Creating Your Final List of Colleges

Your final list should take into account everything we discussed above. It should be balanced between different types of schools, so that you have options come the spring of your senior year. The list should have a few reach schools (ones that you want to get into, but are selective), probable schools (ones that are likely to admit you), and safety schools (ones that are practically guaranteed to accept you). This method ensures you will have somewhere to go. You should rank the list from your top choice to your last choice before you apply so you have an idea of which schools you are likely to commit to. You should also apply in that order, since the more applications you fill out the more tired you will be. You want to put your best effort into the schools you want to really go to. You should take note of the schools test policies, deadlines, supplements, and other policies that will be important when you apply. Appendix E has a table that will help you keep track of this information.