Junior Year - to which colleges should I apply?

So you've made it through a few years of high school and you're feeling pretty solid about your classes, grades, and extracurricular activities.  There are a few more things to now focus on if you're college bound.  The most obvious - which schools should I be applying to?  Fit is incredibly important and it's something that we stress when working with high school/transfer students.  It's about a great match so that you get a lot out of the school, but the school and its community also get a lot out of you as a person.  Outside of the usual check on your numbers (SAT/ACT, GPA, etc.), here are a few pointers to consider in the process:

• GET ORGANIZED: this is important as you start to track standardized testing, deadlines, recommendations, and essays; 11th grade is a great time to get ultra organized for your test prep scheduling and starting to put together information for schools (e.g. spreadsheet with data of schools that match your background and interests, file folders via email and/or in real life to separate information that comes in from schools)
• ASK AROUND: stay open minded at the start of the process, we get a lot of students that really want to stay in state, but realize major opportunities may lie beyond the borders!  Start conversations with adults inside and outside the school setting that know you well: family friends, extended family, parents, teachers, school coach, religious mentors, etc.
• DO YOUR HOMEWORK: you're already doing that if you're reading this blog!  Great start.  Check out a few more blogs, contact college admissions offices for their materials, reach out to your school counselor, visit campuses
• HOW MANY: this is a common question and generally the rule of thumb is between 8 and 20; if you're incredibly organized, can take the additional work load that will be coming at you in your senior year, then 15-20 is doable
  • Definitely take into consideration the quality of the applications when considering a higher number of applications
  • Be sure to include a range of schools between safety schools, target schools, and reach schools
• FIT IS KING: ranking and reputation are hard to ignore, but don't forget about fit - this means taking into consideration whether you will thrive in a particular setting: 
  • Do you see yourself in a close knit, small class sized learning environment? 
  • Do you love division 1 sports?
  • How important is diversity? 
  • Does the campus look and feel like a place in which you'd enjoy life for the next 4 years?  
  • What about any majors that especially appeal to you?
  • Would you thrive as a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?
  • How would it feel to be further than a road trip away from home?
  • How is the housing and food on campus?  Or does that not matter to you?
  • How is the social life on campus?  What about off campus?  What might be your preferences?
  • What types of students would you want to be around - does the campus have a political, religious, liberal, conservative slant that you do or don't want in high doses over the next 4 years?

​Best of luck in exploring the different schools out there!