<p>So I literally have piles and piles of letters from colleges that I have been getting for the last year or so.... the kind that say "We are a great match for you" etc, etc. The kind that colleges send out when they get your name from the PSAT. So I was wondering how to sort through them and use them to narrow down the list of schools I would like to apply to. What kind of criteria would you use? I generally gravitate towards big names, names that I have heard of. I know that's not necessarily the best way to go about this, so how would you sort through these letters?</p>
<p>Go on collegeboard and see where you fit in terms of expected SAT scores.
Pick a challenge school, average schools, and some backups.
Then visit, visit, visit.</p>
<p>A lot of things matter like class size, location, or religious affiliation.
Don’t worry, you’ll be fine :)</p>
<p>Start by asking your parents what they can afford and calculating your EFC. For many, this takes most colleges out of consideration.</p>