How to Help Students Narrow Down Their College Search
We blinked, and now August is here. The start of a new school year has either just begun for some or is nearly here. Over the summer, many of our rising high school seniors have spent time curating their lists of prospective colleges and universities. But now, with fall and its deadlines fast approaching, those students are coming to a point of compass. How do they choose which schools to apply to, and which schools are simply pipe dreams? Now is an excellent time to help your students begin to narrow down their college search.
Drafting a List
Before students can start crossing schools off, they should already have cultivated a three-tiered list of about 6 to 12 prospective schools. Here’s what those schools would look like:
Tier 1: Reach Schools
Reach schools are those in the upper echelon of the student’s academic abilities and eligibility. Most often, these are schools that are just out of reach (no pun intended) and prospective students have a slim chance of admission. In order to be considered, students would have to go above and beyond to make a lasting impression that would not only prove their academic fit, but prove their value to the school.
Tier 2: Match Schools
Match schools are those that students have a good chance of getting admitted to based on their test scores and/or high school academic performance. Students need to really shine in their applications, but admission is more than conceivable.
Tier 3: Safety Schools
Safety schools are those that the student more than qualifies for academically, and their eligibility is not in question. For these schools, the student’s test scores and/or high school academic standing are more than enough for them to be seriously considered for admission.
With their list of schools organized categorically, it’s time to start revising.
Revising the List
Once their list is written, they need to spend some time looking over those colleges and universities, and making sure that those schools are ones that they want to spend time considering.
Tier 1: Reach Schools
Start with the reach schools. Any of those listed that are well out of their league should be crossed off without a second thought. It’s all well and good to “reach for the stars,” but it’s also really important to be realistic and not waste time (and application fees) on false hope. Students should choose only the reach schools that they believe to be the right fit for them based on academics, extracurriculars, and climate, not simply on name and prestige.
Tier 2: Match Schools
Next, focus on their match schools. These schools offer the best chances for admission. That said, admission is not necessarily a sure thing. While these schools should be a match for the student’s test scores and academic performance, there’s still plenty of competition for the open seats. Students need to take a closer look at what each of these schools has to offer. They need to make sure that they can consider those schools the right fit for them. Any hesitation or any doubts—cross them off the list.
Tier 3: Safety Schools
Last, look over their safety schools. Ask them: would they be happy at any one of these schools? These colleges may offer slam-dunk admissions, but are they the right fit? Again, students need to take a close look at these schools to make sure that the remaining few offer the type of college experience that they’re searching for and have been working hard to attain.
Conduct Further Research
In order to decisively cross schools off their list, students need to take the time to conduct research and explore each one of their remaining schools. Every prospective school requires an in-depth evaluation to help them make informed decisions.
Website Deep Dives. Simply browsing school websites and scanning college rankings is not going to provide enough information. Students should spend ample time navigating each school’s website. Most schools have a “Meet [insert name of college here]” page, a “First-Year Experience” page, and a “Campus Life” page or elements of their homepage dedicated to the student body experience. In addition to the information provided in these places, students should make sure that they’ve acknowledged the Programs of Study and Academics pages, too. Advise them to gather as much information as possible and take good notes on each school. Any questions? Encourage them to reach out to the schools and request specific information.
Talk to a Guidance Counselor. School counselors typically have a lot of information about colleges and universities that they’ve collected throughout their tenure. They most likely have brochures and literature directly from the colleges for students to look over. Not only that, counselors may have alumni contacts that can provide inside information about schools and the student experience. Ultimately, counselors that know their students well can be a tremendous help when students are trying to find the best-fit schools.
Request Information From The Schools. Advise your students to directly contact those prospective colleges’ admissions and ask questions, request course catalogs, and inquire for more information about the school’s activities and extracurriculars. In most cases, admissions offices are more than likely to market their school to prospective applicants—students should take advantage.
Visit the Schools. There’s no better way to get a sense and feel for a school than to spend time there. Encourage your students to schedule an official tour, attend an open house, and take self-guided opportunities to take in the school’s culture, climate, and food. They should plan to spend an entire day on campus while school is in session to see and feel what campus life is like.
Last Edits
Primed with abundant information on each remaining school, students can feel resolute in paring down their list even more. They have plenty of facts, details, and (hopefully) experiences with the colleges and universities to feel confident in their remaining selection. They may still have quite a few schools left that they feel compelled to apply to, and that’s fantastic! We want our students to feel excited about their academic futures and satisfied that no matter which school they attend, they’ve done their due diligence to find the best fit for them.
As a tutor, your faculty for helping your clients prepare for not only Test Day, but for their academic futures is what can help make you and your tutoring business stand apart from the rest. Students benefit greatly from value-adds as simple as showing them how to narrow down their college lists. We say this time and time again, but the extra step taken to provide encouragement and support goes a long way for our clients.
Interested in finding out how Clear Choice Prep can help? Contact us today for a free demo, and discover how CCP can supercharge your test prep!