Apr 28 (edited) • 🎓 Strategy Posts
🛤️ Feeling Lost After College Results? A Smarter Way to Build Your School List
If you're building your college list for the next cycle, especially after seeing this year's results, you already know: you can’t just "apply everywhere and hope." Here’s how the most strategic students are doing it 👇
📚 1. Don't Just Look at School Names — Look at Admissions Behavior
Not all "top" schools act the same in admissions.
Some care a lot about yield protection (like Tulane, BU, Northeastern), rejecting strong candidates they think won't enroll.
Others emphasize demonstrated interest. Others weigh essays or interviews unusually heavily.
👉 Strategy Tip: Before adding a school to your list, research not only its stats, but how it behaves — this helps you find schools that fit not just academically, but strategically.
📊 2. Use the Common Data Set — the Right Way
Once you know what to look for, the Common Data Set (CDS) is your best friend. Instead of just checking SAT/GPA ranges, go deeper:
- What % of students were accepted Early vs. Regular?
- How much weight do they give to extracurriculars, essays, recommendations?
- Is financial need a factor in admissions ("need aware" vs. "need blind")?
👉 Strategy Tip: If you need financial aid, look for schools that are "need blind" and meet 100% of demonstrated need.
🧠 3. Major-Specific Admissions is a Thing
Applying to Engineering, Business, CS, or Nursing at many schools is like applying to a whole different university.
Acceptance rates for these programs can be half of the university’s overall rate.
👉 Strategy Tip: Check whether your intended major has direct entry admissions and how competitive that track is specifically.
⚡ 4. Early Strategy Isn't Optional Anymore — It's Necessary
This year made it very clear: applying Early Decision or Early Action is now an essential advantage at almost every top private university.
But not all Early programs are created equal:
- Some EA programs are restrictive ("single-choice early action" — Stanford, Harvard, Yale).
- Some ED programs massively boost odds (ex: Duke, Penn).
- Some public schools have non-restrictive EA that still offers priority scholarship consideration (ex: Michigan, UNC).
👉 Strategy Tip: Start building your list with early strategy in mind, not after you fall in love with a dozen random schools.
📅 Up Next: I'll break down exactly how to read a Common Data Set to predict where you're a true competitive applicant — not just where you "hope" you are.
For more in-depth strategy on school & major selection — check out my earlier "School Selection" post series! If you want me to tag you just comment below! I'd be happy to! 💜
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🛤️ Feeling Lost After College Results? A Smarter Way to Build Your School List
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