by Josh Gombo
Imagine being served a sandwich that consists of two pieces of bread with another slice
of bread in the middle and nothing else. Would you find said sandwich appetizing? No,
of course you wouldn’t - it’s bland, repetitive, and boring. Building a college list is a lot
like making the perfect sandwich. You want a number of different items that complement
one another to form one united whole. So, with this in mind, let’s go over the steps in
building an ideal college list.
Ingredient #1: Let’s Talk Quantity
While there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the appropriate number of college
applications to submit, the magic digit typically falls between 8-12. The risks of applying
to only a few schools are obvious: you might not receive an appropriate aid package, or
worse, not be admitted to an institution at all. But the opposite, applying to an enormous
number of colleges, can have detrimental effects as well. For instance, you might
spread yourself too thin by having too many supplemental essays to write and not
enough time. Application fees start to add up when submitting apps by the dozens.
You’re probably not truly interested in attending two dozen different schools, so try to
keep your list tight and focused.
Ingredient #2 Likelies, Targets, and Reaches
The names of these categories often change, but the underlying idea remains the same:
you want to apply to schools of varying levels of selectivity. Before we talk about the
details of this division, let’s define some terms:
Likely: A school where the odds of being admitted are in your favor.
Target: A school that is more or less a coin flip; your odds of getting in fall between
40%-60%.
Reach: A school where the odds are against you, either as a result of said school
having average admissions requirements that are higher than yours, or said school
having a microscopic admit rate.
Typically, you want to have a college list that is evenly divided between these general
headings. So, if you’re applying to 9 schools, think about having 3 likely, 3 target, and 3
reach colleges on your list.
"While there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the appropriate number of college applications to submit, the magic digit typically falls between 8-12."
Ingredient #3: You Don’t NEED a Reach, You DO Need a Safety
If after exploring all colleges of interest, you don’t have a “reach” school that interests
you, that’s OK. If your dream school has a high admit rate and your metrics fall well
within their admissions profile, be happy! You’re not “selling yourself short” or “doing
yourself a disservice” by going to a school that excites you and at which you will be
successful. On the flip side, however, every single college applicant MUST have a
safety school. When you go to the circus, even the most experienced acrobat has a net
beneath them should they slip. They very likely may not need this net, but it’s still there.
Don’t be caught without a net - find AT LEAST one school to which you believe you will
be admitted (and that you will be happy attending) and apply there.
Ingredient #4: There is More Than One School for You:
You are likely applying to a number of schools that check the boxes most important to
you when it comes to major, location, student organizations, etc. This means the
colleges on your list are probably more similar to one another than they are different.
So, disabuse yourself of the idea that you have only one dream school. Applying to
college is not a multiple-choice exam where the answer is B and everything else is
wrong. In all likelihood, you will be happy and successful at many (if not all) of the
institutions to which you’re applying. Having a top-choice school is completely fine, but
remember that there are thousands of institutions out there, and many of them could
provide you with a great collegiate home.
Need help starting to put together your list? Dabima provides a great way to search for
schools based on what you want. Start your search today - and best wishes on the
journey!
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