When Is It Time to Eliminate Colleges from Your List?

A common high school college research question is, “When is it time to eliminate colleges from your list?”

Researching and visiting colleges can be fun, but you can’t apply to them all! Of course, you can if you are willing to write an impossibly long list of essays and pay thousands of dollars in application fees. We all know, however, that isn’t realistic (or beneficial!) for anyone. Instead, it’s best to get your list down to a manageable number.

As you apply for colleges online, knowing which factors are most important to you will help you eliminate colleges from your list. — Photo by ManuelTheLensman on Unsplash

Admissions can be very unpredictable, so it is always a good idea to have a solid list of Reach Colleges (hard for you to get into), Target Colleges (colleges you have a good chance of getting into), and Safety Colleges (colleges you will most likely get into).

At this time, I recommend students apply to 4-6 Reach Colleges, 6-8 Target Colleges, and 4-6 Safety Colleges. If you are from California, keep in mind that all University of California colleges count as one college, and all CSU colleges count as one college. So if you have over 25 colleges on your list, how can you cut them down?

When to Eliminate Colleges from Your List:

Recheck each college to be sure they have your major interests and any additional programs you are interested in.
Recheck each college to make sure the campus offers interesting things to do and extracurricular activities you want to participate in.
Recheck the size of the college. Do you prefer the anonymity of a large university or the friendlier atmosphere of a small college? If you like small colleges, you could still apply to large universities with stellar Honors Colleges. Students who qualify for honors programs enjoy the best of both worlds: a huge campus with lots of activities and opportunities, plus an intimate community where they’re known.
The atmosphere of the school. A school’s environment affects how you feel on campus, from whether you fit in socially to how classes are taught. You can depend on the Fiske Guide to Colleges to guide you here. Is the culture too competitive, too religious, too open, or too structured? Each college’s atmosphere is unique. Look for the atmosphere you want.
Have you visited the college? Colleges look very different on paper than they do in person. If you cannot visit, check a YouTube video of the university and see what you think.
Rethink location. Rural? Suburban? Small town? Large city? Keep in mind that most of your post-grad opportunities will be near the school you attended. Think in terms of which region you’d be okay with ending up in long term, as well as whether there are many good job opportunities within your field there.
Expense. Think about your ability to pay. At the same time, remember that there are merit scholarships and scholarships available, as well as financial aid.

Building Your Ideal College List

Give yourself permission to eliminate colleges that you aren’t crazy about or that you’d be disappointed to attend. That way, you can focus more of your time on writing high-quality essays for US university applications to increase your chances of getting into the schools you’re most interested in.

Whether you’re focusing on colleges in Los Angeles, colleges in San Diego, NYC colleges, or even Ivy League schools, it’s important to prioritize where you’d actually be happiest attending over which schools are the most prestigious. It’s your life, not anyone else’s, so it doesn’t matter what others think about your college choice. Focus on the schools that offer the majors and programs you’re looking for, and everything else will fall into place.

Whether you're focusing on colleges in Los Angeles, colleges in San Diego, NYC colleges, or even Ivy League schools, it's important to know when to eliminate colleges from your list. — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

These are a few factors to consider when you need to cut down your college list. I know it can be challenging! Good luck!

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Tam Warner Minton

Sarah Gooch

Essay Editor

Q:How many total years of experience do you have in your current role, including but not limited to ReadyEdgeGo?

A: I have five years' experience in coaching student writing, but this is my first year with ReadyEdgeGo.

Q: What about working with students do you most enjoy?

A: I love helping students find depth and meaning in their own stories—but I also just love it when they make me laugh!

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: In theory, I enjoy painting and writing poetry, but these days I actually spend most of my free time socializing or watching movies with my husband.

Q: What is your one piece of advice for high schoolers?

A: Don't just focus on achieving top grades and credentials because they look good on applications, or your education will be meaningless. The numbers and awards have their place, but stay connected to your sense of curiosity, discovery, excitement, and wonder so that the content you're learning is constantly transforming you—it's something you care about, something you remember after the final exam. Work on the aspects of yourself no one can measure, like integrity, wisdom, kindness, and compassion, so that you're not only developing your academic and career potential but also investing in the type of adult you're going to be, the person you'll have to live with after you clock out every day for the rest of your life.

Doing the hard inner work of building your character and learning deeply instead of just earning grades will set you up for a satisfying, well-rounded life. Strange as it sounds, it will also put you ahead in your academic and career goals, because colleges and hiring managers aren't looking for an empty set of data on a spreadsheet; they want a fully fleshed-out person marked by passion, creativity, and a story no one else has lived.

So go on studying hard for tests, but also spend some time asking yourself what matters in life and who your role models are. Read up on topics that amaze you, and build something incredible just for fun. Cultivate that spark of joy you feel when you're immersed in a subject that fascinates you. If you can hit that balancing act of doing your homework and meeting deadlines but also investing in the kind of person you want to be, then trust that all the rest will follow: schools will recognize you as a dynamic, all-star person, and you will also build a life of happiness, close relationships, and peace.

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