Finding the College That's the Right Fit for You

You don't need to be a math whiz to solve this one: Who has better odds of gaining acceptance at the college that's the best match, the kid who applies to 25 schools indiscriminately or the one who applies to a carefully whittled-down list of seven?

Safety in numbers doesn't apply to getting into college, no matter how many applications you think you can churn out thanks to your good pal, the Common App. Getting that fat envelope from the school of your dreams requires figuring out exactly which school that is, and that takes introspection and research, not extra supplemental essays.

And just to keep a sense of perspective (in case you're friends with that first kid), according to the Higher Education Research Institute's most recent survey of freshmen, only 2.4 percent of students applied to 12 or more schools.

It starts with you. Maybe you're feeling in pretty good shape right now because you have only two colleges you're interested in: that nearby state school and the one your older brother attends. Nice try: Both you and our college application addict are making the same mistake. "Always start with you, not with the colleges," advises John Boshoven, counselor for continuing education at Community High School in Ann Arbor, Mich. Before you pore over information about class sizes, majors, and male-to-female ratios, consider these questions: What are your values? What's your learning style? Which classes do you enjoy? Which do you hate? What makes you happy? What are your goals?

Keith Berman, president of Options for College, a college counseling and consulting firm in New York, calls this the collection phase. He recommends making an activity list, journaling to put words to feelings you've never expressed, and talking to people—your guidance counselor, a favorite teacher, your parents—about your interests and skills. You should also write a résumé.

One student who walked into Boshoven's office last year announced that she was planning on studying prelaw or pre-med in college. "So I said, 'You must like science.' She said no. Then I said, 'Do you like to read a lot?' and again she said no. She had just been telling me what her parents had always told her," he recounts. After delving more deeply, they started talking about her job as layout editor for the yearbook, and it became clear to both of them that what she was truly interested in was graphic arts.

Do your homework. And that brings us to your second research project. Now that you know who you are, it's time to figure out what's up with all of these colleges.

Marty O'Connell, executive director of the nonprofit Colleges That Change Lives, wants you to schedule an extra hour of homework a week, starting in your junior year, to look over websites and virtual tours to get a sense of different kinds of schools. "You shouldn't equate name recognition with quality or fit," she instructs. So a good hunt takes detours away from the Ivy League, out of your state (and even region), and certainly to at least a few places you'd never heard of before you started (you can begin with the 12 colleges that are profiled in this year's road trips).

Many high schools bring in admissions officers from colleges, and while you shouldn't skip class every time one visits, these can be valuable chances to dig further. These folks are likely to be able to answer questions you couldn't figure out from navigating a website—plus they're probably the ones who will eventually read your application, so snag some face time early on. If your school doesn't offer these opportunities, keep an eye out for local college fairs, like the ones run by the National Association for College Admission Counseling and Colleges That Change Lives.

What you're looking for will vary depending on your interests, but of course, it should start with academics (that is, after all, the point of attending college). You can browse through course catalogs, peek at faculty Web pages to find out what they're researching, and look into study abroad.

Then, there are the quality-of-life issues that define a college experience. O'Connell calls it the "Ultimate Frisbee Search." Although you'll be hard-pressed to find a school that doesn't have a Frisbee presence on campus, the idea is that certain passions are enough to drive your decisions. It may be that you want to avoid a school with Greek life, or you desperately want to join a Bhangra dance troupe. Maybe you can't imagine attending a school that's more than a three-hour trip from home. Those are all valid parameters. Another popular one: temperature! "If you know you don't like cold weather, don't go to Rochester," notes Jayne Fonash, guidance director at the Academy of Science in Sterling, Va.

Sizing up schools. You've probably also heard people talk a lot about whether you want a "big" school or a "small" school. There's truth in the general stereotypes of each—big schools tend to have more resources and opportunities but boast red tape and classes taught by graduate students, while small schools tend to be closer knit with more of an undergrad focus but limited academic and social opportunities.

In terms of individual schools, however, these views could be all wrong. "Sometimes [students are] afraid it won't be exciting if it's under 2,000 students, but then they realize there's a lot more going on than they expected," O'Connell says. Conversely, says Berman, a big school doesn't seem that way if it's well run, and there are many honors programs or colleges within larger schools that provide an intimate environment. So don't blacklist a school solely based on the numbers.

When putting together your initial list, it can also help to work backward from your goal, suggests David Montesano, owner of College Match, a college coaching and placement service. Want to be an engineer or a music video director or a neurosurgeon? "Find ones you can talk to, and find out which schools they attended," he says. "You may hear the same names over and over again."

Hello, campus. All of this poking around from home is helpful for background, but nothing beats visiting campuses and trying them on for size. "You'll know from that very first moment when you step out of the car," promises Brian Smith, senior associate director of college counseling at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn. Just walking around and trying to envision yourself hanging out in that student center or studying in that library can help you determine if a school is worthy of the application fee.

Take some of what you see with a grain of salt—the first day of finals will feel different from the first one after spring break wherever you go, and a sunny afternoon is sure to make a better impression than a rainy one. But don't feel you need to disregard your gut. "Things can go bad on any day, but they're more likely to happen in a bad place," Berman says.

Sit in on classes, grab a meal at the dining hall, and try to spend the night in a dorm, and you'll get a feel for what your life could be like for the next four years. Instead of reading about how talented the a cappella singers are, hear them in person. Look in on that shiny new lab, and find out if undergrads are really getting the chance to use it. Grab copies of student publications for an insider's look at campus concerns.

The best resource of all? The students. In Montesano's view, you're there on a reconnaissance mission, so skip the tour and wander around on your own. "Students don't want to do it the first few times, but I tell them they need to go up to students and ask what they like about their school. What would they improve? That's gold," he says, adding that five students is his minimum. Not only will that help you decide whether to apply, it can shape how you eventually fill out your application. If you discover that the school is looking to build up its community service opportunities, you can mention that you've led the charge for similar change at your high school.

It's also worth trying to set up chats with faculty, and if you're planning on playing a sport, make sure you get a chance to meet the coach. Unlike the random junior who ignores you when you try to strike up a conversation on the quad, the coach is someone you're sure to be interacting with regularly.

And pull out that journal again to jot down your experiences, Montesano says. If your parents are dragging you on a 15-schools-in-four-days tour, it can be easy to confuse what you saw at each school even by the next week.

Shortlist. You'll be needing that notebook for your final assignment—determining which schools are going to make the cut. That requires balancing the fruits of your research with a reality check. Where would you like to go that will take you?

First, some reassurance: While it's true that it's an ultracompetitive time in college admissions, most schools still accept more than half of the people who apply, and if you craft your list wisely, there's no reason to fear total rejection.

Fonash says there's no magic formula for developing the list, but a good guideline is to pick one or two reach schools, three in that middle range ("possibles," as some folks call them, and two that seem like sure bets. That last category is sometimes called "safety schools," but it's important not to think of these places just as ones that will accept you. You might actually end up there, so you have to be ok with that. "If you can't fathom going there, it's not a viable option," Smith says.

If you've done the work above, you'll find a few options that fill the bill, even if they don't thrill you quite like your top-choice school. "The idea that there's one magical fit for every student is a fairy tale," Fonash says. "There are several schools where you can be happy."

On the other side of the spectrum, while applying to just MIT, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford is probably not a smart strategy for almost anyone, don't be afraid to stretch a little. Berman was astounded when a student told him where she was applying and never mentioned Columbia, even though it seemed to match her goals exactly. "I called her parents and they said, 'She can't get into Columbia.' I told them, 'It's hard to get into Columbia because they're accepting people like your daughter.' The perfect program was staring them in the face, and she wasn't going to apply at all."

And what if you feel you can't find the perfect program? It's time to prioritize. Every school has its pros and cons, and you may have found that not one school managed to check off every box on your wish list. "There might be a school that's the most intellectually rigorous place you can find, but they don't have the meaningful internship program that's at this other school," Berman says. "You might decide, 'I can find those internships on my own.' Or, 'I can get the intellectualism on my own.' "

Also make sure it's the school you've fallen for, not the location, explains Berman: "I often have students ask themselves this question: Do I want to live in New York someday or do I want to go to that institution?" If your list of reasons for dreaming about New York University is entirely based on living in Greenwich Village and not on academic opportunities, remember that you'll have the rest of your life to live wherever you want.

In the end, the most important factor is making these decisions for yourself. Friends may mock schools they've never heard of, and parents may advocate for places they wish they'd attended, but it's your life and your education, and ultimately, you have to feel comfortable with your choices.

The payoff. Nope, even after all of that, it's not naptime yet. There's still the pesky part of actually applying to school. But the work you've already done is going to make it feel a whole lot easier (and cheaper, since you'll have fewer application fees to dole out). In those supplemental essays, you can note the discussion you had with that economics professor on your visit, the fascinating op-ed you saw in the school's daily paper, or the powerful reaction you had to the mural in the library. And during interviews, when you're asked about why you're applying here? "You'll give an answer with substance to it other than my friends are going here and the lawn is gorgeous," Fonash says.

Those details indicate "demonstrated interest," which is something admissions officers say gives students' acceptance chances a boost. And that will definitely come in handy when senior spring rolls around.

So a good hunt takes detours away from the Ivy League, out of your state (and even region), and certainly to at least a few places you'd never heard of before you started (you can begin with the 12 colleges that are profiled in this year's road trips).