I have been dragging for the last few months. But this last week, I hit an all-time low. I could barely go up and down the stairs without having to sit down.
The last time this happened, my bloodwork was absolutely fine besides being anemic. I got an iron infusion, and all was good in the world. This time around, I started to worry unnecessarily. I read everything I could on random sites. My husband tells me never to do this. He tells me to go straight to the expert, the source, the primary source—my doctor.
The same approach can be applied to almost everything in life, including the college admissions process. There are so-called "experts" out there with absolutely no college admissions or college counseling experience telling you where you should apply. There are lists of colleges that AI can generate that are simply not a match in terms of the student's academic record and test scores. And, listening to someone tell you how great a college is means nothing unless it's great to you.
I always tell families to go straight to the primary source when it comes to creating a college list. Here's what I mean:
1. Rely on the college's Common Data Set for admissions data.
Almost every college in the country provides an updated Common Data Set (on their website) every year. Use "Section C" of this document when it comes to finding out acceptance rates (although you often have to calculate them on your own), what the college values in the admissions process, and even if they've used the waitlist in a given year. There are two things to be aware of when it comes to a college's Common Data Set. First, it is often at least a year or more behind. Second, the data is focused on "enrolled" students rather than "admitted" students. This means that the test scores you see are not an apples-to-apples comparison to your own as a prospective or actual applicant. Enrolled students' test scores tend to be lower than the admitted pool of students.
2. For the most up-to-date admissions data, look for a college's most recent admissions profile on the undergraduate admissions website.
Not all colleges will provide a profile of the most recent admitted class. But if they do, it tends to be helpful and the most recent data. For example, when I google "Fall 2025 University of Miami Admissions Profile,"
this comes up. I can see this past year's acceptance rate (they do the math for you!),
middle 50% range of SAT and ACT scores for the admitted students, what percentage applied Early Decision, the female/male ratio, and much more.
While the Common Data Set is a goldmine for data if you know what you are looking for, a college's admissions profile right on the admissions website is about as straightforward (and up-to-date) as you can get.
3. Visit, visit, visit.
This is what I told my
Application Nation - Class of 2027 families on our live webinar.
Nothing can replace your reaction and gut instincts about a college when you step foot on a campus. Guidebooks, TikTok videos of current students, and AI should never dictate a college list. Visiting helps refine your college list, but it does even more. If a college tracks
demonstrated interest, doing an official college visit through the admissions office is the best way to show that you are interested in them. And, if a college has a supplemental essay (or more), students who visit that college will have significantly stronger essays to write.
That's the thing about primary sources. They are informative, pure, and unfiltered. When it comes to putting together a college list, trust the data from the colleges and trust yourself.
As I finalize this blog, I'm sitting in my doctor's office getting an iron infusion. There's nothing wrong with me besides being low in iron, like most women my age. My doctor reassured me. Instead of trusting some uninformed stranger or ChatGPT, I went to the primary source. He reminded me that the iron infusion isn't automatic, though. It takes time to feel better. Putting together a college list shouldn't be automatic either. If you do it right, it will take time too. But the results from a well-informed and well-researched college list are like winning an Ironman (or Ironwoman) competition. Sign me up.
