As a junior tossed into the world of college and finding the right fit for me, I know how stressful it can be picking what schools to visit and how to do it.  

How are we expected to commit to a college with no experience at all? While everyone’s journey to college is unique, I feel somewhat knowledgeable since I’ve visited 15+ colleges within the last year and narrowed down to my top 5 schools that fit me the best. 

If I had to restart the process all over again, this is the one thing I’d do: Find the colleges that best match YOUR preferences. 

Everyone around you may be raving about UCLA or University of Michigan, but you have to take your preferences into consideration. Do you want to stay in California? Do you want to go out of the state? How big do you want the school to be? 

The best thing to do is utilize ALL of the tools available to you. While I liked putting in my preferences through Scoir, it didn’t narrow the search down enough for me.  

What helped me the most was using Chat GPT or some version of AI. I put in a HIGHLY descriptive list of everything I wanted out of my college. I included things as basic as class size and location and things as specific as wanting a walkable campus and good food. For those who know what they want to major in, you can include that too.  

Here’s some guiding questions for your description. 

1. How big do you want the undergrad class to be? 

1. Do you want a competitive environment or a collaborative one? 

1. Do you want interdisciplinary studying (more well-rounded) or specialized studying on just your major? 

1. Do you want flexibility in switching your major once you start college? 

1. How selective would you like the college to be? 

1. Location: Do you want to be in a big city, near a big city, or rural? 

1. Weather: Are you okay in below freezing temperatures? Do you want real seasons? 

1. Do you want to go to a party school, an academic only school, or a balance of both? 

1. Do you want to own a car in your freshman year/How do you feel about commuting? 

1. Do you want to join Greek life? 

1. Do you want a tight-knit community with the whole student body or more niche? 

1. Do you want to study abroad? 

1. How important is sports culture to you? 

1. How important are traditions to you? 

1. Do you need the school to meet all of your financial needs or offer grants? 

While you might not know all the answers at first (and that’s okay), you can edit your choices and give feedback to Chat GPT as you learn more.  

If you already have a list of colleges that you want to apply to, you can ask ChatGPT to rank the colleges in order that best match your preferences. 

As I said before, I know firsthand how stressful this can be, so get all the help you can. Talk to your counselor, talk to your parents, and research. I truly know that we will all end up exactly where we should and will all have an amazing college experience no matter what. So, take a deep breath and believe in yourself!