So, You Already Have a Dream School… Now What?
So, You Already Have a Dream School… Now What?
It’s common for students to struggle narrowing down the thousands of great colleges and universities in this country into a well-crafted and personally fulfilling application list. Especially for those who haven’t been able to visit many campuses – a normally relatively simple step in the process – the idea of choosing a favorite may feel daunting.
On the other side of this equation, however, are students who know (as sure as any 17 or 18-year old can know) exactly where they want to attend. They may have been dreaming of that college for years already or had a recent experience that propelled it to the top of the list. If this second category sounds more like you, this is the perfect time in the process to check in on those feelings.
The goal is not to sway you from your feelings or discourage you from applying to your dream school. However, it is important to approach the college process with an open mind. As difficult as it is to hear, there is a real chance that you may not be admitted to your dream school even if you do everything correctly. Institutions that admit fewer than 15% of their applicants routinely waitlist and reject highly qualified, extremely talented students each year.
Your heart may be set on one of these places. And you should use all of the time you have left between now and when the application is due to demonstrate your readiness to attend such a place. But don’t let your energy for your application process stop there.
Read on for our best ideas how to make each school on your list as strong a match for you as your dream college.
Replicate What You Love Most About Your Dream School
While it’s true that each school is unique, there is much overlap in the experience or programming available to you. Your goal is to find places that match your interests and build your list from there. Using your dream school as a starting point, inventory the elements of the campus or its programs that most appeal to you.
Try to be specific. It’s easy to say a place just “feels right,” but dig deeper than that and put as fine a point on why it feels that way as you can. From there you can bring to identify other places that offer similar opportunity.
Remember, the other schools in your list are not in competition with your dream school. Rather, you are working to create the most personally satisfying overall list. Once you’ve been accepted to multiple places – or to your dream school in early decision – then you can scrutinize your list differently.
Think Beyond Selectivity
When putting together your college list, do your best to not allow the selectivity of a school to sway your opinion of its fit for you. Your best option may come from the target category in your list, or even the safety category. One of the risks in falling in love with a school too early is dismissing others without careful evaluation.
If you have a dream school, use this time to research reasons to be excited about other places you want to apply to. Again, these schools are not in competition with your dream, but in complements of your successful process. Focus on your preferred campus experience instead of selectivity as you build out your list. You should end up with a robust group of places all of which you can see yourself happy and thriving.
Approach Your Writing as if Every School is Your Favorite
Just because you have a dream school in your heart doesn’t mean you can afford to treat the other colleges on your list like afterthoughts. Devote just as much time and energy into completing those applications. Until your dream school has said yes to you, everywhere you apply should be thought of as your potential home, one you want to be proud of.
Especially if asked some variation of the “why are you applying here” question in one of your supplemental essays, it’s crucial to demonstrate the reasons you want to attend each school on your list. If you are struggling to get excited about a particular place, reflect on why it’s on your list in the first place.
We hope you are admitted to your dream school. It’s our pleasure every admissions season to help students identify colleges they love and submit impressive applications to them. That said, at this stage in the process, savvy students are preparing for every option – including that their minds may change about their dream – and building thoughtful lists of schools.
The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.
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