How to Shortlist Universities – Everything You Need to Know

The decision of choosing universities to apply to is one of the most important processes for students applying overseas. While submitting applications to universities takes a lot of time and work, it is crucial that students narrow down their choice of potential institutions after extensive planning and consideration. Rankings are often used as a shortlisting tool for colleges, but are they really that crucial? This blog will explain why it’s critical to go beyond rankings while finalizing university.

Every student has certain expectations for their time in college, and these expectations must be taken into consideration while choosing an institution. While narrowing down their selection of institutions, students may value certain factors differently.

For instance, you might not be able to handle the bitter cold. Even though it sounds stupid, this is a factor you should consider while shortlisting institutions. You could opt not to submit an application to colleges in areas with severe winters! Might a rating have included this data to aid you in finding institutions without chilly climates? No.

Similarly, a number of things might affect your choice of institution, such as:

• Does the college offer the course you want to pursue?
• If you are dependent on financial aid, you might have to limit your choices only to those colleges that provide aid to international students.
• You may want to pursue a particular sport seriously at college and choose to apply to colleges where that sport is popular.
• The size of the college might impact your decision – are you ok studying at a state college with 30,000 students, or do you prefer studying in a smaller college with just 3,000 students?
• Some students might prefer studying in city-based campuses, such as universities in New York, or London, where there isn’t necessarily a college campus – university buildings are spread across the city. Other students might prefer to study in a smaller city/town where university life is campus-based and offers more of a community life.

These are only a few examples of the criteria that students may consider. There are a lot more. The fact is that rankings don’t include this sort of data, which is important for your decision-making process.