College List
So, what do I mean by a good college list? Well, a good college list is a list of colleges which are a best fit for you and your family. And by family, I mean that the college fee should not create a burden on your family.
But before starting, let me ask you a question.
Why to even bother to go to college?
I bet almost all of you ask this question at some point. So, here's why you should go to college.
First of all, college graduates earn a lot more than the high school graduates.
Secondly, college prepares you to not just survive, but thrive in todays competitive world.
It gives you a lot of lifetime friends and memories. And trust me on this one, you'll regret in the future if you don't go to college.
So, that was a brief answer to why students should go to college. Now, before diving into the whole college list thing, let's talk about another thing.
Should you take a gap year before going to the college?
To this question, I would say "YES". Of course, why not. It's been more than twelve years of continuous studying, take a year off before diving into the professional studies. But you should not just sit at home and play video games the whole year. It can destroy your college application. Instead, you should try to improve your skills and gain some experience in the field you're likely to pursue along with having all the fun. It will improve your college application. Students who just waste their gap year are considered irresponsible by the universities. I guess you don't wanna be categorized as a "bad boy".
It's not mandatory to take a gap year and the students who are excited about going to college and don't wanna wait for a year can apply straight away. Now, let's dive into the main topic of the article.
How to make an effective college list?
First of all, you should start by exploring your interests. If you've decided your possible major, then search the good universities for that major on the internet. Some medium or low ranked universities may be ranked high for your major. Don't worry, it means that that university is good for that major and okay for other majors. Take a look at various websites and then average their rankings. US News, Forbes, and Business Insider are good websites to start your search.
If you're not sure about the major you want to pursue, then search the universities by your interests. For Example, if you like swimming, then you may search for colleges with good swimming facilities and varsity sports team. You can do the same with the academic subjects.
Now from that long list of colleges, you have to narrow your list to 10-20 colleges. This filter can be based on various aspects like location of college, size, type, financial aids, campus, food, etc. etc. etc. By the way, you'll have to search each and every portion of the university website to get all these information.
Now, according to the amount of money you can spend in the application process, you can decide the number to colleges you want to apply to. But apply to at least 8-12 colleges. Your college list should be of the following format.
RED COLLEGES: These are your dream colleges and are very difficult to get into. These colleges should comprise 25% of your college list.
YELLOW COLLEGES: These are the colleges in which you can get in with a bit of hard work. These colleges should occupy 50% of your college list.
GREEN COLLEGES: These are your safety schools. These are the colleges in which you can easily get in. These colleges should volume 25% of your college list.
You will need to check the previous year admission statistics to classify colleges in these three categories.
You should talk to the college alums to get a better understanding of the college which will ultimately help you to answer the supplementary portion of the Common App. I would also recommend you to check out Wikipedia for the same. And if you have any questions about the college or the application process or requirements, then do not hesitate yo contact the school. It shows your interest in the school. Also, due to a huge amount of messages received, it may take some time for you to receive a reply. Finally, go for a campus tour if you can. It is not compulsory but it shows your interest in the college and helps you know more about the college.
I guess that's it for now. If you have any questions and any other thing to say, then do write in the comment box.
Do you have any tips on how to figure out what major you should do?
ReplyDeleteWell, students are interested in a lot of things. But of all those things, one thing which you can do continuously for days without getting bored or tired is the thing you should pursue. You just have to think of one such thing. You do not have to do it for days to figure out, but you can imagine it.
DeleteTo put it in another way, one thing which you want to do and you can lose anything to keeping doing that thing is your possible college major. You can also try to relate it with the work environment that you want in the future.
Moreover, US universities give you the option of declaring your major by second or third semester, i.e., you can try various things in college and then choose the one which suits you best.
Hope that answered your question.