Selecting the “Best
Match” College
The top ten
pitfalls in the college admissions process.
by Tina Gregor
TWEENS & TEENS News June 2007
Finding and gaining acceptance to a college
that is right for you does not have to be
as complicated as achieving world peace. However,
the college selection and admission process
does take strong organizational skills, careful
planning and appropriate use of research and
evaluation tools. Starting early and taking
the time to understand the entire process
and what is expected of you in each phase
will help you avoid missed deadlines and eliminate
surprises along the way.
Tasks in the college selection and admission
process should be completed throughout all
four years of high school, with an emphasis
on your junior and senior years. Remember
that the sooner you begin the process, the
more organized and thorough your research
is of potential schools. Strategic planning
helps to avoid missed opportunities and provides
you with a sense of confidence in selecting
your “smart list” of colleges
of which to apply.
TOP TEN PITFALLS
Experts in the field of high school guidance
and college admissions have identified ten
common pitfalls in the college selection and
admission process. Below, experts provide
their insight on how to best avoid the potential
roadblocks.
1. Lack of sufficient self-reflection.
Reflecting on your personal, academic and
career goals provides the foundation for your
college search. Take some time to think about
the type of academic and social environment
that appeals to you. Also, consider what you
liked or did not like in high school to help
identify aspects you desire in a college.
2. Starting too late.
Proper planning is critical. Ensure enough
time to complete standardized tests, college
research and applications. Determine the type
of standardized tests, such as SAT, ACT and
SAT Subject Tests, that you’ll need
to complete. Also, consider the number of
times you plan to take tests to ensure ample
time for preparation and scheduling. Create
a master calendar to track your tasks—
from tests to applications— to avoid
missed deadlines.
3. Not identifying and ranking important
characteristics.
There are many characteristics that distinguish
one college from the next. It is the specific
combination of these characteristics that
makes a college unique.
When identifying potential good match colleges,
take time to determine which college characteristics
are essential, important and simply preferred.
For example: You may identify “distance
from home less than 100 miles” as essential,
whereas Greek life may be important and college
“located in urban setting” may
be preferred. It is critical that you first
identify your requirements and then rank each
college with your criteria to see how it measures
up.
4. Not creating a “smart list”
Creating a balanced smart list of colleges
in the “likely,” “realistic”
and “reach” categories is highly
recommended. Keep in mind that each college
must be a college that you would like to attend.
Review and measure yourself against each college’s
criteria (including GPA, SAT scores, activities)
in order to determine the proper category
for each college. It is also important to
understand any additional factors that may
affect admission, such as in/out-of-state
trends, selectivity rate in previous years
and acceptance rate related to specific majors.
5. Only applying to colleges you
think you can afford.
There are numerous sources of financial aid
available to offset the rising costs of college.
It is imperative that you are exhaustive in
your research, and apply as early as possible.
Upon admission, each college provides you
with a financial aid package that hopefully
makes the college affordable for you to attend.
The amount of aid offered by each college
varies, so the most expensive college you
apply to may not leave you with the greatest
financial need.
6. Failing to develop a family financial
plan.
It is never too early to develop a family
financial plan that clearly outlines your
goals and responsibilities for funding college.
Speak with your parents to establish clear
expectations for the percent or amount you
are responsible for paying so that you have
ample time to aggressively save money and
possibly apply for financial aid.
7. Letting your friends have too much
influence on your decision.
While your friends can be a great source of
information and support throughout the college
selection and admission process, they can
also create insecurity and breed a more competitive
environment. Students often exaggerate both
their accomplishments and the level of interest
a college may have in them. Be confident in
your abilities and performance. Don’t
let your friends make you second guess your
research, aspirations and decisions. Conduct
your own comprehensive research on the colleges
that best match your personality and goals.
When selecting the type of college that is
the best match for you, think about whether
you want to be a small fish in a big pond
or a big fish in a small pond. In other words,
is your dream to attend a large, name brand,
competitive college with an excellent reputation
or would you prefer a smaller college that
may provide you with additional opportunities
to stand out? There is no right or wrong decision—
only the one that best suits you.
8. Not visiting colleges until after
acceptance letters are received.
Doing thorough college research includes reading
brochures, viewing college Web sites and attending
college fairs. However, these steps to consider
a college should not replace a campus visit.
It is ideal to visit a college when classes
are in session to gain a true feel of the
campus in motion and student life. If that
is not possible, don’t miss opportunities
to visit colleges during family vacations
and summer breaks.
9. Improperly using early admission
plans.
Early admission plans should only be used
when trying to gain acceptance to your absolute
top choice college. This means, apply early
only after doing thorough research on all
colleges on your smart list. Using early admission
purely as a strategy to increase your chances
of acceptance (without completing your research)
may backfire.
If you gain acceptance at your early admission
college, you must attend the early admission
college as the agreement is binding. If later
through additional research you find a more
suitable college, you must still attend the
early admission college you originally chose.
10. Not following required guidelines.
Too often, students do not follow the specific
guidelines set by the college and/or application.
Requirements and due dates vary slightly by
college. On your master calendar, record the
deadlines for the different colleges—
and commit to getting materials in on time.
Other common mistakes include providing the
college with too many letters of recommendation
and submitting a recommendation from someone
who does not know you that well. Students
have also been known to submit the wrong essay
with their application, or students try to
make one essay fit all of their applications.
Avoid taking short cuts such as these in the
application process. Submit each application
with confidence and pride.
Strong organizational skills, careful planning
and attention to details, deadlines and research
tools are critical to your success in finding
the right college for you. Stay clear of the
ten common pitfalls and, most importantly,
have faith in your ability to pinpoint and
gain admittance to your best match school.
Good luck!
College Pursuit is a college admission
consulting company. College Pursuit offers
individual admissions counseling, student
workshops and specialized services such as
financial aid guidance, application and essay
review and interview skills training. College
Pursuit created the College Pursuit Journal,
an interactive workbook that guides and organizes
students throughout the entire college selection
and admission process. For further information,
go to www.collegepursuit.biz or contact author
Tina Gregor at tgregor@collegepursuit.biz
or toll-free at (866)906-0900.
