As I write, I am currently smack dab in the middle of my first official college application season as an independent counselor. All of my students happen to be Seniors. I’m semi-joking when I use the word “happen” because the realities (and extensive work involved) in applying to college becomes really real. Of course, they would come a-knocking on my door.

As I detailed in a previous post, I like to start this process at least a year earlier, to stave off an impending sense of time pressure and panic. Together, we can leisurely explore and create a solid list of colleges that the students will apply to.

College choice is the cornerstone of the application process, and formulating a well-thought out, balanced college list is where I typically devote many, many hours of care, attention, and deep research.

Meeting In The Middle

Creating a best fit college list is not an exact science. There’s no real way to hack the college admissions process to predict which colleges will say yes and which will say no in the face of increasing selectivity at so-called top colleges. Some employ the “throw the spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks” technique by applying to a large amount of colleges, hoping to take whatever they can get. To be upfront: I do not advocate that approach at all.

I ask strategic questions to pinpoint college preferences. I do the research, taking care to present a curated list options that deliver the most of what you want from the college experience. I throw in a few wild cards for the sake of consideration. I sometimes play referee between students versus parents, because they have very different ideas of what makes a desirable college. Sometimes it is my role to speak up on behalf of the student, whose voice can get drowned out in disagreements between the parents.

Some choose to DIY their way through creating the college list, which I applaud. I’d like to link you to some of my go-to resources in an effort to help guide your process.

College List-Building Resources

There are literally THOUSANDS of college options to choose from. Streamlining choices can be challenging, especially when most people are unfamiliar with colleges beyond the name, and those they are familiar with represent a very small cross-section of colleges.

One of the hallmarks of the independent college counselor is getting to know colleges beyond names and websites. We accumulate in-depth knowledge through college visits, college fairs, meeting different college representatives at conferences, and sometimes, consulting with our professional network of colleagues. Even as  a college counselor, you still need trusted resources to rely upon.

Here are a few that I keep on my bookshelf for handy reference:

Fiske Guide To Colleges

Every year, the Fiske Guide To Colleges publishes a select list of profiles of the “best and most interesting colleges” in its guidebook. Inside, you’ll find over 300 profiles, indicating valuable information, such as most popular majors, selectivity, and quotes taken from interviews with students, presenting opinions on what makes their college special and where improvements are needed.

Fiske is a good starting point to building a college list. However, keep in mind, that the 300+ schools listed inside represent a tiny fraction of colleges that are out there. Currently, Fiske is a very  thick 800+ page book. There is no way it is able to accommodate profiles for every single college in America. With this said, keep in mind that an omission from Fiske does not imply that a college is of lesser quality or reputation. It may simply mean that the Fiske editors opted to rotate the college out of this year’s edition.

Pro tip: Check out the college lists found in the introduction, which are broken down by category, such as popular majors and “best buy” public and private colleges.

College Finder

Dr. Steven Antonoff is famous for his sage advice on college admissions and his penchant for devising college lists. He’s famous, at least, in college counseling circles. In his book, College Finder, he curated an entire book of college lists with the help of an advisory committee of esteemed counselors from across the country.

Check out these college list examples:

• Colleges for the Aspiring Artist
• Distinguished Engineering Programs
• Great Pre-Med Programs for B Students
• Colleges for Students Who Want To Study Hard and Play Hard
• Where Ph.D.’s received their undergraduate degrees
• Colleges With Strong Records in Division II Football
• Colleges That Are Generous With Merit Aid
• Most Overpriced Colleges

There are over 100+ college lists to thumb through in this resource alone. Being the consummate data nerd that I am, I always thumb through this book first when researching colleges. Plus, I kinda dig learning about and introducing some (potentially) new college names for families to consider.

When it comes down to one of the most important decisions in your child’s life, like where to attend college, the more time you spend carefully researching and reviewing options, the better.

P.S. I’ve got a few more resources to share – not meant to overwhelm – but to strategically guide through the college planning process:

• The Art of College List Building
• The Science of College List Building
• Our Bookshelf

P.P.S. Each title above is available through the Amazon Associates program. We receive a small commission at no additional cost to you for purchases made through the links. We thank you in advance for your support. Sincerely.