Step 2: Find the Intersection.
Look at lists and rankings for your important criteria. If, as we usually recommend, your criteria are overall quality, specific department quality, and financial aid, you should look for schools that are on lists of schools known for this or that major/program that are also high on the overall rankings list that also meet your financial aid specifications.Top Liberal Arts Colleges
Link: Best Departments
Link: Financial Aid & Scholarships
For example, a well-off but not very rich student planning to study mathematics might like the University of Chicago because the University of Chicago is well-known for its mathematics program AND it is ranked 9 overall AND it gives a number of merit-based scholarships. On the other hand, a student from a lower income household planning to study history might look into Princeton because Princeton is well-known for its history department AND it is ranked 1 overall AND it has great need-based financial aid. For other students, financial aid, either merit or need based, might not be a factor at all.
Obviously, most schools won’t come out of the intersection lists that cleanly. Maybe a college will be great overall and have great financial aid but is just mediocre in your field of study. In cases where it is not clear, you will have to use your discretion, or maybe put it on a “maybe” list.
Try to get about as many schools down onto your list as you are interested in applying to.
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