Excerpt from an email I received from one of our counselors yesterday:
I'm working with a kid who is looking at great colleges – Colorado College, Knox, Macalester – but can't narrow her list down to fewer than 20 schools. She has researched all of them inside and out, and just loves something about each one. I talked to her today about the importance of narrowing them down, both to limit the amount of work she'll have to do and because, ultimately, she'll have to choose one school anyway. And then she said the best thing:
'"It kinda sucks that you only get to choose one, doesn't it?"
In one sentence, that kid just summed up how every student should approach college admissions.
There are over 2,000 schools out there. Don't fall for the scam that only the famous ones are worth attending. Don't fall into the trap of believing that one college is your soul mate and the only place you could be happy. Don't let the stress of college admissions ruin what should be a fun and exciting time.
Your biggest problem isn't getting in; it's choosing from all the available options.