Let’s Talk About Application Lists

Last Updated on August 13, 2024 by Jill Schwitzgebel

As an “experienced” parent of college students, and also as a college admissions consultant, I’ve begun to witness a new trend – students applying to upwards of ten colleges that have little in common with each other.  No, it’s not totally uncommon for students apply to ten colleges now.  But, I’m talking about college application lists that really make me scratch my head in confusion.  I know more than one student that has applied to an eclectic list that contains places like a Christian college in the south, a liberal arts college in New England

and then a seemingly random large university in the midwest.  When I inquire as to why these very different colleges are of interest in an effort to find the common thread, it’s common that students can’t articulate reasons. It just tells me that this student likely has not done their homework when it comes to understanding the differences among the colleges on their list and the impact that those differences will have.  Or, they have not taken the time to consider what they would prefer in a college.

I get it – teens may not know much about colleges or what they’d like in a college.  That’s often the reason why I get hired!  And, this is one reason I encourage “official” (not just wandering around on campus) college visits, at a variety of types of colleges, starting at the end of sophomore year and unofficial walks around campuses even sooner, if families are able.  But, even when that’s not possible, there are so many other ways to learn about a college – and the only way to do that is to take the time to do some homework and research.

From Finances to Fit

I’m not judging any student for where they would like to apply. If money isn’t an issue, it is likely not a big deal to apply to a huge array of colleges – but often financial cost IS an issue.   When teens make their admission decisions, I see parents join the parent pages of the college that their student selects and they ask questions that indicate they know very little about the college where their student will be attending – including the cost!   Each year, around July, I see parents on the parent page in a full panic about how they are going to pay for the college their student selected and is set to attend in a month.  You do NOT want to be that parent.

Beyond that, there is a time cost for students to apply to all of these schools during fall of their senior year.  Some applications are relatively easy, but others will have multiple supplementary questions that students need to answer.  And then, students need to stay on top of multiple portals and requests for additional materials.

Setting aside financial and time costs, let’s talk about college fit.  From the best numbers we have, we know that around 1/3 of students will transfer colleges before graduation. Many of those transfer students are transferring between community colleges and four year colleges.  But, a sizable percentage are transferring from one four-year college to another, or to a community college.  There are many, many reasons that students may decide to transfer – from finances, to academic concerns, to sports.  But, in my experience, aside from academic concerns, the main reason students choose to transfer is that after spending some time on campus, they just don’t feel it’s the right fit.

While it is not possible to ever fully assess whether a school is a “perfect fit” (and I don’t believe there is such a thing anyway, honestly), having a lot of information about the college before committing can reduce the odds they will change their mind.

Where to Start

As always, I suggest

1.  Using your student’s grades and interests as a starting point.

2. Then, undertake some campus visits to get a feel for what they like as far as location and size.  Think about geography – how far from home are they, and you, willing to go? These are just early visits, so you each get a feel for what they like and don’t like in colleges.

3. At that point, it’s time to get serious about how much you’re willing to pay, and finding colleges that are the right academic fit, the right location and the right size.  Get serious about looking at the Common Data Sets and Net Price Calculators to make sure your student is a good fit academically and financially for the colleges of interest.

4.  Come up with a good “safety” school.  I don’t really like to use the term “safety” these days, but there are some parameters that can make a college a solid “likely” for your student and they need at least one of those.

5.  If you can’t visit all of those colleges that are of serious interest ahead of application time, take the virtual tours, attend virtual information sessions and learn everything you possibly can.  And, try to visit before accepting an offer of admission.

See also:  How to Narrow the Application List

There are students who will be happy no matter where they land for college. But it’s a rare student who would equally appreciate both a large flagship university, and a small liberal arts residential community.  It’s a rare student who would be happy in either coastal Florida or chilly Minneapolis.

There are so many ways parents can help, and the earlier you start, the easier it will be. Most teens are somewhat overwhelmed by the college admissions process and will be appreciative of support.  If you begin talking about college early, the conversation really will just naturally progress as your teen approaches application time.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve read this far, chances are good that you are ALREADY in the process of supporting your student’s admissions experience. I’m here to tell you that you won’t regret the time spent!  And ultimately, I’m here to support students no matter where they choose to apply, of course.  But, I promise that you and your student are likely to have a less stressful senior year, and a happier “launch” to college, if you take the time to be confident about what your student would like in a school, and how much you are willing to pay for that.