How to Choose the Right College for You

• 1. Determine the right mix of schools: Commonly called the reach, match, and safety schools list, create categories of schools that meet your criteria for:

Reach: A reach school is one where your academic profile puts you at the lower end of the admitted spectrum, making it less likely that you'll be admitted. Also considered your dream school, a reach school should still be a possibility.

Match: A match school where a university you feel fairly confident you’ll be admitted to because your GPA and test scores are similar to the average admitted student.

Safety: A safety school is one where you're confident you’ll gain admission based on your academic profile, and your GPA and test scores are notably higher than the average admitted student.

• 2. Don’t procrastinate: Applications are typically due in January for fall admission. Plan on starting the application process early in your senior year. This includes taking standardized tests, writing essays, and asking for letters of recommendation. 
• 3. Visit favorite schools: Come up with a list of questions to ask during your college tour. Meet current students to get a feel for campus culture, plus insights on courses, professors, and social activities. If a second trip to campus is too expensive, consider taking a virtual tour and reach out to college officials with unanswered questions.
• 4. Don’t fear the cost: According to the U.S. News & World Report, ranked in-state public colleges tend to have the lowest prices, averaging $10,338; while private schools average about $38,195. But remember, college is an important investment for your future. 
• 5. Compare financial support: Whether financial aid, grants or scholarships, research how to supplement your education. Look into what costs include besides tuition; like food and housing. Some colleges offer generous financial aid packages. If these colleges are on your list, apply for grants and scholarships early.
• 6. Review relevant majors: Universities tend to be known for their strengths in certain majors. For example, schools with a renowned medical school like Wake Forest University are a good choice if you’re interested in pre-med. Or, if fashion design is your thing; a school like Parsons The New School would be a great option.
• 7. Show demonstrated interest: Many schools document your school-related activity, such as tracking how often you open their emails, if you attended any events at the college, or how often you visit their website. It helps them eliminate, or waitlist, applicants they feel aren’t as driven to attend that particular school.
• 8. Discuss with family: Some students feel compelled to attend a parent’s alma mater. If not, that’s okay. Explain why you are choosing a different path; make it about academics that connect with the career you envision, internship opportunities, or a scholarship.
• 9. Accept rejection: You won’t get into every college on your list; maybe not even your first choice. Don’t let this stop you. College acceptance is competitive, and some schools have acceptance rates in the single digits. But if your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars are strong, you should have a variety of options. 
• 10. Try college prep courses: Another great way to find the right college for you is to take on-campus summer programs or online college prep courses while in high school. They will help you better familiarize yourself with college life, studying requirements and habits, and coursework.

But what types of courses can you find? The list is varied and growing. 

Attend on-campus summer programs or take online college prep courses

Let’s take a look at some college prep courses from leading universities, offered by Prelum partner schools.

The University of Notre Dame’s Pre-College Online Program has designed courses in law, business, and STEM. Business: From Start-Up to Success invites you to analyze successful businesses such as Lululemon, Nike, and AT&T. You’ll find a market opportunity to start your own business, and learn the legal, accounting, and tax basics required to succeed. 

Interested in law? Notre Dame’s Law: Thinking Like a Lawyer teaches you to apply rules to facts, whether you’re pursuing constitutional, criminal, sports, or intellectual property law. 

Notre Dame also offers a comprehensive range of on-campus summer programs. Check out the Summer Scholars program here. 

Georgetown University offers seventeen online courses, three of which, when successfully completed, will earn you college credit. Here’s a sample of some of those courses by category. For everything Georgetown has to offer, visit their Pre-College Online Program site.

Here’s a snippet of what you’ll find. 

Medicine courses

Medical Research: Clinical Trials Resulting in Medical Discoveries looks at evidence-based research used to make discoveries, such as vaccines and drug treatments used to fight diseases. You’ll even design and conduct your own research study using professional methods. 

Medicine: An Inside Look at Treating Patients reveals treatment plans for three cases: a kidney transplant, vascular disease, and cancer. Hear from physician specialists in each field, and learn the difference between complementary and integrative techniques. 

Law and government courses

International Law: Protecting the World’s Interests explains how international law is created. You’ll explore how jurisdiction works, how treaties are negotiated, and you’ll break down a simulated case study on the war in Ukraine.

How do attorneys make objective decisions, while avoiding the pull of emotions? In Georgetown’s course, Law: How To Think Like an Attorney, you’ll answer this question and many more. You’ll learn the disciplined way lawyers pose questions, evaluate evidence, and separate fact from opinion using critical thinking.

STEM courses 

Anatomy & Physiology: How the Body Works in Harmony defines the functions and structure of the body’s many components. Watch videos on cadaver dissection, and explore the musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.

Biology: The Science of Cells and Innovation (college credit available) reviews the many discoveries that are revolutionizing our understanding of cells. You’ll study the connection between cells and disease, and how new technologies are revolutionizing the study of cells. 

Georgetown also offers a rich array of on-campus summer programs. Check out everything this leading university has to offer high school students in the Hoya Summer High School Sessions program.

Does it matter whether you go to the most expensive school in the country?

According to Forbes, the return on investment (ROI) differs widely depending on the school:

“The financial implications of choosing the right college become clear. The ROI gap between a computer science (CS) degree at MIT (ranked #2 by U.S. News & World Report) and a CS degree at Brigham Young University (BYU - ranked #89) is about $1 million. That should be a fairly intuitive result as MIT is widely regarded as the best university for technical fields in the U.S.”

Does that mean it’s MIT or nothing? Absolutely not. In the same piece, Forbes noted “Above all, your ideal college should closely align with your priorities and career goals. Selecting the best school typically involves making a list of options and scaling down your list by eliminating colleges that don’t match your priorities.”