college planning

How to Research Colleges

Researching colleges is a large part of the college planning process, but it can be confusing! Thorough research helps students and their families make informed decisions about the future, but how are you supposed to research colleges?

What is important to know? What should you be looking for, and where should you be looking?

Choosing a college is about finding a place where students can thrive, grow, and achieve their goals. This guide will teach you how to navigate your college research effectively. Continue reading to ensure you have the tools and knowledge to select your best college fit.

Understand Your Needs and Preferences

The first step in researching colleges is self-reflection. Take some time to determine what you want and need from a college experience. We recommend looking at three areas of college fit: academic, social, and financial.

Consider factors such as the size of the institution, cost of attendance, location (urban vs. rural, distance from home), majors and academic programs offered, campus culture, and available extracurricular activities. 

As you consider the different aspects of college fit, keep a list of the criteria you want your college to have (or not have!). Once you have a list of your unique college fit criteria, decide which factors are your “must-haves” versus things that would be “nice to have” in a college but are negotiable. 

At the same time, make a note of anything on your “no way” list—criteria your ideal college would not have. 

While you research colleges, keep your fit list handy. Compare what you learn about the college to your college fit criteria and ask yourself, “How well does this college fit me?”

Online Research

Start with official college websites to get an accurate sense of that institution. Explore the college website thoroughly, including pages for academic departments that interest you, student and residential life, admissions, and so on. 

Dive deep into the opportunities that interest you. For academic interests, review the curriculum, faculty qualifications, and the availability of learning opportunities related to your field of interest. For extracurricular interests, browse the list of student organizations on campus. Visit the webpages for student services that interest you, including career services, study abroad, residence life, and financial aid. Don't hesitate to contact admissions counselors with questions that pop up along the way.

Often, colleges will have other associated resources outside of the official website. Check to see if the college you are researching has a YouTube channel (Pro Tip: Specific departments may also have their own channel!), an online student newspaper, or social media accounts for various departments or student organizations. These are trustworthy resources that can give you an idea of what daily campus life is like.

Additional online resources are available to help you with your college research. Some provide statistics on costs, demographics, graduation rates, and post-college earnings. Others are opinion-based sites that can provide useful information. However, keep in mind that people typically only review things they feel strongly about (whether positive or negative), so take reviews with a grain of salt!

Here’s a list of websites to get you started:

A note about college ranking lists:

We intentionally did not include any college-ranking sites that you may be familiar with because there are better ways to measure college fit. 

We understand why ranking lists are appealing, but college fit should start with the student’s needs and priorities instead of with an outside opinion. 

Understanding the metrics and methodologies used to generate the rankings is also critical. Often, what is measured to determine ranking doesn't include many factors students and families identify as important to college fit. Rankings are just one piece of a very large puzzle.

Campus Visits

Nothing compares to the insights gained from visiting a campus. These visits give students a first-hand impression of the college's atmosphere, community, and facilities. 

Virtual tours are a great starting point, especially for colleges that are far from home! 

For in-person visits, plan ahead to make the most of your trip. Students should try to attend official information sessions and tours, but they can also sit in on classes, arrange to meet with professors, and explore the campus and surrounding area on their own to get a genuine feel for student life.

College Fairs & High School Visits

College fairs and high school visits let students connect with college representatives away from the college campus. 

College fairs help prospective students learn about many different colleges at once. Typically, participating colleges set up booths or tables where students can ask questions and pick up information about the school.

High school visits are when college representatives come directly to the high school to meet students and share about their college. Many of these visits happen in the fall of senior year and are often a good chance to connect with the admissions officers. Sometimes, the admissions representative who reads applications for that high school will be the one to visit, so it’s a great opportunity for students to introduce themselves and put a face with a name. 

College fairs and high school visits give students direct insights from college representatives. Prepare a list of questions to ask at these events. Make notes during conversations, and collect contact information for follow-up questions. And don’t forget to send a thank you email to anyone you connect with at these events!

USE Your Network

Do you know anyone who attends or has recently graduated from the colleges on your list? These people are great resources!

Connecting with current students and recent alumni can give students a unique perspective on the college experience. Ask about their personal experiences, challenges, and what they love most about their college. This firsthand information can be incredibly revealing and may highlight parts of college life you hadn't previously considered.

If you don’t have any direct connections to a college, ask your college counselor or contact the college’s admissions office to see if they can connect you to a current student.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial fit should not be ignored as you conduct your college research! 

While you are researching academic programs and exploring social fit, also make sure you understand each college’s total cost of attendance. Research the various types of financial aid available, including scholarships, grants, and loans. Look up additional details like the average debt of graduates. 

Including financial factors in your research lets families assess the affordability of a college and avoid unwelcome financial surprises down the line.

Staying Organized

With so much information to process, staying organized is key. Figure out the system that works best for you!

You may use spreadsheets, digital folders, or notebooks to keep track of your research findings. As you collect information about the colleges you research, you can begin to narrow down your list of potential colleges based on how well they align with your criteria and priorities. 

Staying organized will help focus your efforts on the schools that are most likely to be a good fit.

Pro Tip: Hold onto your notes even after you’ve finalized the list of colleges where you will be applying. 

When you start applications in your senior year, many colleges may have an additional “Why this college?” supplemental essay. Work smarter, not harder, by returning to your notes that connect the dots between your interests and the college.

These notes can also be a helpful tool when it comes time to make your final college decision!

Now, go research!

College research can sometimes feel like a homework assignment, but think of it as the foundation of choosing your best-fit college. Solid college research supports students and their families in making informed decisions that are based on a deep understanding of what each college offers and how it aligns with the student’s needs and goals. 

Remember, finding the right college is a journey that requires patience and an open mind. Approach your college search with curiosity and enthusiasm! The effort you put into researching colleges today will pay off when you find a school that feels like home!

What You Can & Can’t Control in College Admissions

As discussed in our previous blog post on Holistic Admissions, there are many complex pieces to consider in the college application process. Each college has its own unique review factors and priorities, making it challenging for students and families to predict exactly what colleges are looking for. The desire to control every aspect of the process can feel overwhelming.

In truth, having that level of control in the admissions process is impossible. While there are certain aspects of the process that students can control, others lie entirely out of their reach. By recognizing and understanding what students can and can’t control, we can reduce some of the stress of application season.

In this blog post, we will dive into the elements of the college application that students have the power to control. Additionally, we will shed light on the factors beyond a student's control. Our aim is to help students focus their energy on the areas where they can truly make a difference and let go of factors beyond their influence.

Factors Students Can Control in the College Admissions Process

The College List

No one tells you where you must apply to college (though parents may have some “strong suggestions”). Students have control over their college list. They can apply to a list of ultra-selective colleges that admit less than 10% of their applicants (please do not do this!), or they can apply to a well-balanced list of schools where they have high, medium, and low chances of admission. Students cannot control their admission decision at each school, but they can apply to a strategic and balanced list of colleges.

Academic Performance

Academic performance during high school is one of the most critical factors in the application review process. Students should challenge themselves by taking rigorous courses, explore subjects that reflect their interests, and work to maintain strong grades.

Standardized Test Scores

While many colleges now have test-optional policies, students can impact their college applications by preparing for the SAT or ACT. Students can test more than once to take advantage of a superscore across test dates. There are also a number of test prep resources (including free resources!) to help students learn content and testing strategies to improve their test scores.

Extracurricular Involvement

The college application highlights four years of extracurricular activity, and this is one area where students have almost complete control. While many students have work or family responsibilities, there is still the opportunity for students to pursue their interests in their free time. Colleges are looking for students who are genuinely interested and committed, regardless of whether it's a sports team, a debate club, volunteering at a local shelter, or participating in a cultural organization. Use your extracurricular involvement to tell a story about who you are and what matters to you.

Essays

The personal statement and supplemental essays are entirely in the student’s power. Crafting compelling and authentic application essays allows students to showcase their unique experiences. Students should take their time when writing their college application essays. This is a great opportunity to reflect on your journey and tell your story the way you want it to be told.

Letters of Recommendation

Recommendations are partly within a student’s control. It’s true that someone else is writing these letters, and students waive their rights to view them as part of the application. But students have control over who they ask to represent them in the admissions process. Building strong relationships with teachers and mentors can lead to impactful letters of recommendation. Request recommendations from individuals who can highlight your skills, character, and potential to contribute positively to a college community.

Factors Students Have No Control Over in the College Admissions Process

Institutional Priorities

Colleges have specific institutional needs and priorities. We like this blog post from Georgia Tech that explains institutional priority, or IP (Georgia Tech calls them the two most important letters in college admissions). Factors such as demographics, geographical distribution, and family connections to a college (just to name a few!) play a role in their admissions decisions. Academic departments may also have specific requirements. Institutional needs are constantly changing and are rarely public knowledge. Don’t spend your time trying to predict what you think a college’s institutional priorities will be.

Competition & Numbers

College admission seems to get more competitive each year, especially at highly-selective colleges. One thing no one can control—not students and not the colleges themselves—is how many students apply each application cycle and who those students are. Application numbers swell due to large things (like a college joining The Common App or enacting a test-optional policy) and small things (like not having any additional essays or even winning an athletic championship… yes, really!). No matter how many students apply, each college only has limited spots. Many colleges could admit a qualified class of incoming students several times over from their applicant pool. With so many strong applicants, colleges often lean on things a student cannot control, like institutional priorities.

Admissions Decisions

Students can put their best foot forward, but at the end of the day, they cannot control the admissions decisions they receive from each school. Trust that you’ve done your best work throughout the application process, and trust that things will work out for you in the end.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

Be Authentic

Rather than fixating on trying to predict each aspect of the college admissions process, focus on personal growth and authenticity. Pursue your passions and interests, develop intellectual curiosity, and cultivate qualities that will serve you beyond college.

Build A Balanced College List

Decide what criteria make up a strong college fit for you, and build your college list from there. Thoroughly research schools that are a strong academic, social, and financial fit for you. As you build your college list, ensure that you are applying to a balanced list of schools where you have a good chance of admission.

Seek Guidance & Support

Use your resources! Whether it’s your college consultant, your school counselor, your teachers, or other resources you have available, you don’t have to go through this process alone! Seek guidance from those who can give expert advice and support you throughout the admissions process.

As you go through the college planning and application process, it's important to focus on the factors within your control and understand those that are not. Embrace authenticity, emphasize balance, and seek out support to confidently navigate the college admissions process.

Remember, your worth extends far beyond any college admissions decision. This journey is about finding the right fit for your future aspirations and goals.

We support students through the entire process & help them present their best selves in the admission process.

College Planning Tips For High School Students

I don’t think it’s a big surprise that seniors get the lion’s share of “college planning” attention when August rolls around on the calendar. It’s the start of a new school year, but the Common Application also opens on August 1st and launches us into a new application cycle. My weekly schedule quickly fills up with senior meetings, all of them in a frenzy to meet fall deadlines so they can (fingers crossed!) have essays and applications behind them by Thanksgiving.

But just because it’s finally time for seniors to highlight three and a half years of hard work in their applications doesn’t mean freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are off the hook when it comes to college planning. As the new school year starts, here are 3 college planning tips for each grade level (yes, even you seniors!) to lead you down the path towards college planning success!

FRESHMEN

Welcome to high school! This is a year to learn, grow, and (you guessed it!) start thinking about college planning. But don’t worry—there’s no pressure on you to develop a college list and settle on your major all in 9th grade. This year is more about getting to know YOU!

1 - Set Goals & Review Them Regularly

As the school year starts, I encourage you to set some SMART goals (here’s another blog post where I walk you through setting different goals, identifying your potential obstacles, and making a plan for success). At least one should be an academic goal, and I recommend at least one personal goal that’s just for you, but maybe you also set an extracurricular goal for yourself. Share your goals with someone you trust like a parent or college counselor and then review them once a semester or once a quarter. Check in and see how you’re doing, what you might want to adjust, and what you get to celebrate.

2 - Explore New Activities & Interests

High school is a whole new world when it comes to classes, clubs, and activities. Students have the opportunity to chase their curiosity in ways they haven’t been able to before. Exploring new interests, joining a new club, or picking up a new hobby might be easy advice for some students. But let’s acknowledge that it can also require leaving your comfort zone, and that isn’t always easy. I encourage you not to let that discomfort stop you from pursuing something you might love! Look for ways to make it easier, like bringing a friend.

3 - Keep Reading

We often hear that students who enjoyed reading for enjoyment in middle school lose that love of reading when they get into high school. The reading assignments change, schedules fill up, and pleasure reading is often one of the first things to fall off the priority list. But reading helps students learn, increases focus and attention span, improves vocabulary and writing skills, and can even build interpersonal skills like empathy. Here’s the thing—it doesn’t really matter what you read. Maybe it’s classic novels, sure, but maybe it’s free verse poetry, manga, sports biographies, or newspaper articles. If you enjoy it, keep reading!

SOPHOMORES

You have a year of high school in the books! You probably have a favorite table in the lunchroom and are counting down the days until you can start driving to school. In the meantime, it’s time to take the next step on your college planning journey and start considering what you might want life after high school to look like.

1 - Think About Why You Like Your Favorite Classes

As you go through sophomore year, think about the classes you enjoyed most from your first half of high school. Make a list and then take your brainstorming session a step further. Think about why you liked those particular classes.

  • Did you find the subject material interesting? Do you usually enjoy classes in that field? That might tell you something about a field of study that may interest you.

  • Did you really enjoy the teacher? What about them did you like? Was it the way they taught the class? Did they use lots of discussions? Group work? Projects? How did they bring their class to life for you? Have you had other teachers that taught like that? Did you enjoy those classes too?

  • Did you have a lot of friends in that class? How did that enhance the learning experience for you? Did you get to work with them on classwork? Do you like working/learning with others?

  • Other questions to ask yourself: What type of work was assigned? How many students were in the class? How were your desks set up? How was your knowledge tested at the end of the course (ie: test, essay, project, presentation)?

2 - Only Stay Involved In What You Enjoy

I’m going to let you in on a college planning secret: It’s okay to quit. Sometimes, students will start an activity in 9th grade and, even though they’ve lost interest in it, keep dragging themselves to whatever it is “for their college application.” Instead of getting more involved over time because they’re excited and invested, they do the bare minimum because they’re bored and disengaged. Please don’t do that. Please quit what is no longer adding value to your life so you can make room for something that will! If you enjoy your extracurricular activities, you’re more likely to get more involved at a deeper level because you care about it! That is what can lead to added value on the college application.

3 - Start Visiting Local Colleges

It’s a good idea to start getting familiar with different types of college campuses, and you can use what’s accessible to you—even if you “know” you would “never” attend that college that’s 10 minutes from home! Visit these schools anyway so you can learn what a college campus feels like. If you’re near an urban area, you probably have access to larger publics as well as smaller private colleges. Go see both so you can start to understand the differences and get an idea of your preferences. Visit colleges near family or on vacation. You can also interact with colleges in less official ways like attending sporting events, exhibits, or concerts.

JUNIORS

I recently heard someone call junior year your “audition for college.” Not only do the academic demands generally increase pretty swiftly in junior year, but it’s also the last full year students will complete before applying to college, so it’s the most recent course and grade history a student has. Students are balancing school with an increase in freedom and responsibility that comes with driver’s licenses, part-time jobs, increased involvement, and maybe even leadership positions. Standardized testing is on the radar. And college planning cranks things up a notch.

1 - Build Relationships With Your Teachers

Getting to know your teachers (and letting them get to know you!) will set you up for success in junior year. You’ll have a support system should you need it if you find yourself struggling in class. Teachers can also help you connect to your academic interests outside of the classroom, whether it’s through clubs, helping connect you with resources, or giving college advice. Not only that, but teachers from your junior year are more than likely going to be writing your college letters of recommendation. Building that relationship all year long gives your teacher something to write about!

2 - Think About Different Kinds of Leadership

We’re often encouraging students to pursue the activities that mean the most to them at a deeper level and find ways to make an impact. A lot of people think this means a leadership position with a title they can put on a resume. That’s certainly an option, but at the end of the day, most clubs only have room for one president. There’s only so much “official” leadership to go around. And not everyone wants to be the president/treasurer/historian. Good thing that’s not the only way to lead. Students lead and make an impact in other ways all the time—by showing up early to help set up, by mentoring and including younger students, by taking on the tasks that no one else signs up for, by seeing a need and filling it. So what’s your way to lead? How can you make an impact in your groups?

3 - Start Building Your College List

Junior year is a great time to start building your college list. Start determining what is important to you academically, socially, and financially to narrow down your college search. Go on official campus visits or sign up for online information sessions to get to know colleges firsthand. Spend time on college websites or trusted college research sites. However you learn about colleges, make sure you take good notes. When you go to apply next year, so many colleges have an essay question that’s some version of, “Why Us?” If you take good notes now, you’ll have something to refer back to instead of starting your research from scratch in the thick of application season!

SENIORS

Alright, Seniors! It’s your time to shine! In less than a year, you won’t have to think about Common App essays, SAT scores, or application portals ever again! But for now, keep your head in the game. You can do it!

1 - Use Your Resources

Yes, it’s your college application. That means no one can want it more than you and no one will work as hard as you. But you are not in this alone! You have a support system at school in your teachers and school counselor. And while we love working one-on-one with students (you can schedule a consultation here if you want to work with us!), we also have a range of free online resources:

2 - Don’t Procrastinate

It doesn’t matter which college deadline you decide is right for you, don’t wait until the last minute to start on those applications. Not only do you want to give yourself plenty of time to thoughtfully fill out all of the questions and respond to all essay prompts (including some that might unexpectedly pop up depending on how you answer certain questions—surprise!), but application deadlines rarely come at convenient times. Fall deadlines are in the middle of the semester (hello, midterms!) and are staggered every two weeks for a little over a month, so if you procrastinate, you may not come up for air for a while! Regular decision deadlines begin the first week of January, many on New Year’s Day. Do you want to spend your New Year’s Eve working on a college application?

3 - Look to Past Seniors For Perspective

Emotions run high during the college application process. When you’re living it day to day, an acceptance can feel like the highest high while a denial can feel like the lowest low. Older friends, family members, and acquaintances can give you some much-needed perspective. Maybe you know a current college student who had their heart completely set on a college during their senior year… and it didn’t work out. It may have felt like the end of the world at the time—like that was the only college for them. But they went with their second choice, showed up for orientation, and by the time Fall Break rolled around, hadn’t given that other school another thought. Because they love their college that much. Trust that there’s no such thing as one perfect college, and things tend to work out the way they’re supposed to!