Where Should You Apply?: College Search

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If you’ve already taken the PSAT or SAT and checked the box saying you would be willing to participate in the College Search Service of the College Board, you are probably finding your mailbox filling with glossy mailers from colleges. The sponsors of the ACT offer a similar service that sells the names and addresses of students willing to receive materials from colleges. Colleges buy this information about students who meet certain criteria (for example, geography, scores above a certain point, interest in a specific major, or religious affiliation). They use the information to develop a targeted mailing list of students who might be interested in their institution. Read the literature you receive and then check out the colleges that seem interesting in your big book. The idea is to cast your net broadly at first—perhaps exploring as many as twenty to thirty colleges—and then narrow the list down based on more information.

Sometimes colleges send personalized letters, rather than brochures, to encourage students to seek more information and then apply. Be wary of reading too much into a personalized search letter from a college, particularly one from a highly selective college. These colleges send out thousands of letters to students who score well on the PSAT, SAT, or ACT, or who have other desirable demographic characteristics. This helps them build a strong pool of candidates, but they know they can only accept a small percentage of them. They justify this on the grounds of greater diversity and making the opportunity to attend their college more widely known. The problem is that the letters are often so flattering and warm that students and their families can be led to believe that they have an inside track on admission.

The following phrases come from actual search letters:

• “I hope that this is the beginning of a long-term relationship between you and Williams and that you will be interested enough to keep us in mind as you apply to schools in the fall.”
• “As you plan your educational future, we hope you will consider carefully the unique opportunities at Harvard.”
• “We feel honored that you have expressed an interest in the University of Chicago.”
• “I write to extend to you a special invitation to consider your educational future here at Chapel Hill.”

In the vast majority of cases, search letters simply mean you might be a viable candidate—no more and no less. They are nice to receive, certainly, but keep in mind that your letters are just very sophisticated marketing materials from the colleges.

Reading a Catalog

Prospective students don’t read college catalogs, also known as college bulletins, often enough. Designed primarily as a reference for current or newly admitted students, a catalog is usually a no-nonsense document fairly free of marketing efforts and containing a wealth of information. The catalog describes courses and requirements for all the majors, lists the faculty in each department, and may even show who teaches each course. You can tell how many courses the school has, how much variety there is, and whether a department has a special emphasis. It also explains graduation requirements such as general education courses and a senior thesis, information about dual-degree programs and honors programs, the academic calendar, housing policies, and honor code. You can also use the catalog to read about opportunities to study abroad, internship programs, and other features of the campus.