How to Identify Good-Fit Colleges (Beyond the Obvious Criteria)

A successful college search process is one in which a student feels proud of the applications that they’ve made and has options that they are excited about which match their needs based on their research. A balanced list – one that includes low-, medium- and high-chance of admission schools – of good-fit colleges is key to a successful college search process for all students, whatever their major. 

Once you’ve identified schools that meet your general criteria (location, size, academic programs, etc.), what else should you be thinking about to determine if a school is a good fit? 

Consider the results of a 2015 study of approximately 30,000 individuals by Gallup-Purdue Index. Researchers identified six college undergraduate experiences linked to life preparedness and success:

1. A professor who made the student excited to learn;
2. A professor who cared about the student as an individual;
3. A mentor who pushed the student to reach their goals;
4. Working on a long-term project;
5. Completing a job or internship related to classroom lessons;
6. Being engaged in extracurricular activities and groups.

I call these the “big six college experiences.” This set of experiences should be the foundation for identifying good-fit schools, whatever the major, not rankings or superficial factors such as how well-known a school is or the strength of its sports teams.

These college experiences can help us dig deeper into whether a college will be a good fit by leading us to inquire into the following questions*:

1. Are Mentor Relationships Common?

As I’ve written in my article“The Often Forgotten College Application Essential: Relationships,” a student’s high school courses and grades are among the very most important pieces of their college application. Just like relationships in high school are key for a rich high school experience and a successful path from high school, relationships in college are key for a rich college experience and success after college. So much so that the first three of the big six college experiences are all about relationships with professors, staff, and peer mentors: 

1. A professor who made the student excited to learn;

2. A professor who cared about the student as an individual;

3. A mentor who pushed the student to reach their goals;

Look for the potential to connect with faculty and staff beyond faculty-student ratio statistics.

2. Are there Opportunities for Long Term Projects?

With respect to the fourth experience, what is meant by working on a long-term project? Examples include ongoing research, a senior thesis, a capstone, an independent study, or a class project that extends beyond the semester. For instance, one of my former Lantern students still maintains a vibrant Instagram account that she created for her course on Food Media several years ago. A long-term project can be powerful because it gives the student the opportunity to connect meaningfully with faculty and build important skills through their deep engagement with an effort over time. Additionally, these types of projects present the potential for students to drive, direct, and shape their own intellectual interests rather than follow a laid-out syllabus and curriculum.

Look for the potential to work on a long-term project that can build skills and develop interest.

3. What Job and Internship Opportunities are Available?

The fifth experience is completing a job or internship related to classroom lessons. Having a job or internship related to their classroom lessons enhances a student’s learning by providing meaningful context for these lessons to help a student understand why it is important to learn what they are learning. Also, it can help them continue to evolve their interests. One of my students thought they wanted to get a job in communications until they spent a summer working as the communications intern for their university’s Dean of Students Office! It is better to learn that lesson in college with time to explore other majors and careers than after earning a communications degree! Lastly, having a job or internship helps students build a professional network that may benefit them as they look for jobs after college.

Look for how the institution supports students in securing an internship.

4. How Easy is it to Be Engaged in Extracurricular Activities and Groups?

Every school touts a huge number of extracurricular clubs. However, at some schools, it is very competitive to gain admittance to clubs. One of my students went to a small liberal arts college (40% acceptance rate), where she walked on to two dance and two a cappella singing groups. Another is at a highly selective institution (9% acceptance rate), where she tried out for multiple dance and a cappella groups, making none. She did get accepted to be a mentor in her university’s chapter of Strong Women Strong Girls, but only after a rigorous application process, including essays and interviews. Two hundred twenty women tried out for the 12 available spots. In this video, one Harvard graduate describes how competitive it is to participate in clubs and extracurricular activities, stating, “It’s exclusion for the sake of exclusivity.”

Look into the requirements/application processes required to participate in extracurricular activities.

How to get these questions answered:

First: Do your research! Online forums such as Reddit are a great place to start to find honest feedback.

Most importantly, talk to students! If you are able to take a tour of a campus, take one and listen to what the tour guide says. But remember that tour guides are ambassadors for the institution chosen because they are generally thriving and having positive experiences, which means that they will likely have many good things to say! Look for ways to connect with a student beyond a formal admissions tour of campus. Admissions officers will often be happy to connect you to a current student, and your high school counselor may also be able to provide you with the names of recent graduates who are now attending the school. If you know what you want to study and can connect with a student in your intended major, this can be especially valuable.

Whether you speak with a tour guide or other student(s), take the opportunity to ask them questions about their experiences and that you can’t find the answers to on a website. Take notes on what you learn. Look to see if these students are having the big six college experiences. Look for the potential for YOU to have them. 

Which schools are most likely to fulfill the ‘Big Six’?

The Big Six college experiences can be had at every institution. However, there are some places where it is easier for all students to have them. And there are some places where it is easier for a given student to have them. For instance, I had all six as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University. However, Hopkins, founded as the first research university in the United States, is a place that demands independence. I would not recommend it for a student who is still developing confidence and their voice! Generally, it may be easier to have the big six experiences at undergraduate-focused, smaller institutions. 

What does this mean for building a college list?

When you build your college list, I recommend you include schools because you have confidence that they have the potential for you to have the big six college experiences – where you can expect to thrive there and in life.

* If you are interested in studying computer science, my online course “How to Write a Standout Computer Science College Application” includes additional CS-specific questions to support the research of CS programs.