How to Start Your College List

With almost 2,500 colleges and universities in the United States, searching for the right college can seem overwhelming. Here are some suggestions to help you get started and keep it going.

Block out one hour a week and sit in front of the computer or your phone to start looking at colleges. Commit the time and take the first step to get the process moving. Once you have looked at a few colleges, start setting goals on what you want to accomplish during each "college research hour," such as finding a likely school or ranking your preference for match schools. Feel free to start with colleges you have heard older teammates or classmates attend.

I recommend opening a new email address before you start contacting colleges, making college visits, or applying. This will keep everything in one place for easy access. Most colleges don't want you to use an email account from your high school. Frequently, these emails have blocks on them which may prevent you from receiving information. There might also be problems when you graduate or if you change schools midyear. Please consider giving your parents access to your new email so they can help you manage the sheer volume of emails you will start to receive. A Gmail account with your name and graduation year is one suggestion but you can create any time of email address.

There are several websites that can help you get started on your search. Look at the U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings. But be aware that rankings are flawed, to say the least, and several of the factors U.S. New uses simply aren't relevant for a student. But U.S. News provides a starting point to begin your research. Use each ranking to start your own college research. There are also other college rankings you can look at, such as the Princeton Review Best Colleges and Niche College Rankings. The U.S. News rankings break up the colleges by type, which allows you to consider the kind of colleges you prefer. Do you want to attend a school with name recognition, a big state flagship university, a private college, or a small liberal arts college?  

The U.S. News rankings also provide a relatively comprehensive directory of colleges with basic descriptions and admission statistics. However, I want to caution you about the descriptions and statistics on the U.S. News site (and other similar sites), as they may not be up-to-date. Always check the college websites directly for the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, academic and other student programs, and tuition.

Once you have a list of potential colleges you may be interested in attending (remember that you need a decent number of target and likely schools in addition to your reach), it's time to dig deeper. Learn about the colleges from students who are already there by browsing resources such as Niche and sites like BigFuture from The College Board.

If you have specific questions about admission requirements, major requirements, financial aid, or scholarships, contact the college's appropriate office for clarification. The admissions office may have students or clerical staff answering the phone for most colleges. Expect to get conflicting information every now so ask for an admission officer if you have particular questions about admission requirements. 

Your college application process can only begin when you sit down and look at colleges that might be a good fit for you. The sooner you do that, the more time you have to gather information about each school and the better prepared you will be so you know where to apply in the Fall.