How to create a university application list
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The first advice I would give students would be to use your school’s university counsellor as much as possible.
Something I always tell my students is that they only get to play the “university application game” once but your counsellor has played it, depending on their experience, hundreds if not thousands of times.
Use that experience to your advantage. If your school doesn’t have a university counsellor, then try and ask some teachers for advice. The more help you can get from people who have experience with the process, the better.
Finance is important. Have an open conversation with your parents and try and get a ballpark figure about what your family can afford. Yes, there are some universities that can offer scholarships or financial aid but you don’t want all of your choices to have to rely on that, so take a look at the costs carefully. There is nothing worse than getting an offer from a school that you can’t afford to attend.
What are the university entry requirements? The first thing you need to do is to take a look at what the university requires. Is it only grades? If it is, how do yours match up? Or is it a holistic application?
A holistic application means that the admission will be based on not just academic grades but on your character, essays and extracurricular activities. For those universities where applications are holistic, it is important to note that you must meet their minimum academic requirements first before they would start to look at other factors.
Next I would look at location. Besides what country, students need to consider the climate, city or countryside location and the number of students.
Going to a small rural school in the northeast of the United States will be a very different experience to a large midwest state university.
What about rankings? I think focusing solely on rankings is not smart. Make a list of what is really important for you in a school, between six and eight factors, and then try and find schools that meet those needs, such as the minimum academic requirements and affordability. Rankings should be no more than one factor on your list.
Go for two or three reach universities that would be really hard for you to get in to; two or three fit universities where you have a good chance of getting in and at least one safety university where you are sure you can get accepted if all else fails.
Good luck!
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