How to Identify and Prioritize College Fit: A Smarter Approach to College Search
Overwhelmed by College Information? Here’s How to Make Sense of It
Back when I was in high school, researching colleges meant going to the counselor’s office or the library to look at books, or road trips to visit colleges. Today, as you know, things are different – finding information used to be hard, but now there is an overwhelming amount of information – how can you make sense of it?
At College UnMazed, we have a few ideas to help manage the information overload. First, we suggest breaking down the college search process into bite-sized bits using the LEADS strategy
1. Use the LEADS Strategy for a Structured Search
The LEADS strategy breaks the college search into manageable steps, helping students focus on what truly matters rather than drowning in information overload.
2. Apply the Six Keys of College Fit
Not all colleges will be the right fit, and not all students prioritize the same factors. The Six Keys of College Fit—which consider academic, financial, personal, career, student outcomes, and student support services—help students evaluate schools based on what’s most important to them.
However, through years of working with students, we’ve learned that not all factors carry equal weight. Some students prioritize academic programs and campus culture, while others focus more on affordability and career opportunities. That’s why we developed an easy way to help students and families pinpoint their top college priorities.
While the Six Keys and LEADS strategy are intuitive and easy to use if you follow along in our workbook, what we have learned over the years is that each of the Six Keys are not equally important – some students value Personal and Academic Match more than Financial and Career Match, for example.
To help students organize their thoughts, College UnMazed offers two free online card sort activities designed to help identify individual college fit priorities:
Structured Card Sort – Ideal for students and families feeling overwhelmed by too much information. This guided process helps streamline priorities.
Unstructured Card Sort – Best for students who already have a good sense of what they want but need to refine their focus.
Regardless of which activity students choose, the outcome is the same: a clear list of top priorities, making it easier to research and compare colleges.
📊 Turn Your Priorities into Action
Once priorities are identified, students can use the College UnMazed College Data Organizer to gather and compare key information about their top schools. This ensures that decisions are based on facts that align with what truly matters.
💬 We Want to Hear from You!
Have you tried the My College Fit Priorities Card Sort activity? We’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment below or email Tim Poynton (tpoynton@collegeunmazed.com) with any suggestions or thoughts.
By taking a structured, priority-based approach to the college search, students can make confident, informed decisions about their future. Ready to get started? Try the free card sort activities today!