Building and Revisiting a College Target List: Academic, Athletic, Financial and Personal Fit

Start broad

Begin with a research list that spans divisions, school sizes and regions. Early on, breadth matters more than ranking.

Four kinds of fit

• Academic: majors offered, class size, admission profile relative to your athlete's grades and scores.
• Athletic: playing level, roster size and graduating class composition, coaching style.
• Financial: net cost after aid, merit and need-based aid policies. Use each school's net price calculator.
• Personal: location, distance from home, campus size, setting and culture.

A simple scoring exercise

For each school, rate each kind of fit from 1 to 5 and write one sentence explaining the score. The sentences matter more than the numbers; they remind you why you felt that way months later.

Example scorecard

[School Name] | Division [I/II/III] | [Region]
Academic 4: offers her intended major; classes mostly small.
Athletic 3: roster is deep at her position with two juniors ahead.
Financial 2: net price calculator estimate is above our budget before any aid.
Personal 5: she loved the campus visit and the distance from home.
Next step: email the admissions office about merit aid; revisit after her summer events.

Rank separately from status

Your ranking reflects your family's preference. A school's recruiting stage, such as researching, emailed, visited or in conversation, reflects where things stand. Tracking both keeps you from confusing your interest with a program's interest.

When to revisit

• After every campus visit.
• After each major event or showcase.
• When grades, test scores or playing level change.
• At least once each season, even if nothing seems different.

The "no lacrosse" test

For each school near the top, ask: would she still be happy here if she stopped playing? Injuries and changing priorities happen. Schools that pass this test are strong choices.

Narrowing step by step

There is no perfect list size, but it helps to move in stages rather than all at once.

• Research list: wide and unranked. Include schools in every division and several regions.
• Working list: schools where at least two kinds of fit look strong and she wants to learn more.
• Priority list: schools she has visited or researched deeply and would be excited to attend.
• Keep a few schools in each category of academic and financial reach so she has real options.

Questions to answer for each school

• Would she be admitted on academics alone, or does admission depend on athletic support?
• What would the family realistically pay after aid, using the school's own calculator?
• How many players at her position are on the roster, and in which classes?
• Does the campus setting fit how she wants to live for four years?

Avoiding common list mistakes

• Ranking schools by name recognition instead of fit.
• Dropping schools because a coach has not written back before the rules allow it.
• Ignoring cost until senior year.
• Letting a single visit or event decide a ranking without notes to back it up.