There are approximately 5300 colleges in the US, and over 25,000 worldwide. Choosing a list of colleges to apply to is not an easy process. You want to balance your interests, academics, location, financial needs, and countless other factors. But don’t worry, here’s a step-by-step process to help you get started! 

1. Understand YOURSELF

You probably have heard of the word FIT numerous times now. You should apply to colleges that appeal to you, that fit your interests. If you miss these crucial criteria, then you may end up wasting your energy applying to colleges that you don’t want to go to, or worse, actually going to a college that you don’t like. 

To understand your fit, you first have to understand YOURSELF. What are your interests? What type of environment vibes with you? Here are some factors to consider: 

• Academics

What are you looking to major in? Do you need access to research opportunities or internship opportunities for your major?

• Resources

Are you looking to study abroad? Do you hope to have a wide alumni network? Is having a library with ample resources important to you?

• Location

Do you prefer living in a big city, a small city, the suburbs, or a rural area? 

• Proximity to Home 

Do you want to stay relatively close to home or do you wish to go to a brand new environment? 

• Size 

Do you want to go to a small liberal arts college or a larger research university? Here is a comparison of the two. 

• Student Body  

Do you want a diverse student body? Do you want to attend a party school? 

You might not know the answer to all these questions yet, so it’s also good to consider what aspects do you wish to prioritize, and what aspects are you flexible on. For example, I personally cared more about having ample academic opportunities and resources, as compared to the location and student body. Once you have a good idea of your interests, you can then move on to the next step - the research process!

2. Research Schools 

Now it is time to do some research. There are several helpful platforms you can use to help filter colleges based on what you identified in the previous step. Here are five online resources you can use: 

• Big Future by the College Board
• Peterson’s
• CollegeXpress 
• My College Options
• The Princeton Review

Aside from these, also make sure to communicate with your college counselor. They may be able to recommend some colleges based on your interests, or point you to other online resources. I know that my school offered naviance, which automatically recommended schools based on my interests and stats. 

If you still have no idea, you may consider taking some college match quizzes. The key to this process is just to keep an open mind. You may realize that your “dream school” is not necessarily a good fit, and you may match with schools you have never heard of before!

3. Divide them into Safety, Target, and Reach 

To have a balanced list of colleges, it’s important to apply to colleges from all three categories of safety, target and reach. Now, what exactly do these words mean? 

• Safety : your GPA and SAT scores are significantly stronger than the students typically admitted
• Target: your GPA and SAT score is around the same as students typically admitted 
• Reach: your GPA and SAT score is lower than students who are typically admitted. This criterium also includes any top ten universities. 

You can read about these categories more here. Using the resources mentioned in the previous step, you can then easily categorize your schools into these three types. Ideally, you should have 1-2 safety schools, 4 - 8 target schools, and 3 - 4 reach schools. In total, you should aim to apply to 8 - 15 schools. Applying to too many diminishes the quality of the applications since each application takes quite a long time. Applying to too few may lead to not having zero or too few acceptances. Therefore it is crucial to follow these guidelines. If you need to add or eliminate a few schools from your list, follow the next step to refine your list! 

4. Refine your list

Now, if you need more schools for certain categories, then simply search for more schools using the steps mentioned above. 

The more difficult part is eliminating options from your list. To do so, you can start by doing a deeper search of the colleges. If you haven’t visited the campus, try scheduling a campus visit. If you cannot attend in person, there are also plenty of schools offering virtual tours. 

Next, see if you can get in contact with someone who goes to that university, either through connections you may have or students you met during your tour. You can contact them and ask questions about their experiences to have a better sense of whether you would fit in. 

Another area to look at is the supplemental essay prompts. A college’s essay prompt reflects a school’s culture. Johns Hopkins University, for instance, cares deeply about collaboration, and therefore its only essay prompt is about that. If you discover an essay prompt that you absolutely do not want to write about, then that college might not be a good fit.  

5. You can always adjust later

And of course, before pressing that submit button, you are free to adjust your list as much as you want! For instance, if you get into your early school, then you might not have to apply to any of the other schools. You might also discover more schools you are interested in during the application process. Regardless of what happens, make sure to choose carefully and enjoy the process!