<p>Use a few indicators of how you will like the school:</p>
<ul>
<li>alumni network strength</li>
<li>academics</li>
<li>sports</li>
<li>location (what it offers to you)</li>
<li>student body hotness</li>
<li>student body culture</li>
<li>which aspects of the application each school values most, and how strong you are on each of those parts</li>
<li>what type of student body is the college looking for (activist, leader, liberal, conservative, athlete, artist, etc), and whether you seem like a typical [college name here] student</li>
<li>price and finaid (merit offered or not?)</li>
</ul>
<p>I went academics first, then visited schools and talked to a bunch of students regarding environment. A bunch of schools I applied to are in the US News top 20 (Dartmouth Penn Duke Coumbia Cornell Princeton Brown) which reflects this. Out of the ones I got in I then eliminated them after accepted student visit days when I met students. </p>
<p>At every top academic school, there is a strong alumni network too (out of the ones I applied).</p>
<p>DS's search started with a suggestion sophomore year by a couple of parents who know him well (not us). Checked out the school online, attended a local info session. While on family vacation, we visited that school as well as other potential schools with similar (and dissimilar) characteristics. </p>
<p>During junior year he developed more of a sense of what he's looking for, and over spring break, he and DH went to visit a number of them. By the time he came home, he had a list of eight. They range in size from 750 to 40,000, cover both coasts and the midwest, are extremely strong in his intended areas of interest, and have a strong humanities program. There are reasonable merit money opportunities at several, and each one offers a slightly different way of reaching his goals. DS says prestige is somewhat negatively corrolated with his interest in a school. </p>
<p>He's been living with that list for the past three months, and has said he could see himself choosing each one of the colleges over all of the others. He has visited each school and has sat in on classes at all but two, which he will do in the fall. </p>
<p>Another thing that has been pivotal was developing a network. He attended a math program last summer and found a number of like-minded souls. Those who were seniors this year generously shared their impressions (in long, well-written memos) of their selection process, opinions of the colleges and specific departments, and agonized with DS over their decisions. Between those folks and other friends, he knows someone at every college he's applying to -- well enough to solicit info/opinions/sack out on their floors and get the unvarnished truth. And, in a big leap of maturity since last summer, on the Spring Break trip he actively sought out profs and advisor and chatted with them.</p>
<p>We are really pleased with how he developed the list, and feel that there are no bad choices here.</p>
<p>I used collegeboard.com and religiously read The Insider's Guide to the Colleges. Both gave me the information I needed to compile a list. Then once I make a list of colleges, I visit them.</p>
<p>I looked at books on colleges and started making a list. Then at collegeboard to get an idea as to whether I might be accepted, since it tells you percentages, scores, etc.</p>
<p>I also listened to what my college counselor had to say. Then I went with my parents over school breaks and summer to visit all the colleges I was interested in.</p>
<p>I applied to a variety of colleges from those I knew I'd definitely get into so I'd feel successful (!) to colleges I didn't think I'd get into, but would love to go to if I hit it lucky.</p>
<p>I looked at majors offered, the feel of the college, cost and distance. At first I was also looking for small class size, then realized that if I sat in front of a classroom, it wasn't going to matter too much how many people were sitting behind me!</p>
<p>I think looking at where you can get in first makes little sense. The same student may be able to get into Earlham and Ohio State, yet there is essentially no possibility that that student would be reasonably comfortable at both of those schools.</p>
<p>With our oldest daughter (the only one who has gone through the search so far--she'll be a freshman this fall), we looked at school size, location in terms of both part of the country and type of setting (urban, suburban/near a big city, college town, rural), strength of intended major, makeup of student body (in terms of both strength and diversity), living features (frat/sorority influence, availability of housing on campus, etc.), and were able to reduce the list to a very managable number. We visited the ones she was interested in, and she decided what was best for her. Fortunately, we did not have to worry about being without a safety school (her second choice as it turned out, was an absolute safety), or about cost. So she could apply where she wanted to go, and be happy with whatever the admissions results were.</p>
<p>Starting a college list based on where you can get in says to me that the most important thing to the listmaker is the admissions process and not what comes thereafter. That, I believe, is backwards.</p>
<p>Yeah, US News measures alumni strength, and also some guides like College ******* and StudentsReview mention it sometimes. For example, a bunch of guidebooks mentioned Dartmouth's alumni network as extremely strong, and not many mentioned Cornell's at all.</p>
<p>Use the standard method of picking a reach, a match, and a safety. To do this, try <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com's">www.princetonreview.com's</a> Counselor-o-Matic. It will prompt you on very specific criteria. If you answer honestly, you will get a very creditable list of reaches, matches, and safeties. If you want a great financial offer, apply to a safety school and expect calls from the college president if you are a potential honors student. For your reaches, your essay might be what enables you to survive the first round of readings. Best of luck.</p>
<p>LOL i didn't have this at all, I actually changed and added on schools as time came by. (like the school I'm at now.. I didn't know about this school until like 10 days before the application deadline) Just make sure to have a safety.</p>
<p>below are links to the 2 Pope books i was requimending..they will be helpful for today's student.....I can't say enought about them in the space we have....both very much worth the read....after them you will have an idea of what to look for as you start your shearch....</p>
<p>The absolute best thing you can get for a college list--and how I made mine--is to know people who share your interests and are already in college. Have heart-to-hearts with them. If possible, talk with them WHILE they're making the decision--the best time.</p>