Ideas for Creating a Broader College List (Part I)
Many students I’ve spoken to have a college list that is too narrow, or filled only with the usual list of colleges and universities. When this happens, they miss out on exploring opportunities that could have been a great match.
It’s not the student’s fault - creating a college list with the ‘same schools’ is very easy to do!
Most college magazines with lists of colleges have the ‘same schools’.
The ‘same schools’ are repeatedly researched and used as “examples”, by the media.
We see the ‘same schools’ because of their athletics (NCAA tournament, etc…).
The ‘same schools’ are the names we see on sweatshirts and hoodies in high school.
And so on…
But, did you know that there are more than 3,900 post-secondary degree granting institutions in the USA, about 2400 of whom primarily focus on 4-year degrees?
I’d like to make suggestions for how to broaden your search.
Focus on discovery, not filtering
Consider public universities beyond the flagships
Don’t overlook women’s colleges
Ideas for Creating a Broader College List
1. Focus on discovery, not filtering
There’s a lot of excellent and well-meaning guidance aimed at helping students narrow down their college choices. Some examples of this include: what size of college and how many students, what level of academic rigour, what academic offerings and fields of study, how much does it cost, ethnic and religious concerns, prominence of athletics, more…
When you apply these criteria to your list, you are filtering the available choices. You’ll of course want to do this… eventually. But I believe many students start this process too early. Instead of rushing to get to a list of a handful of schools, most could benefit from spending more energy on discovery, particularly at the early stages of the college search process. Open the aperture wider, before filtering.
Here are some ways to discover more colleges that could be a fit -
Move beyond the usual college ranking sites and publications. Instead of relying on US News Rankings, take a look at Buyers and Sellers (a free resource by Jeff Selingo, author of the NY Times Bestseller Who Gets In and Why) and Colleges that Change Lives.
Explore where other successful folks in your desired field went to school. (Spoiler alert - doing this typically confirms what you already know… that there are many, many good schools out there, and many paths to success). E.g. if you are interested in becoming a doctor, look at the data for undergrad programs supplying applicants to med schools from AAMC.org. E.g. if you are interested in doing well in business, look at the data of where Fortune 500 CEOs went to college.
Get the “full” list of schools in your area. You’ll probably be surprised by just how many colleges and universities are in your state. Wikipedia and Big Future have these lists.
2. Consider public universities beyond the flagships
According to the College Board, flagship universities are the public universities that are the most research-intensive and were the first to be established. It can be really helpful to widen your aperture and fully explore the other public universities that are part of the same system.
As an example, there was a time - not that long ago - where most of the attention in the University of California system went to UC Berkeley. Now, though, UCLA actually receives more applicants, and many students are aware of UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, and even UC Riverside. But there's an entire system of 20+ California State University public schools too!
Some ideas to get you started:
In addition to the University of Texas, Austin… consider UT Dallas, UT San Antonio (my brother is an alum!), and UTEP.
In addition to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill… consider UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, and UNC Asheville.
In addition to the University of Washington... consider Washington State University, Western Washington University, and Evergreen State College
3. Don’t overlook women’s colleges
Nearly sixty percent of undergraduates are female. Whether or not you choose to pursue studies at a women’s college, it can almost always be beneficial to at least explore these schools as an option. Go through the material on their website. Take a virtual tour - or better yet, schedule an in-person tour if you are able. Talk to graduates in your area (and... lists of famous alumnae are impressive!).
A good resource to learn more: womenscolleges.org.
Wrapping Up
I’m offering these with the hope that you’ll discover schools you may never have previously even heard of, or reconsider schools you’ve heard mention of but may have dismissed. I’m also hopeful that in the process of discovery you arrive at a more holistic set of options for schools where you could see yourself be successful.
