Creating a College List
Creating a College List
Transcript
Now that you've thought about what is important to you in the process of finding a right-fit college, learned the nuts and bolts of higher education, major considerations, and questions to ask, it is time to put together your college list. We've provided access to a worksheet you can use to keep all the information you're gathering in one place.
Most importantly, as with everything you've learned thus far, remember you're the person going to college. Yes, if you're married or have children you need to consider the needs of your family. But try to make a decision that makes sense to you. Don't make your decisions solely on what you hear from other student veterans or family, or where a particular college or university is located, or lands on a college ranking. Use all the information you can gather to make the best decision possible about where to apply. Be an informed consumer.
Remember, there is no one college or university that is right for you. Rather, it's likely many could provide you with the education and opportunities you need to move on to a successful and meaningful career. Do your research and keep an open mind.
So here we go. Much of your research may have already been completed in previous sections, but it is good to remember that a lot of the information you need can be found via the internet and specific college websites. You're going to want to take a look now at the admission requirements for each and every one you're considering, take a look at the profile of those admitted in the past, and maybe explore a particular academic department, all while obtaining answers to all the other questions you've already been thinking to ask.
Take in as much information as you can about the particular college or university, and make sure to reach out to current student veterans and alumni to get their thoughts. As you continue your research, you may find you add and delete prospective colleges and universities. That's a good thing. We want you to continue to research until you think you have good choices for you.
Now to build a college list. You want to make sure it is balanced. What does that mean? It means you want to include likely, target, and reach schools. What is a likely school? With these institutions, you generally have a very good chance at being admitted-- say a 75% chance or above. Your grades are well above the mean for the college. Your test scores are above the 50% range. For transfer applicants, you have all the courses required for admission, meet all the prerequisites, or know your community college has an articulation agreement and you've satisfied all the requirements. You may find state universities fall into this category.
Target-- with these institutions, you're competitive based on your academic profile. You've got a good chance of being admitted, but an acceptance is not guaranteed.
Reach-- these are institutions where your academic profile is significantly below the threshold of competitive candidates based on past admissions history. Many highly selective institutions will fall into this category. Remember, what we're talking about are general guidelines, and there are many additional factors that go into college acceptance, and we will talk about them in our next module-- the college application.
Grades and test scores are only one predictor of acceptance. Remember, as you do your research, your questions to admissions offices should always revolve around the average profile vs. minimums. Questions emphasizing minimums can be misguided when speaking with admissions professionals. Additionally, competitive colleges don't have minimums, and the minimum threshold really does not indicate whether an applicant is competitive.
Finally, it is important to create a list that has schools in each category. How many you decide on is up to you, but generally with application costs, you're going to want to keep it down to about 5, and no more than 10. A good mix, for example, might be three reach, three target, and two likely.
While it might be challenging to visit every college, remember there may be colleges in your area that can give you a flavor of each type of school-- liberal arts, large public, private. Remember you can visit schools virtually too through websites like campus tours and college week live. If it is possible, visit as many colleges on your list as you can, and pay attention to your gut instincts.
Here, I can relate another story. I knew someone who was set on attending UCLA. When she had the chance to visit California, she expanded her visits to include colleges in northern California. The minute she walked onto the Stanford campus, she felt it was the place for her. She did visit UCLA as well, but didn't feel as strongly that it was a right fit. After exploring the curriculum and thinking long and hard about how the program fit into her ultimate goals and how she wanted to learn, she added Stanford to her list, and it was ultimately accepted and attended. Had she not taken time to visit other campuses, she may not have found additional options.
When you visit a campus, make sure to ask questions. The best time to visit is when school is in session. Talking to an admission office in advance of your visit can be helpful. You'll want to compare what you learned on your visit and the information sessions you've attended with what you've read and researched online. Make sure you take the opportunity to meet and interview with an admission officer. Try to meet with the Dean or Director of Admissions or the person who handles veterans applicants. You want to make sure they know your name when it comes time for them to review your application and make decisions. If you can't get to campus, at least take a virtual tour. We've provided you with some additional resources that will help you make the most of your college visit.
Most importantly, as with everything you've learned thus far, remember you're the person going to college. Yes, if you're married or have children you need to consider the needs of your family. But try to make a decision that makes sense to you. Don't make your decisions solely on what you hear from other student veterans or family, or where a particular college or university is located, or lands on a college ranking. Use all the information you can gather to make the best decision possible about where to apply. Be an informed consumer.
Remember, there is no one college or university that is right for you. Rather, it's likely many could provide you with the education and opportunities you need to move on to a successful and meaningful career. Do your research and keep an open mind.
So here we go. Much of your research may have already been completed in previous sections, but it is good to remember that a lot of the information you need can be found via the internet and specific college websites. You're going to want to take a look now at the admission requirements for each and every one you're considering, take a look at the profile of those admitted in the past, and maybe explore a particular academic department, all while obtaining answers to all the other questions you've already been thinking to ask.
Take in as much information as you can about the particular college or university, and make sure to reach out to current student veterans and alumni to get their thoughts. As you continue your research, you may find you add and delete prospective colleges and universities. That's a good thing. We want you to continue to research until you think you have good choices for you.
Now to build a college list. You want to make sure it is balanced. What does that mean? It means you want to include likely, target, and reach schools. What is a likely school? With these institutions, you generally have a very good chance at being admitted-- say a 75% chance or above. Your grades are well above the mean for the college. Your test scores are above the 50% range. For transfer applicants, you have all the courses required for admission, meet all the prerequisites, or know your community college has an articulation agreement and you've satisfied all the requirements. You may find state universities fall into this category.
Target-- with these institutions, you're competitive based on your academic profile. You've got a good chance of being admitted, but an acceptance is not guaranteed.
Reach-- these are institutions where your academic profile is significantly below the threshold of competitive candidates based on past admissions history. Many highly selective institutions will fall into this category. Remember, what we're talking about are general guidelines, and there are many additional factors that go into college acceptance, and we will talk about them in our next module-- the college application.
Grades and test scores are only one predictor of acceptance. Remember, as you do your research, your questions to admissions offices should always revolve around the average profile vs. minimums. Questions emphasizing minimums can be misguided when speaking with admissions professionals. Additionally, competitive colleges don't have minimums, and the minimum threshold really does not indicate whether an applicant is competitive.
Finally, it is important to create a list that has schools in each category. How many you decide on is up to you, but generally with application costs, you're going to want to keep it down to about 5, and no more than 10. A good mix, for example, might be three reach, three target, and two likely.
While it might be challenging to visit every college, remember there may be colleges in your area that can give you a flavor of each type of school-- liberal arts, large public, private. Remember you can visit schools virtually too through websites like campus tours and college week live. If it is possible, visit as many colleges on your list as you can, and pay attention to your gut instincts.
Here, I can relate another story. I knew someone who was set on attending UCLA. When she had the chance to visit California, she expanded her visits to include colleges in northern California. The minute she walked onto the Stanford campus, she felt it was the place for her. She did visit UCLA as well, but didn't feel as strongly that it was a right fit. After exploring the curriculum and thinking long and hard about how the program fit into her ultimate goals and how she wanted to learn, she added Stanford to her list, and it was ultimately accepted and attended. Had she not taken time to visit other campuses, she may not have found additional options.
When you visit a campus, make sure to ask questions. The best time to visit is when school is in session. Talking to an admission office in advance of your visit can be helpful. You'll want to compare what you learned on your visit and the information sessions you've attended with what you've read and researched online. Make sure you take the opportunity to meet and interview with an admission officer. Try to meet with the Dean or Director of Admissions or the person who handles veterans applicants. You want to make sure they know your name when it comes time for them to review your application and make decisions. If you can't get to campus, at least take a virtual tour. We've provided you with some additional resources that will help you make the most of your college visit.