Do this visualization exercise before you put the first school on your list. It will guarantee that you are on your way to creating a Smart List.
Imagine you are living a day at your ideal college. This should be a lot of fun. Go somewhere comfortable and inspiring. You should not be staring at a cinder block wall or sitting on a crowded bus. Sit outside in a park on a sunny day, a garden, or a courtyard at your favorite museum. You can walk along the beach or lake or at a tranquil park for half an hour before to clear your head. Now sit down with your notebook (not your laptop or phone) and write with pen and paper at least a few sentences for each of the sections below.
What does your home there look like? Is it a dorm room or a shared apartment? Describe it in detail.
Do you walk or bike to a dining hall to eat breakfast, or do you commute on public transport? Describe the walk or ride to eat breakfast. What does the dining hall or place where you eat look like? Who is there? Where do you sit to eat and with whom?
Now imagine walking around your campus. What does it look like? Does it have modern buildings, red brick, or Gothic? What kind of people do you see on campus? Is it a diverse group of people, or is it more homogenous?
What is the weather like as you walk to your first class? Is it cold or warm, sunny or rainy?
Do you see trees and manicured lawns around you or are you walking on urban streets to class?
When you get to class, how large is the room? Does your professor say hello to you by name or do you slink in anonymously with a hoodie?
After you are done with classes, do you go play sports on a team? Or do you share a cab downtown with friends to a play or an art gallery exhibit opening? Describe your ideal after-class activities—not what you think you should be doing.
Do you go study in a big, old-fashioned library or in a café full of hipsters on their MacBooks?
Do you go to a gym on campus or work out at a crunchy neighborhood yoga center?
If it’s a weekend night are you heading to a frat or sorority party, partying in a trendy club, or going to a poetry reading in a stately hall?
By the time you finish this exercise you will be ready to create a list of schools that reflect the things that matter to you: urban, rural, or suburban? Cold or warm climate? Modern or traditional campus? Greek or Geek? A university that provides housing in small colleges with their own dining halls or that has big, high rise apartments in the city?