NARROWING THE CHOICES

Deciding Where To Apply

You’ve engineered an effective exploration campaign and now know far more about the colleges you’re considering and the educational opportunities they present. Along the way some new colleges were added to the list. Some were removed.

There are more than 3,500 two-and four-year colleges in the United States. You have placed a small number of these institutions under your personal microscope. Hopefully, that intense examination has produced a refined list of colleges and universities. Now you must study that list (possibly narrowing it even more) and begin the formal application phase of the high school to college transition.

At this point, a number of new questions emerge. How many applications should I submit? What do the colleges need to know about me in order to consider my candidacy for admission? What are my chances of admission? What is the admission competition like this year? Are there ways that I can increase the odds that I will be admitted?

Review the refined list with respect to those features that you deem important in the selection of your college. Two rules should guide this final review:

RULE NUMBER ONE: Your objective is not to find a single college, but rather the colleges that meet your selection criteria. Surely, you have your favorite or favorites, but try not to be so exclusive in this refinement process that you omit viable opportunities. In other words, there is no solitary “right” college, there should be a number of “right” colleges.

RULE NUMBER TWO: Don’t apply to any college that you would not attend if offered admission. If the exploration process has taught you anything, it should have helped you to define your educational goals and how the various colleges measure up to the criteria that you feel are important. Is the college the right place for you to learn? Will you feel comfortable there as a student and member of the campus community? Is the college affordable or will the financial aid offered make it financially feasible? If the answer to these questions is yes, move forward with the application process. If no, consider removing the college from your list.

Counselors and admission officers recommend that you file multiple college applications, but they do not always agree on the number. Most suggest that three to six applications will be sufficient to vary your exposures and enhance your chances of admission to more than one college.

Those institutions should include:

1) “Safe” colleges where you are highly likely to gain admission;

2) ”Likely” colleges where you have about a 50-50 chance of admission;

3) “Reach” colleges where admission will depend on the level of competition that particular year.

Many students file a single application and are successful. Some file many more than the number recommended above. When high school seniors (Class of ’94) were asked how many applications they intended to file by Careers & Colleges magazine and the National Association of College Admission Counselors, they offered these responses: One – 23%, Two – 24%, Three – 21%, Four – 13%, Five+ - 17% and None – 4%.

Your need for financial assistance may dictate that you file additional applications to “expose” your academic qualifications to a broader range of colleges and the aid options they present. Remember, too, that there are fees associated with each college application and filing frivolous applications can be expensive.

You will improve your chances of admission by applying to institutions whose admission standards mesh with your academic qualifications and personal characteristics. Devote the appropriate commitment and energy, and you will be satisfied with the results.