Didn't Get Admitted to Your Dream College? Check These Colleges Out

Last night, I did my annual "Pivot Call." It's the Zoom webinar I do for my Application Nation seniors every year after the early round of results come out.

Not everyone gets into their top choice during Early Decision and Early Action. To be expected, deferred and denied students are feeling disappointed. My job is to show them that what is around the corner might be an even better fit than their early choice.

I did this exercise last night where I listed a popular but particularly selective college that I knew a lot of students were interested in, and then offered an alternative to it. The alternative college has a very similar student body and vibe, yet the acceptance rate is more generous. I called the exercise, "If You Like This School, You're Going to Love This One."

For those students that want a more secure choice in the Regular Decision round and are looking for "fit," here are a few suggestions:

If you like Vanderbilt, Duke, and Wake Forest, you're going to love Southern Methodist (SMU), University of Alabama, and College of Charleston.
If you like the University of Michigan, you're going to love the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ohio State, and Indiana University.
If you like MIT and Georgia Tech, you're going to love Purdue, Virginia Tech, and Rensselaer (RPI).
If you like Yale and Penn, you're going to love Case Western, Lehigh, and William & Mary.
If you like Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Boston College, you're going to love Villanova, Providence College, and Fordham.
If you like the University of Southern California and UCLA, you're going to love Santa Clara, Chapman, and the University of Arizona.