How to build a balanced college list

A balanced college list includes schools where your student is likely to be admitted, schools that are a reasonable fit, and a few reaches, and every school on it should be one your family could afford.

Likely, Target, and Reach

• Likely: your student's grades and scores are above the typical admitted range, and the school admits a good share of applicants.
• Target: your student is within the typical admitted range.
• Reach: your student is below the typical range, or the school admits very few applicants no matter their stats.

How many schools

Many families aim for 8 to 12 applications with a real balance across the three groups, including at least two Likely schools you could afford even if no merit aid comes through.

Put cost on the list from the start

An admission your family cannot afford is not a real option. Check each school's estimated net price early, and look for Likely and Target schools that offer automatic merit aid: a strong student at a school where they are above the typical range is often the one who earns the largest award.

Look beyond the usual names

The best-known colleges are often the most selective and the least likely to offer merit aid. Hundreds of strong colleges are less familiar but offer excellent programs and generous scholarships. Filter by what matters to your student, such as major, size, setting, and location, rather than name recognition.

MeritFit builds this list for you: it filters about 2,000 colleges by your student's major and preferences, sorts them into Likely, Target, and Reach, and shows an estimated price for each.

More: all guides · FAQ · how we estimate