When the time comes to finalize a list of colleges where a student will apply, it can be tempting to pile on the options, and difficult to know which colleges to add and which to let go. If there is one key to making sure your list is the best for you, it comes down to an old adage: honesty is the best policy.
Read on for how to leverage honesty to shape your own best list –
Be honest about your fit & what matters most to you.
The most important thing about your college list is that you have prioritized the factors that will enable you to thrive academically and socially. It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, or what other people think. Just recently a student shared that she knows so many people who say a particular public institution on the other side of the country is ‘the best,’ that she couldn’t believe it didn’t feel like a good fit when she visited. She was still contemplating applying, even though she didn’t especially like it! This is not an uncommon phenomenon. When it comes time to finalize that college list, the colleges included should all resonate with the key experiences, opportunities, resources, and communities that matter to you, your goals, and your future. Getting honest about what these elements are and whether a college matches up with your personal needs, is a good way to focus your list. It doesn’t mean there won’t be compromises, but it does mean you should let go of options that are based purely on college name, reputation, or someone else’s opinion. Check in with your parents or an adult who knows you well and is invested in your best interest to hone in on those few key elements. Does the college honestly have what you need to build a happy, successful, and engaging life there? When the answer is yes, it is likely this is a good choice college for you.
Be honest about finances.
A good fit college is one that you honestly have reason to believe will be within your financial means. Parents need to be honest with their child about what that looks like for your family well before lists are finalized and applications are submitted, and students need to be honest about what it will take and whether it’s worth it for you to make those sacrifices or investments. Utilize a college’s net price calculator to get a sense of your likely costs, and call the financial aid office if you have questions. Do not rule out completing the FAFSA, even if you expect you will not qualify for need-based aid, as it may be required to access merit scholarships and other financial aid. Hoping and dreaming that it might work is not a strategy. A good college list is honest about college affordability and builds in multiple colleges that will create realistically affordable options.
Be honest about your admissibility.
If there is one truth in the shifting landscape of college admissions, it is that popular colleges and universities have grown exponentially more competitive year over year in the past few cycles. Students, and their parents, need to be honest about admissibility. This means looking up the most recently available acceptance rates in regular, early decision and/or early action, and admitted student profiles, including test scores, even at test optional colleges. If a college has less than a 15-20% acceptance rate, it is never a given, even for highly qualified students. If a student’s personal profile is far off of a college’s admitted student profile, be honest with yourself about whether it is worth the time, effort, and money to you to prepare and submit that application. If you are being honest with yourself, every student, no matter how high their GPA or test scores, should have a range of colleges that are truly likely and possible fits, including those with acceptance rates at and above 50%. This will help to ensure that a student is in the position of having choices come spring of senior year.
Be honest about the options you need.
Sometimes college lists run the risk of being aspirational, rather than practical. A good college list is honest about what you truly need, what works for your life, family, and priorities, and what you will seriously consider come decision time. Sometimes students are so caught up in the options that are out there, that they neglect to really look inside and ask themselves what they want and need. Will you truly travel across the country by plane to get to and from college and spend breaks with your family? You might like the idea of a big school, but will you personally be academically successful in lecture halls of 300 students? You might love a school’s spirit and sports teams, but have you examined where you will find and build your community on campus? You might be desperate to get out of state, but have you factored in colleges that will give you financial options too? Being honest about the options you want and need is essential to building a college list that will spare you from many extra applications, and empower you to choose well for yourself come decision time.
TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and personal best fit, and TBU Essay & Application specialists are experts at supporting students to craft their most compelling, authentic work. If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, now is the time. Get in touch here and we will look forward to connecting with you.
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