How to Narrow the College Application List

Last Updated on September 27, 2023 by Jill Schwitzgebel

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nyone else out there have a kid who needs help to narrow their college application list a bit?  Most college admissions counselors will tell you that applying to seven schools is a good target. And many students actually struggle to even get to seven on their list.  Or, they have intentions of applying to that many, but they burn out after three or four applications.  But, many others students see opportunities everywhere!  So as parents, we need to be able to provide some boundaries so that they can prioritize.

See also:  How to Start to Find a College Fit

The easiest way is probably to just say, “you may apply to no more than X number of colleges.”  But, that doesn’t necessarily help students because many of them just won’t be able to figure out how to eliminate any of them.  They love them ALL.  Instead of the limitation being helpful, it just causes more stress.  So, you’ll have to provide some more guidance.  Here are a few ways to do that:

Geographic Preferences

A great starting place is to decide with your child how far away they want to be and how far away you are willing to let them go.  Do you feel strongly that you want to be able to get to the college and back home in one day of driving?  Then that might mean no more than 3-4 hours away.  Are you willing to go even further and say that a day’s drive is okay?  So maybe that’s 8 hrs away.  Or are you willing to let them go far enough away that a flight is the only easy way to reach them?

Even if you are willing to let them go across the country to school, there are geographic factors to consider.  Some cities are much cheaper to fly in and out of than others.  Some places make a direct flight easy, while others will always mean making a connection.  How easy will it be for them to get transportation from the airport to the college after they land?  Consider all of that.  Your child won’t.  But most 16-18 year olds are rational enough to understand why that all matters when it is pointed out to them.

Costs

Let your child know upfront exactly how much you are willing to pay.  Let them know how much financial help you expect from them too.  Are there places that you can only afford if they take out student loans to help?  Are you both okay with them taking out loans to attend those places?  Make those kinds of decisions early on in the search process.

Remember, you should NOT let the “sticker price” of a college be the deciding factor about whether you can afford the school.  Run the Net Price Calculator of any school of interest prior to ruling it out.  And if it is a school where your student would be in the top 25% of applicants for GPA and test scores, consider whether they may qualify for some merit aid from the school, which could make it financially feasible.

GPAs and Test Scores

This is probably the most obvious way to eliminate colleges.  Your child should not have a list of schools that consists only of Reach schools or only of Safety schools.  The list should be balanced, with the majority of schools they are applying to being Matches for their GPA and test scores.   That should eliminate many schools for them.  Some kids are highly optimistic and believe that they will be the exception that gets in.  And they might be!  But, it would not be wise to only have those schools on their list.

See also:  Safeties, Reaches, and Matches

Majors

Sometimes,  this is one of the easiest ways to narrow down the list.  It’s also one of the most overlooked!  If a school does not have the major that your student is interested in pursuing, then clearly, it does not belong on their college list.  Students often do switch majors, but there is no point in adding a school to the list if it doesn’t have what they believe they are looking for.  It also makes sense to look for schools that are well known for the areas of study in which your teen is interested.  For instance, one college might be known for its engineering program, but not their business school.  Or, sometimes, it can be even more narrow that that – you have identified great music schools for your aspiring cello performance major, but you want to focus on colleges with the top cello performance professors, rather than those that are better known for their music composition programs.

Application Fees

A final way to discourage your child from applying to fifteen colleges is to put a limit on the amount of money you are willing to spend on application fees.  And don’t forget, those fees include the costs to send test scores.  Tell them what you are willing to spend and that they will be responsible for any fees beyond that.  Sometimes, when it’s THEIR money on the line, it helps them to prioritize a little better!

Does a Long List Ever Make Sense?

Sometimes, a long college application list does make sense.  For instance, if you are searching for merit money from colleges to be able to help make it affordable, that can be unpredictable.  Your student may need to cast their net a little bit wider to be certain that they will receive that merit award.

If your student is a possible contender for Ivy and other other elite colleges, admission to those schools is also unpredictable.  I tell students that their high stats have just given them a ticket to be able to play the lottery – they are not a guaranteed acceptance to any of them.  So that may mean applying to more schools in search of that one acceptance.

And of course, if you don’t mind the expense of the applications, it might be just fine.  Or if you have not had a chance to visit many colleges yet, and your child is still extremely undecided about what kind of schools they like prior to the application deadlines in the fall, it might make sense to apply to many.  But, be sure to have a plan to narrow that list by spring as decision time nears.

Have you considered whether it might be worthwhile to hire a college admissions consultant?  Click here to find out when it might be worthwhile.