events and tours, and don’t limit exploration to the flagship schools – explore regional options as well.
Make sure you and your student understand both need-based aid and merit aid and how they work at your in-state universities. You can find detailed information on school websites. Some states offer generous merit aid (based on grades) to in-state students. Some states have excellent need-based financial aid programs for in-state students. If you have questions about these programs after exploring school websites, contact a financial aid officer at one of the universities and make sure your questions are answered.
Make sure your student includes in-state deadlines on their college application tracker.
Are you a big fan of one of your in-state schools? Maybe dial down the in-state rivalry energy for a while if your student is looking at a variety of options in-state.
Some students might have their heart set on venturing far away for college, but start to realize that an in-state option makes more sense - for a wide variety of reasons. Talking about your in-state schools positively and eliminating any sense of them being Plan Bs or fall-backs can help clear the path for your student and lead to a great college decision.
Pro Tip: No one can accurately predict college admissions decisions. Parents might want to consider banishing the use of the term “dream school.” Instead, remind students that exciting opportunities for learning, growth, and friendship exist at a lot of different places.
