Applying to college used to be a pretty straightforward process involving just a handful of schools, like higher education journalist Jeff Selingo recounts in his recent Wall Street Journal article. But today’s landscape looks very different. With the ease of the Common Application, many students are casting a much wider net. Add in sensationalized stories on YouTube about students applying to over 100 colleges and growing anxiety about getting in, and it’s no wonder students (and their parents) feel overwhelmed when trying to build a smart, balanced college list.
In our recent post on 2024-2025 Common App trends, we noted how last year the average number of applications submitted per student increased by 2% to 6.8, with the total number of first time applications surpassing 10 million. With almost 4,000 colleges in the U.S., students may be tempted to max out on the Common Application’s limit of 20 colleges. One reason students apply to more colleges today is because it is much easier to submit applications. With the Common Application and other platforms like the Coalition Application and the University of California application, students can send one app to multiple schools with the click of a button.
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THE COLLEGE LIST: STRATEGY IS KEY
At Top Tier Admissions, we advise students to avoid what colleges often call option paralysis and instead focus on building a thoughtful, strategic list.
Given this objective, you may be asking what is the “right” number of colleges to apply to? And what does a “strategic” list look like?
To help, here are our top tips for building a strategic college list:
Build and Narrow Your List Over Time
Although there is no magic number, we recommend students apply to somewhere between 9 and 12 colleges. Despite this goal, list building should be a discovery process, and students should dig into a much longer list of colleges initially. Junior year is a great time to explore and visit colleges, and then students can focus on narrowing their list over the summer.
Focus on Fit
A lot of students start building their lists based on colleges they’ve heard of–perhaps schools nearby or ones their friends are applying to. The problem with this method is that it does not consider the student’s unique needs, interests, and personality, which ideally will align with the college’s academic program, campus culture, and values.
Numerous acronyms exist for determining “fit” in the college admissions world, which Lee Coffin, veteran dean of admissions at Dartmouth College, discussed on the most recent season of his podcast. Coffin advises students to consider the “5 Ps” of a college or Program, Place, People, Price, and Prestige. By going through and asking questions about what they want in terms of these five categories, students can better determine whether a college makes sense on their list. Similarly, Eric Furda, the former dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, advised students to think about the “4 Cs,” or Culture, Community, Curriculum, and Conclusions. Looking into academics, campus life, and what students do after graduation can help you discern which college options truly belong on your list.
Create Balance by Admission Probability
Because getting into college is more competitive than ever, it’s important to think about where you’re most likely to be admitted when building a list and make sure that colleges with lower admission rates are balanced by ones accepting a greater percentage of students. At Top Tier, we look at data with families to help them understand which schools will be reach, target, and likely colleges, and we always advise students to have at least a few in each category.
We also advise students to consider the deadlines offered by each college, which can influence your chances of admission and also have practical implications for how you’ll manage the process (more on that below). For example, applying Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) to colleges can offer a boost in admissions likelihood, especially at highly selective colleges, though ED comes with a binding commitment. Applying under early deadlines, whether binding or not, can set students up for a less stressful process because decisions are released earlier than those for Regular Decision (RD) applications.
When planning, it can be helpful to think of your list as a diversified investment portfolio, with some ambitious bets, some solid investments, and a few safe options that still excite you. Weighting your portfolio too heavily with one type can backfire and leave you choosing between limited options ahead of decision day (May 1) in senior year.
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Manage Your Time Wisely
A strategic list is one that prioritizes crafting superb applications and being an engaged applicant, which can take considerable time and energy. Although the Common Application makes compiling the main body of an application easier, selective colleges still require on average 1-3 supplemental essays in addition to video uploads, recommendation letters, short answer questions, and portfolios.
Colleges also have individual deadlines, scholarship applications, and unique test reporting policies, among other differences that students need to track for each college they apply to. Once the application is submitted, seniors need to manage emails from colleges and application portals for each application–schools often ask for extra forms and updates. If a student applies to too many colleges, managing these component parts can become burdensome and risks diluting the quality of the application.
We recommend students create a spreadsheet outlining supplemental writing requirements and forms for each college, and this task may help you recognize which colleges may not be worth the effort, for you. By crafting a reasonable list, seniors set themselves up for success in submitting successful applications and in maintaining their grades senior year (another factor looked at closely by top colleges).
STRATEGIC GUIDANCE OPENS DOORS
When thinking about list building, we hope students view it as a time of discovery and enjoyment, one that expands the range of possibilities they’ve imagined for themselves, while still factoring in practical implications. Need help crafting a balanced list? Enroll in our Private Counseling program for expert guidance throughout every stage of the process!
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Know someone else navigating the college process? Pass it along — they’ll thank you later!
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