<p>I agree with others that you should have some safeties and matches. That said, I would suggest a different way of going about this.</p>
<p>It can help to have a “feel” for various colleges. Get something like the (Yale Daily News) Insider’s Guide to Colleges, Fiske Guide to Colleges or Barron’s Guide to Colleges. Read through it. See what attributes of colleges spark your interest. Make a list. You might also go on some tours of local colleges, even ones you have no interest in. During tours, the guides will mention things about the college and people will ask questions that you would not have thought of. Again, make a note of these.</p>
<p>Then put together a list of what your “ideal” college would have. Then find colleges that have those things. </p>
<p>For example, you mentioned your interest in community service. Is that something you would like to continue? If so, check out the opportunities to do it at various colleges. Now, many people will say “Oh all schools offer that.” Most do, but I can tell you that someone I know who went to one school on your list was frustrated by the lack of opportunities to do CS. The school’s in an affluent area. There were service trips to poor neighborhoods, but these involved taking a bus for 45 minutes to an hour and the bus service was only offered a couple of days of week for pre-determined activities These didn’t work with her class schedule. Moreover, different kinds of CS are offered. Maybe you’d like to tutor kids interested in science. Is there a program that offers you the chance to do that? </p>
<p>Maybe you want the chance to do science research. While almost every school will tell you that “of course, we offer that!” the reality varies enormously. Can you start as a freshman? Do you have any choice regarding which lab you work in? What sorts of things are students allowed to do?</p>
<p>Work study–is this going to be part of your financial aid package at the colleges on your list? If so, how many hours a week are you expected to work? What sorts of work study positions are available and how much do they pay? At one school, you might get a position working in a science lab through work study. You’d get paid to do something you want to do anyway. At another school, freshman are lowest on the totem pole for work-study jobs and you would have to do work study AND volunteer in a lab if you want to work at all. </p>
<p>Do you like to attend sporting events? At some colleges, these are free with a student ID. At others, they aren’t. A season ticket can be a large expense. Ditto things like concerts and plays. </p>
<p>What about housing? Is it guaranteed all 4 years? Are singles and more desirable housing more expensive? Or is housing determined by a lottery system? Do students live in fraternities and sororities? Is it expensive to do this? Is it something you think you would/would not like? </p>
<p>If you’re a long way from home, how long and how often are you forced to leave the dorms? Some schools will let students stay on campus during breaks; others don’t. At some schools, the dining hals will be open. At others, they won’t. If they aren’t, do you have access to a kitchen so you can cook your own meals? That might matter to you. </p>
<p>My kid came up with a list of attributes that seemed very reasonable. It turned out that only 8 colleges in the US had all of them. None of them were particularly unusual–but, to everyone’s surprise, the combination was. </p>
<p>There are so many colleges in the US than you can drive yourself absolutely insane trying to learn all about all of them. Instead, try to come up with a list of things you want in a college and then figure out which schools have what you want. Yes, you still may have to make compromises, but you’ll be looking at the things that matter to you.</p>