Is your college list too aggressive?

Next to grades and test scores, getting your college list right is the single most important thing you can do to successfully navigate college admissions.

What's amazing is that the vast majority of students and families we see don't get it right. Over 90% of the initial college lists we see need work, and it's almost always because they're too aggressive.

That's a recipe for disappointment.

Getting your college list right

Obviously, it starts with schools that fit your needs and interests. But given how competitive college admissions has become, you've got to also make sure your list:

• Gives you enough chances to land somewhere
• Is properly tuned to your academic profile
• Considers the selectivity of the schools you're interested in
• Sets you up for success no matter how the admission gods behave

Getting your list right is like constructing a sound retirement portfolio, except that you've just got one shot instead of decades to get it right.

Making it happen

Sounds good, you say. Now how do you put these ideas into action?

• If you're a do-it-yourselfer, time to build the big spreadsheet. Just be prepared to spend hours finding and compiling admissions data and figuring out how to use it to build a good list.
• If you want to outsource this to a private consultant, that's fine too. Just be prepared to invest a small fortune for services rendered.

For those of you that don't find either option appealing, check out College Kickstart. It's simple, effective and yours for less than the cost of an application.