Creating a Preliminary List of Colleges

Juniors: Subjective Guidebooks and Websites for your College Search

Posted on Wed, 11/13/2013 - 09:01

One of the most important steps in the college application process is researching the colleges. Last week, we brought you our list of objective guidebooks and websites -- the comprehensive catalogs that provide at-a-glance overviews for colleges and universities with facts and figures on variables such as location, cost, test scores, academics, athletics and financial aid. These are great starting points for your research.

This week, we have the subjective guidebooks and websites. These subjective resources can also provide basic facts about colleges and universities, such as acceptance rates and enrollment. But they also "review" the schools -- offering fact and opinion about the physical campus, student body, academics and other aspects of campus life. Their anecdotal nature makes them very entertaining, but pay attention to how they gather their information and from whom.

All of these guidebooks are usually available in bookstores, libraries and the office of your high school college counselor. Websites are available to everyone free of charge.

SUBJECTIVE REFERENCE GUIDES

Books

Juniors: What is Your Learning Style? Another Important Factor When Choosing Colleges

Posted on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 16:38

Remember, the students who get the attention of admission officers are those who know who they are and what they want. So in the last couple of weeks, we've been providing you with some questions so that you can "research yourself" -- the first step in creating a preliminary list of colleges. Most recently, we asked you to think about yourself in the classroom. College is a learning environment, so you need to honestly evaluate yourself as a student in order to figure out what schools are best for you.

This week, we're asking you to examine your learning style, which will influence some of the basic criteria of your college search. For example, if you prefer to enroll in classes where learning takes place in small discussion groups, you will want to pay attention to factors such as class size and method of teaching at the schools in which you're interested.

Here are some more questions to help you evaluate yourself as a student in order to figure out what schools are best for you:

Juniors: How do you learn? It's important when considering colleges!

Posted on Thu, 10/24/2013 - 10:45

In the last couple of weeks, we've asked you to "research yourself" as you start to create a preliminary list of colleges. 

There's no question the students who do best in the college application process have figured out who they are and what they want. We've asked you to think about your personal preferences and interests like favorite books and television shows and to take advantage of the personality inventories on Naviance and similar platforms. We've even asked you to consider which Star Trek character you may resemble. Hey, we think you can learn something about yourself there!

This week, we're going to ask you to think about yourself in the classroom. Because college is a learning environment, you need to honestly evaluate yourself as a student in order to figure out what schools are best for you.

First, consider your academic record. Keep in mind that there are no "right" answers. You're just mining for information. Here are some questions to help you begin:

What is your GPA? What is the highest GPA reported by your school?

Are you challenging yourself in the classroom with advanced classes, such as AP’s?

What is the most intellectually engaging class you have taken in high school? Why? How did it influence you?

What do you choose to learn when you learn on your own? Consider what topics you choose for research papers, lab reports, or independent reading.

What subjects have you excelled in?

Juniors: Do you know which Star Trek character you are?

Posted on Wed, 10/16/2013 - 12:01

The students who do best in the college application process have figured out who they are and what they want. They have asked themselves the tough questions that help them emerge with a strong understanding of who they are. It’s hard work and it’s not always fun -- until today. Today, in this week's advice, we bring you a little comic relief with a questionnaire to find out which Star Trek character you are. And this little exercise might actually get you thinking about some of your distinctive traits and preferences.

BTW, we know we are a little obsessed with Star Trek. But as role models go the officers on the bridge are a little more noble than the South Park boys -- though we do love how Cartman, Kenny, et. al. speak their minds. And we welcome hearing about any "personality inventories" that you have found particularly helpful!

For more information about researching yourself in order to create a preliminary list of colleges, including lists of questions about your interests, activities, friends, family, activities, academics and more, see Chapter 8, "Creating an Initial List of Colleges" in College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step.

Juniors: Do You Have Your Preliminary List of Colleges?

Posted on Tue, 01/29/2013 - 09:15

 

You should be actively working on your preliminary list of colleges -- the fifteen to twenty schools that have caught your eye as you have begun your research. Remember the goal is to create a list of schools that will provide you with good choices in your senior year. Each college should be a "first choice" -- campuses with compelling reasons for you to attend. Your list should not consist entirely of highly selective schools or only those colleges with names most familiar to you. There are more than 2,600 four-year colleges and universities, after all. While whittling that number down into the fifteen or twenty that work for you sounds like a big task, it's actually not that hard once you have given some thought to what you want and what the colleges offer. And it can be a lot of fun.

For more information on creating a preliminary list of colleges including tips on research and achieving a list that balances admissibility and cost, see Chapter 8, "Creating an Initial List of Colleges," in College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step.