Narrowing Down Your List of Colleges

When you start researching colleges and narrowing down your initial list, keep in mind what you need and want in a college.

To narrow down your list you should:

Check out College Websites

Browse each college's website to see what information is available for current students and potential applicants.

• While you're browsing a college's website, beware of college marketing materials.
• Use each college's Net Price Calculator to get an estimate of what it may cost for you to attend one year at that college.

Understand Your Chances of Acceptance

As you research colleges, think about whether your GPA and test scores are similar to the GPA and test scores of students who have been accepted in the past. You should plan to apply to a mix of reach, good chance, and safety schools.

Visit Colleges of Interest

Check out our College Visit Resources, which include checklists of things to notice, questions to ask your tour guide, and other great tips and tools so you can get the most out of your campus visits.