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Instructions
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Template ver. 20180331 -- Feedback welcomed
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created by Jeff Camp for Ed100.org*
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This template is meant to help you make thoughtful, informed choices about where to apply to college.
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It is not a magic answer system. It's a tool to help you ask good questions and think things through.
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If you use it consistently and thoroughly, it will help you collect YOUR OWN insights—useful when writing applications.
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Print this sheet so you can follow the instructions easily
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Yellow means YOU SHOULD EDIT IT. Gray means leave it alone.
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❓← Read more about this tool at https://ed100.org/blog/collegechoice
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❓← See an example of this tool in use (it helps, and it's fun. Which wizarding college is best?)
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Follow the steps below.
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Create your own COPY of this Google Sheet.
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You don't need editing privileges - you need your own copy.
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Here's how: Choose "Make a copy" from the File menu above. Rename YOUR COPY.
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1a. Replace this placeholder with your name:
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Your Name
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SHARE your copy with counselors, parents, and anyone else you want so they can VIEW, COMMENT or EDIT
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← Not sure how? Click for info about how sharing works on Google Drive ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25CtYkqamIA )
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Edit the Interview sheet
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The page you are reading is on the black "Instructions" tab of this Google Sheet.
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See the green tab of this spreadsheet that says "Interview"? (Look down!) Click that.
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This sheet is where you identify the factors that matter to YOU about choosing a college.
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Award each factor a relative IMPORTANCE score -- generally from 0 to about 25 points. (Decimals OK.)
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Try to add up to about 100 points. (It doesn't matter if you hit this total exactly. The idea is to make tradeoffs.)
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Be a tough grader. What really matters enough to really sway your decision?
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 A factor you award 8 points of importance is four times as important to your decision as one you award 2 points.
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If a factor really isn't going to matter to your decision, mark its importance as ZERO. (Hey, one less thing to think about!)
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(Don't worry, you can change your mind later.)
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Is something important missing from the list that matters a lot to you? Replace a Custom row to add it.
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(Examples: Accessibility; Pet-friendly; Korean language program)
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Look at the pie chart (it's off to the right in the Interview tab) and sanity-check the big picture.
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Do the slices seem in balance?
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There are many questions about academic issues and social conditions, but only one about family. Be thoughtful.
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Make adjustments to the importance ratings. Remember Mom. Just sayin'.
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Edit the School List sheet
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See the teal-colored tab that says "School List"? Click that.
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Create a list of colleges to investigate. Ask your counselor (if you have one).
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Use a guide like Fiske or Princeton Review. For ideas to get started, try http://time.com/money/best-colleges/
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The order of the schools in this list doesn't matter. (They'll be sorted automatically in Step 8.)
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❗For each school, fill in a short name (SchName: 4-10 characters max). ❗This is important.
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For each school, fill in a full name (kinda optional)
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For each school, select a Status (probably "Researching" to begin)
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For each school, select an option for Likelihood (probably "Researching" to get started.)
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Create a Tab for each School Scorecard
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Open the "🔒Template" tab.
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Duplicate it multiple times -- once for each school you are researching.
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(Here's how: Click the little triangle ▼ on the "🔒Template" tab at the bottom of the screen. Choose "Duplicate")
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Carefully rename each tab you create so that it EXACTLY matches the SchName for each school (Important).
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(Here's how: At the bottom of the screen, click the tab of each sheet you just created. Choose "Rename".)
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❗Important: Make sure the SchName on each school scorecard matches the SchName in the School List!
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Edit each School Scorecard
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Open the tab for a specific school. In cell A1 (the top left), replace "TemplateU" with the name of the school.
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Research the school. Fill out the "Facts" section of the scorecard.
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Visit the schools' website. Check Naviance if your school provides it. Or try CollegeRaptor.
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Award a score to indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with each statement for that SPECIFIC school.
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Remember, you are NOT scoring for the general importance of each question here. You already did that.*
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Factors you said were important (over 5% of the total) are marked ❗
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You can skip over factors you said were of zero importance. They are marked with ×
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Award scores as high as three* ("YES YES YES!) or as low as negative three* ("NO NO NO!)
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"+ 3 = YES YES YES!
+ 2 = YES
+ 1 = Probably, yeah
+ 0 = Meh, whatever, dunno
- 1 = Not so much
- 2 = NO
- 3 = NO NO NO!
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*If you must, you may exceed these bounds. Reserve this for exceptional cases that make a usually unimportant factor important.
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For example, if politics are usually NOT important to you but a school's political culture TOTALLY turns you off, you could enter -5 or more.
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And yes, you may use decimal values. If it helps you, go for it.
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Write LONG notes to explain your score. Be specific. Seriously - write more. You will thank yourself later.
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Especially if you award a 3 (or even higher!), what impressed you? Take notes! When you apply, these notes will help you.
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Write as much as you want. The text will wrap. Keep going.
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Connect each school to the Decision Matrix
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Open the "School List" tab again.
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Notice that there are scores and that the schools are ranked, based on your priorities and scores.
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If not, review step 5 above. The SchName has to match the names of the tabs for each school!
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Review the Decision Matrix
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Open the "Decision Matrix" tab
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For each school, this matrix shows the points you awarded, multiplied by the relative importance you associated with each factor.
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Notice that the schools are sorted in order of total weighted score.
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Maybe the order makes sense to you. If your gut disagrees, well, listen to it! There are two major possibilities:
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You might want to revise the importance of different decision factors. Review Step 3.
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You might want to change the scores you gave specific schools on your school score sheets. Review Step 6.
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On your School List you should have a mix of schools -- some that are a stretch and others that are more "safe." Do you?
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Talk with your counselor and your family.
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Make some decisions
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On the School List tab, use the dropdown arrows to change the Status of each school on your list.
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If there are schools that you decide don't belong on the list, DON'T delete them.
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Instead, change their status to "Not for me."
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If there are schools you want to apply to, select Apply!
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If you have a clear preference for a school and a good shot at getting in, it may make sense to apply "Early Decision" to improve your odds.