Senior College Selection Guide

With college application season in full swing, seniors are rushing to get their college lists finalized. However, creating a well balanced list is quite the challenge and many students don’t have the resources they need. College applications can be tricky, but here are five factors to consider when making the perfect college list.

Factor 1: Distance

The first thing to solidify is whether one would rather live at home with family and commute or live away from home. The benefits to staying at home include a comfortable environment, little to no cost, family nearby and the ability to fulfill family responsibilities. The benefits of living away include independence, “the college experience” and a larger variety of choices. For those willing to live away from home, the next question to ask is whether they are willing to leave the state. Out-of-state colleges tend to be more competitive and often charge more tuition, but can offer a nice change of scenery. It’s important for one to understand their own boundaries when it comes to which colleges they choose to apply to.

Factor 2: Money

Another factor to consider is money. How much money has been set aside for application fees? How much for tuition? College can be very expensive, so these factors matter a lot. “There’s only so much that you can pay after scholarships and financial aid, so the price of tuition matters,” John F. Kennedy High School ACE club’s co-president Sanjana Madishetti (12) said.

Most students create an application fee budget and keep that in mind when finalizing their college list. If it goes out of the budget, they consider dropping a college from their list. Another thing students consider is how much money can be spent each year for tuition. Then they try to only apply to colleges that fit within this budget. One thing that should be considered is that while private schools cost more, they also offer more need-based financial aid. Financial aid calculators can often be found on the websites of the colleges.

Factor 3: Major

Arguably the most important factor to consider is whether the school has a strong program for the student’s intended major. Students must add colleges to their list that are good for the degree they intend to pursue. To find these colleges, students can check out different websites and rankings. The most commonly used website for this is US News. For people with an undecided major, they can look into areas of interest and list the colleges that have majors that align with multiple of the majors that they are considering. .

Factor 4: Area

The safety of the area is the next important factor because many students decide to live off campus after their first or second year of college. Taking a look at the crime rates in the area is a great way to gauge the safety of the school. Other things to look for are the cost of living and type of city. Students need to know what the environment around the school is like before they commit to going there. For example, some schools are right by the beach while others are in big cities and others are in more rural areas.

Factor 5: Safety-Match-Reach

When creating their college list, students should classify each college as a safety (an almost guaranteed acceptance), a match (a likely acceptance) or reach (a big swing, unlikely to be accepted). There are also websites to assist with classifying colleges based on a student’s credentials. Of the colleges on the list, about 30% should be safeties, 40% should be matches and 30% should be reaches.

Students should make sure that the colleges they apply to are within their budget, match their desired area profile, are within an acceptable distance from home and are beneficial to their major of choice. JFK counselor Mr. Reska mentioned, “The best fit is the most important. Don’t get caught up in the name or the prestige of the school if they don’t have your major, you’re not comfortable with their surroundings, their environment or a variety of different things.” If the student is going to pay so much in tuition and live in one place for the next four years, they should consider a variety of factors to make sure that they end up in a place that works best for them.

Photo by Siddhi Yadav | Colleges send packages to publicize their presence to future students.