College Discovery:
How to Research the Best Option for You

Agenda:
1. Fit vs. Match
2. How to Determine Match
3. Safety, Likely, and Reach Schools
4. Fit: Factors to Consider
5. How to Use RaiseMe for College Research
6. Specific Questions Pertaining to Fit
7. Campus Visits

Fit vs. Match: What’s the Difference?
3
VS
Match = your academic record is close to the
average student that is accepted to a college.
The easiest way to gauge this is your cumulative
GPA and ACT/SAT score.
Fit = Your personal
preferences and
interests when it
comes to the ideal
college experience.

College Match

5
MATCH: Mapping Likelihood of Acceptance
Average ACT Score
GPA Student A has
the following
academic status:
GPA = 2.7
ACT = 30
Where would
they fall on this
graph?
Which schools
listed might be a
good match?

6
MATCH: Mapping Likelihood of Acceptance
Average ACT Score
GPA = Student A
GPA = 2.7
ACT = 30
Based on Student
A’s GPA and ACT, it
looks like CSU
Pueblo and UDC
might be a good
academic match.

7
MATCH: Identifying “Safety”, “Likely”, and “Reach” Schools
A common way to plan college applications is to find an array of options that are attractive to you and
fall into 3 categories, defined by likelihood of acceptance.
Colleges factor in much more than your GPA and exam scores but, as an initial gauge, you can start to
categorize your college options based on those academic marks.
Based on Student A’s GPA of 2.7 and ACT of 30, we can categorize the 4 colleges accordingly:
Safety Likely Reach
If your GPA and/or ACT/SAT score
are well above the average, it is a
safe bet that you can get in.
If your GPA and/or ACT/SAT
are around the average, you
are likely to get in.
If your GPA and/or ACT/SAT are well
below the average, it is a reach but
could still be worth applying.

College Fit

9
FIT: What Makes an Ideal Learning Environment for You?
Some factors to consider:
Location
- Do you want to stay close to home?
Environment
- City? Suburb? Countryside?
Size
- Large student body? Medium? Small?
Major
- Liberal arts education? Research/technical?
Student Body
- Does diversity of experience matter to you?
How important is this to you?
Least
Most
1 3
5

10
FIT: What Makes an Ideal Learning Environment for You?
Visit your RaiseMe account to find colleges that meet your personal interests and aspirations
Check out
the drop-
down menu
for lots of
sorting
options!
Click
through all
the filter
options to
find
colleges
that are a
good fit for
you.

FIT: What Makes an Ideal Learning Environment for You?
11
Let’s revisit Student A.
Based on their GPA (2.7) and ACT (30)
scores, we determined that CSU Pueblo
might be a good match school.
Now let’s consider fit.
Student A reflected and decided that:
● The makeup of the student body is
most important to them.
● The academic specialities of the college
is least important.
Using what you know about them, plus the
fact they want to study in a city, use the
RaiseMe college page to find a few colleges
that would fit Student A.
Location
Environment
Size
Major
Student Body
Student A’s Fit Reflection:
Least
Most
1 3
5

12
Example search for Student A, where priority 1 = student body High graduation rate indicates
an inclusive environment for
diverse learners.Diversity at 50% or above means
that no one ethnicity will be the
majority.
Larger student population allows for
more backgrounds and experiences
represented.

13
Example search for Student A, where priority 1 = student body, priority 2 = environment
The student body at U of
Chicago is very diverse.
There is good mix of
ethnicity and there doesn’t
seem to be a major
imbalance. Additionally,
there’s close to 50/50 male
to female breakdown.
99% of freshman return to
college for their sophomore
year. This is a good
indication of strong culture
on campus.
A large city is likely to attract students
(and faculty) from all over the country as
well as internationally.
Graduation rate tell us what percent of
students earn their degree in 6 years or
fewer after starting college. This is important
for two reasons:
1) If the rate is low this can indicate that the
college does not have a strong culture of
advising and support.
2) College is worth the investment only if
you get a degree, so you want to pick a
school that graduates students from all
backgrounds.

Is University of Chicago a good fit? How about a good match?
14
Environment
Student Body
Least
Most
1 3
5
When it comes to fit, Student A cares most about the
diversity of the student body, the culture of the campus,
and a setting that attracts lots of different people. For that
criteria, University of Chicago is a great fit.
As the admission criteria describes above,
the University of Chicago is very selective.
Based on the ACT of 30, this is probably
a reach school for Student A.

RaiseMe College Search: Finding Fit and Match
15
Fit: Filter based on your preferences in the following categories Match
Size:
Location:
Cost: Environment/Academics: You can get a sense for
match by looking at the
admission criteria for
colleges.
Average Net Price = the average
cost of tuition minus the average
financial aid award. If cost is a
concern, you want this to be low.
% Need Met = the higher the %
the more generous the financial
aid they can offer.
On average, public school
tuition is cheaper than private,
especially if you stay in your
state.
Liberal arts = you’ll be
asked to take classes
outside your major.
Research = schools that
specialize in STEM and
technical degrees.
Colleges that are single-sex
in enrollment and have
unique academic
opportunities therein.
Colleges with great
community and
support for minority
students.

Fit: Specific Examples

FIT: Specific Questions to Consider
17
One of the primary reasons to go to college is that it’s fun!
Here are some factors you should consider concerning the location:
Weather Culture Attitude Politics Recreation Diversity
What are the patterns
in this region? The
weather will influence
how you spend your
time.
What are the pastimes,
traditions, and history?
What makes the
people/region unique?
What’s the pace of life
in the region? Is it
laidback or fast-paced?
How do people in the
region tend to vote? Is it
liberal, moderate,
conservative?
What do people do for
fun in this region? Can
you learn a new activity?
Is the region
multiethnic or relatively
homogenous?
Consider how you want to spend your time and which of these factors is most
important to you.

FIT: Campus Setting 1 - Rural
18
Benefits:
1. Student Community: most students will live on campus. The culture is likely to be strong.
2. Outdoor activities: there will likely be unique recreation opportunities.
3. Academic experience: professors are likely to be accessible and there will be opportunity to get
to know you personally.

FIT: Campus Setting 2 - Suburban
19
Benefits:
1. Convenient campus: often easy to access from a nearby city, and not as isolated as rural campuses.
2. Community: usually a bigger campus and clearly defined. Students are likely to stay on campus and
get to know each other.
3. Entertainment: there will be lots of on and off-campus nightlife options.

FIT: Campus Setting 2 - Urban
20
Benefits:
1. Entertainment: there will likely be lots of nightlife, dining, and excursions possible off-campus.
2. Diversity: urban campuses tend to have more culturally and racially diverse students.
3. Job and internship opportunities: with lots of businesses and industry based in the city, you’ll have
access to lots of summer work in your field of interest.

FIT: Campus Visits
21
Arguably the best way to determine the fit of a college is to visit the campus!
When you visit a campus you’ll be able to see:
1. How the school is laid out
2. How students interact with each other
3. Where students go for studying, socializing, food, and
entertainment
And most importantly, if you can see yourself there!
School breaks can be a great time to take a campus tour.
- Talk to your counselors about field trip opportunities.
- Talk to your parents about making a trip.
Login to your RaiseMe account to see which colleges offer a micro-scholarship for a
campus visit!

Recap
22
Turn and talk with a partner:
1. What is the difference between fit and match? Explain the distinction.
2. What’s one way to group colleges so you have a balanced portfolio of options? How
might you go about grouping schools? How many schools might you consider in each
category?
3. What are some aspects of a school that would make it a good fit for you? Why?
Write down three actions you plan to take this semester to research college fit.
With any time remaining, use your RaiseMe account to complete the accompanying
worksheet.