A little over a year ago, my rising senior son and I built his initial college list from the ground up.
This past year has been spent narrowing that list from about 25 schools to 14. He has two more to cut—we’ll do a quick road trip in August. If all goes as planned, these trips will confirm which four schools (of six contenders) will stay in his “reach” section.
The goal is no more than 12 total schools, for here on the Application Nation team, we tend to agree that for most students, applying to 9-12 schools balanced across selectivity levels will yield what we want most for our students: options.
As my son narrowed his list, there were some surprises. One school I thought would be a top contender was a flop. We crossed off two after running updated Net Price Calculators. And a couple of schools switched selectivity categories, moving from “likely” to “target” after the most recent application cycle.
But most of the choices have been just that. Choices. My son and I both know more than we did at this point last year.
- He has six semesters of official grades, his senior year course requests submitted to his school counselor, an updated numerical rank, and official test scores. His GPA and rank are set. He may take the SAT again, but the objective data in hand gives a clear sense of which schools are his likelies, targets, and reaches.
- He has a better sense of what sort of learning environment he wants. His courses are hard this year in all the best ways. He is growing as a writer, thinker, and (to my chagrin) arguer. Those questions we discussed somewhat abstractly a year ago about what inspires his best work, what environment he seeks, etc. have been answered in countless labs, discussions, papers, and late-night group chats tackling calculus and physics problems.
- His academic interests have shifted, at least slightly. The major he thought he wanted has evolved to be more about questions he wants to study and problems he wants to solve and a range of possible majors that could lead him in those directions. He has prioritized schools with more flexible curriculum options, interdisciplinary research opportunities, and end-of-sophomore-year major declaration deadlines. He wants time to keep exploring.
- He is confident each school fits on paper, so his questions have become more nuanced as we visit schools. Each tour, each conversation with students as we wander around campus after the official programming ends, each poster he pauses to read or student newspaper he picks up to read later, I see him processing not just what the school offers but what the school offers him and what he can offer its community.
READ MORE: 3 Things for the Class of 2026 to Consider When Building a College List
Late this summer, my son will do one last check. With his junior transcript (complete with a cumulative GPA and an updated rank) and an SAT superscore in hand, I will ask him to review any admitted student profiles that have been released for the Class of 2029. He may need to rebalance his list once more based on what he learns. But the core schools are there.
Watching him refine his list has been bittersweet. Each school affirmed or removed is its own reminder that time is passing quickly. And each of his explanations for “why” a school stays or goes seems that much more insightful. Still, I appreciate all the ways narrowing the list has reflected his growth. That is, after all, so much of what his search and application process is all about—finding great options that fit not just who he is now but who he is becoming.
