College selection: how it relates to the college application process

Key points

• College selection matters at two stages: choosing the set of colleges to apply to, and choosing the college to enroll in after one has received admissions offers.
• At the first stage, one need not have a very clear idea of what college is best, but at the second stage, one needs to have a clear idea.
• Some sources of further complication are: Early Action applications, waitlisting, admissions offers with financial aid package uncertain.

Creating a list of colleges to apply to

The conventional wisdom among college admissions counselors is that one should consider applying to reach, target, and safety schools. See the list for more information.