Moody's Tips for Using the Quick & Dirty College List Starter

There is no research or evidence that shows that attending a more selective college will significantly alter your prospects for jobs or graduate school, or your lifetime salary potential. The best plan is to focus in your possible or likely zones, where you will be appreciated for who you are, and supported in discovering and achieving your personal goals.

College admission is not a gamble. Applying to more reach schools does not increase the likelihood that one will admit you, and there are no surprises in admission decisions.

Bottom line, your grades over time and the rigor of your courses in the context of your school are always the most powerful pieces of your admission profile.

Demonstrated community impact through authentically motivated engagement with your activities, deepening over your high school years is the next most important factor.

Restrictive early action or binding early decision applications can increase likelihood of admission, but usually not in a way that makes a reach significantly more likely; rather, they can tip the scales for a Possible zone option and, sometimes, for a reasonable Reach if the right factors are in place. Choose this option carefully, and only if you have a clear first choice. If you are applying for financial aid, ask the college about how this plays into ED consideration.

GPA’s are hard to standardize. Use your school’s profile for colleges, any other resources your school offers for assessing admission likelihood, and the advice of a counselor to get a realistic sense of whether your GPA might be inflated or deflated relative to the color zone criteria.

Engineering is often more competitive for entry than other disciplines by at least one selectivity zone. At particular colleges, this could also apply to other popular or over-subscribed programs. These factors are noted by the "ENGR" sortable field, and the "Major Matters" field.

These groups of colleges and their stated profiles represent averages. It is up to the student to research the middle-50% ranges of admitted students, to assess their own record honestly, and to consult a counselor or admission officer on the finer points of their complete profile as an applicant and potential “fit” with a college’s admissions priorities.

These zones are not fixed. Even in one admission cycle, a college’s applicant pool and institutional goals can shift.

A smart final application list, for most students, consists of no more than 12 carefully chosen colleges, barring unusual circumstances or financial aid uncertainty. No more than a couple of these should come from categories below your “possible” color zone—the law of diminishing returns applies here.

If a large financial aid package is a significant factor for you,  more than 12 applications at Target to Likely range may be necessary for the sake of comparing options.

Remember that most colleges will provide you with a portal with its own login to manage communication after you apply. It's one of many reasons to keep your list reasonable in length and balanced.

Your ability to communicate authentic interest in your application and in communication with college admission offices is important at every level of selectivity—take your “likelies” and “possibles” seriously and they’ll be more inclined to invite you to enroll!"