🎓 Quick + Chill College List Guide

(aka: how to go from “no clue” → 20 schools without stressing lol)

1. Lock In Your Vibes First ✨

Before names/rankings, figure out what you want. Ask yourself:

  • Campus size → do you want big football games or smaller classes? 🏟️👩‍🏫

  • Location → city life, suburban, or middle of nowhere (cow fields count haha)?

  • Distance → are you trying to fly home or keep it drivable?

👉 Write these 3 down. They’re your “filters.”

2. Build a Giant List (30–35 Schools) 📋

Hop on BigFuture or Niche. Use your filters → pull out any school that looks solid. Don’t overthink it. Just dump them into a doc/spreadsheet like a shopping cart 🛒.

3. Sort Into Buckets 🎯

Now put each school into:

  • Reach (harder but possible) → ~8–10

  • Target (you’re right in range) → ~12–15

  • Safety (you’d def get in + still vibe with it) → ~5–7

👉 How to tell which bucket? Google “[School] Common Data Set” → check GPA + SAT/ACT ranges → compare with yours. Done ✅.

4. Do the Vibe Check 🔍

For each school, ask:

  • Do they even have my major/interest area? 🎓

  • Could I actually see myself living here for 4 years?

  • If this was my only acceptance, would I be cool with it?

If it’s a “nah” → cross it off. No mercy lol.

5. Trim It Down ✂️

  • Start with 30–35.

  • Cut schools that don’t pass your vibe check.

  • You should land at ~20 schools total:

    • ~6–7 Reaches

    • ~8–9 Targets

    • ~4–5 Safeties

That’s the sweet spot: enough coverage without drowning in apps.

✨ My Tip: Don’t stress about perfection. Your list = a draft. You can always swap schools out after visits, convos with counselors, or just gut feelings.

Do This Right Now (literally today)

  1. Open BigFuture → filter by size, location, and majors.

  2. Add 30–35 schools you’d actually consider.

  3. Split into reach/target/safety using Common Data Sets.

  4. Do quick vibe checks → cross out the “no’s.”

  5. Land at your final ~20 schools. 🎉

Boom. Done. College list = unlocked.

Need Help Making Sense of It All?

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just want a second opinion, I offer 1:1 college list support — including building your list from scratch or reviewing what you already have.

👉 Check out my services here

You’ve got this!

- Frank