Creating Your College List Colorado Springs CO

Creating Your College List

by Howard and Matthew Greene

As with most aspects of the college admission process, you should focus on finding the right balance when you create and revise your college list. If you balance your list in terms of selectivity, geography, and fit, you'll be able to open up some excellent choices for yourself during your senior year of high school.

Starting the list: Consider contrasting types
Exploring only one kind of school will expose you to a very limited set of options. There are several thousand colleges and universities in the U.S. that can be divided into distinct types or models. There are large public universities, small private colleges, two-year community colleges, urban universities, and small-town colleges, to name a few. You can find liberal and conservative environments, traditional and alternative academic programs, and religious and nonsectarian institutions.

Consider instinctively what type of institution seems to fit you best. You may be inclined to stay very close to a city or far from one. Perhaps you learn best in small classroom environments. Your initial instincts can guide you as you explore a few schools and test your assumptions.

The important point is that you should not limit yourself. If you're sure you want a large urban university, then check one out, but make sure to visit at least one smaller college in a more suburban or rural setting.

Author: Amy Ambler

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