Why do your own college rankings?

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It’s about finding the right fit for you. Sure, it’s helpful to Google a quick list that was created by someone somewhere. But, let’s be honest, you don’t know that person. Does their criteria really match your interests, your experience, or your opinions?

It’s all about YOU!

It’s not often as a teenager that you’re told to think only about yourself. Your college admissions journey is one of those times. After all, you’re going to be the one spending the next 4 years living at college, not your family. So, while your family may have great intentions to help guide you, it’s ultimately up to you where you feel you’ll fit.

Your college admissions journey is about you! For this reason alone, you should create your own college ranking system when building your college list. There are ranking lists for just about anything you can imagine related to college campuses, but there isn’t a list that’s specific to you.

It doesn't need to be complex. Pick your top 5 criteria. You might even pick more. What’s most important to you about your future college experience? You might think about the majors being offered, where you will be living, or student clubs for getting involved on campus. Create a spreadsheet in Google Sheets and pick your ranking scale. You might use a simple 0, 1, 2 scoring approach with 0 = No, 1 = Maybe, 2 = Yes. Fill in your ranking and find the average score for each college you are considering. 

The choice and design of the ranking system is really up to you. After all, picking the right college fit is about what works for you. Not what works for others or what pops up in a ranking list on Google.

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Yes, there are plenty of sites out there ranking colleges for any number of reasons. It’s perfectly fine to explore those lists when you do a search. This will give you an idea where to start, but the key is to focus on developing your own ranking criteria. The results will have more meaning to you.

Take your time.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by all of the information. You probably even have family members giving you their opinions. That’s great. The more information you have the better, but at the end of the day, it’s your choice. When you’re focused on what matters to you, no matter what anyone else is doing, you will build a college list that fits you.

When you create your own college ranking system, you are focusing on finding the best college for you. All of the other lists out there don’t take into account anything about you. The criteria you pick to get started helps guide your search. You will learn more about each campus which will help you when completing your applications.

So, what matters most to you?

Swarthmore College dorm Photo credit: @mycollegiatekey

Your ranking criteria

It’s up to you how you rank colleges. There are so many ways you can approach picking your own ranking criteria. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Your College Major: You may or may not know what you want to study. No pressure if you don’t know because plenty of students enter college each year not knowing exactly what they want to study. If you know, this can help you focus your search and find colleges with classes, professors, or a specific focus within your major that interest you. Think about these questions: what do you want to study? are there colleges with special programs? what classes are offered? who teaches the classes?

Your College Dorm: Where you will be sleeping during your college years is often of great importance. The location, the size of the room, the number of roommates (maybe a single room is an option), and proximity to the dining hall are all things to take into consideration. Some colleges require you to live on-campus all 4 years while others only require it the first year and then you have the option to live off-campus. Think about these questions: where are the dorms? what do the rooms look like? are the dorms close to classes? where is parking? are there dining options nearby?

Your College Town: The city or town where you will be living during college can have a great impact on your experience. Many colleges are the central focus of the community where they are located while others blend in, so it’s up to you to think about what type of experience you are looking for beyond the classroom and your dorm. Being close to where you live right now might be of importance, or maybe you’re eager to spread your wings a little further. Think about these questions: is it more important to be in a big city or small town? what is there to do near campus? could there be future internships/jobs?

Your College Professors: It might not be something talked about very often, but the professors teaching the classes obviously contribute to your college experience. Colleges want to be known for having professors who are attentive to you and who do great research. This isn’t always the case. There’s no doubt you’ve had teachers you didn’t like, so you know this’ll still happen in college. Though, if you do your research, especially related to your college major, you’ll know about your college professors. Think about these questions: who are the professors teaching classes in your college major? who are the professors teaching core classes? are there professors who are known for research of interest to you? do teaching assistants (TAs) teach classes more often than professors?

Your College Coffee Shops: If you’ve been to a college campus, or nearby, you’ve noticed coffee shops are a regular gathering spot. You will see laptops open, college gear, and students studying. Think about these questions: are coffee shops and their location important?

Your College Dining: Whether you have special dietary needs or not, you’ll want to be thinking about where you’re going to be eating at college. Colleges work very hard to offer a wide variety of options and it’s become one of the features used to draw students to campus. Think about these questions: are there dining halls in the dorms? are there restaurants on-campus? are menus available to look at? what types of food can you find on-campus? is there a grocery store nearby?

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When you do your own rankings your college search will have more meaning to you!

You get the idea. Your college ranking list criteria could include some, none or all of the above. You probably have your own ideas brewing. A few more that come to mind:

• Your College Athletics

• Your College Mascot

• Your College Bookstore

• Your College Nightlife

• Your College Public Transportation

• Your College Bike

• Your College Parking

Go ahead and get started. Open Google Sheets, Excel, or whatever document you want to use. List your ranking criteria. Decide on a ranking scale. List the colleges and start ranking. You will have a lot more fun when it’s about you!