How to Create a College List: 4 Essential Tips
Written by Eryn Gordon
The college admissions season is here. This is the perfect time for high school students in every grade to focus on the next steps to getting into their dream colleges. Seniors compile their letters of recommendation; juniors start planning their campus visits; even freshmen and sophomores begin creating their college wish lists. No matter your grade in high school, now may be the perfect time to prepare your college short list. Wondering what is a college shortlist?
Or, how to make a college list? Our online education resource center has compiled a list of essential tips and included a college short list template for your college applications!
What Is a College Short List?
If you’re thinking about college, you should know what a short list is and how to create one. A college shortlist is a series of options pulled from your top selection of schools. These are the colleges and universities you’re most likely to apply to or are at the top of your wish list. A short list can be as simple as the names of your top 10 colleges or can be as complex as a collection of as much information about each school as you like.
What Are the Benefits of a College Short list?
Think of the times you are faced with several projects to tackle at once, such as multiple homework assignments and chores to do around the house. Usually creating a list of all the tasks you need to complete can help you feel more prepared to get them done. Short lists work in the same way. By creating a college shortlist, you can stay organized with your college applications, from choosing top schools, staying on track with application deadlines, and making your final decision.
How to Make a College List
Creating a college shortlist can be a quick and simple process. However, you’ll want to consider which colleges to include. You’ll likely complete research ahead of time to identify schools based on your preferred location, areas of study, and financial parameters. You can then choose your top picks and include them on your short list. Because there are so many different colleges from which to choose, many high school students don’t know where to start. Here are a few key factors to consider when choosing options for your shortlisted schools.
Plan Out Your Finances and College Tuition
Higher education is sometimes the biggest investment of a person's life. Including room and boarding, tuition, fees, and the cost of materials, going to college can be extremely expensive. First, compare your own budget with the listed costs for each school. Then, consider any scholarship and grant opportunities you might have access to. Additionally, many schools offer the opportunity to work on campus in exchange for college credit or hourly pay, which may affect the overall cost as well.
Decide on a Preferred Campus Location
Location can have a major impact on your college experience and college short list. While a university might appear to be the perfect fit, if it’s not located in an area you enjoy or will be happy in, then you may find yourself wanting to transfer. If you enjoy living in the city, you may want to only research colleges in a metropolitan area, and the same goes if you prefer living in the countryside.
Find Your Favorite College Extracurriculars
Many colleges have a wide variety of extracurricular offerings for their students both on and off campus. For example, if you're passionate about writing, you may want to research colleges that have not only a strong English department but also student-run literary magazines and newspapers. The school may also have affiliations with nearby businesses, possibly leading you to future internship or work opportunities.
College Application Process and Status
The final consideration for your college short list is the overall application process. While many colleges accept the Common App, you may have to supply additional essays, interviews, or letters of recommendation. Look into the process for each college to make sure you've gathered all the information necessary to complete each application.
After you’ve done that and begin applying to colleges, you can use this section to keep track of the status of your applications. A helpful way to do this is to create a code based on the status of each. See below for an example:
Status
A: Applied
NA: Not yet applied
PA: Planning to apply
Example of a College Short List
If you prefer to only include the college name, you may want to start by considering your top five or 10 selections, then list them from most preferred to least. If you like to have a visual for other details, such as location, tuition costs, or the application process, creating a chart with several columns may be helpful. The benefit of the college shortlist is that there’s no right or wrong way to do it, you simply need to choose what information is most valuable to you and organize it in a way that’s visually appealing.
Below is an example of a college short list using the top factors listed above:
Download your free college shortlist template!