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Schechter Life | High School
College Guidance: Developing The College List
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The primary goal of the exercise of developing a college list is to encourage students to identify a reasonable set of colleges that reflect their interests and strengths and which will provide for as much choice as possible when admissions decisions arrive in the spring. As a student begins to clarify his or her criteria for selecting a college and creates a list of possible colleges to which he or she will apply, good communication between student, parents and Director of College Counseling is vital.
It is recommended that a final college list include appoximately eight colleges. Ideally the list of colleges should include two to three realistic "reach" schools where the student's chance of admission is uncertain yet possible, two or three “target” schools at which the student has a more reasonable chance, and two or three “safety” schools the student really likes where his/her admission is very likely. The Director of College Counseling provides estimates of a student's chance of admission at each college based on her knowledge of college admissions and the past history of Schechter applicants to that particular college.
Criteria in Developing a College List
The first step in developing a college list is to define the criteria by which the student will evaluate and compare the many college options available. Certain criteria are particularly important in making a college list, and the process of college selection becomes considerably less perplexing once these criteria have been defined. Before investigating any specific schools, each student must identify those features that he/she wants in a college and then prioritize these features in order of importance. This drill encourages the student to make some often difficult decisions early on, to accept some ideas, to reject others, and to slowly build a concept of what his or her college will be like.
Some criteria to consider are the following:
What size college or university?
How important is geographical location?
Is a rural or urban location preferred?
Does the college offer the program of study in which the student has expressed an interest?
What about the prestige or selectivity of a college?
How much does it cost?
How important is a student's subjective opinion?
What is the Jewish life like on campus?
If you have any questions, please contact:
Denise Kanrich, Director of College Guidance
DKanrich@ssdseu.org 973-602-3676, fax: 973-669-0796
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