College Rankings Are Cute… Until They’re Useless

It’s officially the season of college panic. College decisions have just come out, and sophomore and juniors are trying to come up with a college list. Even freshman are curious about now.

Everyone’s either romanticizing the idea of New York winters or swearing their loyalty to whatever university their cousin’s friend’s sister went to. And somewhere in that chaos, it’s easy to fall for the trap of “prestige = perfect.” But here’s what no one talks about: college rankings don’t know you. They don’t know what you want, what you can afford, or how much you hate snow.

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Choosing where to apply should be less about the name and more about the fit. Reputation might open a few doors-but the right environment? That’s what helps you thrive after you walk through them.

What Actually Matters When You’re Applying

Let’s talk about real, practical stuff. Before hitting “apply,” ask yourself these things:

Do I want a big or small campus? A huge student body might mean more opportunities. A smaller one could mean a tight-knit vibe-or feeling like everyone knows your GPA.

Where do I want to live? A big city with Starbucks on every corner? A quiet town with trees and library aesthetic? Close to home or a long flight away?

What’s my budget? Be honest. Can your family afford $70K a year?

Will you need scholarships? Do you even qualify for financial aid?

These are all things that will matter way more in your day-to-day than whether your school is ranked #12 or #212. And honestly, half of those rankings are based on data that doesn’t affect your student life anyway.

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The Tools That Will Save Your Sanity

This is where we get smart. Because you don’t need to do all this alone.

Notion (and the Perfect Template)

Let’s start with Notion. If you’re not already using it, you’re missing out on a chance to romanticize your entire college application process. It's the perfect space to keep track of everything-deadlines, your classes, supplementals, college list, extra curriculars, and so much more.

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It’s customizable, aesthetic, and so satisfying to use that you might actually want to update it. Plus, you’ll feel 73% less overwhelmed when everything’s in one place instead of scattered across your Notes app, email drafts, and the back of your physics notebook.

Borderless: Like a College Matchmaker, But Free

Now, if you don’t want to scroll through hundreds of websites trying to figure out which schools even fit you, I’ve got three words for you: use Borderless immediately. This free tool basically acts like a college genie.

Here’s how it works:

You plug in your GPA, your financial situation, what kind of college you want (co-ed, all-girls, all-boys, doesn’t matter), the type of environment (city? small town?), intended major, and it generates a personalized list of U.S. colleges that actually make sense for you.

Borderless College List Generator

This is not just talking about MIT, Yale, and Northwestern - but realistic, affordable options too. It inclueds all the information of those schools that you may need such as: tuition costs, available scholarships, test policy, financial aid policy, and more. And the best part?

You can generate as many college lists as you want. If you didn't like all the options in the first list, you can generate another one. Maybe you want to see schools with a strong journalism major outside and inside of the city, then generate two different lists for that.

Gohar Khan (the one behind Gohar Guides)

You’ve probably come across one of Gohar Khan’s videos while scrolling- his content tends to pop up right when you’re stressing about college stuff. And if you haven’t seen his videos yet, you might want to look him up. He’s known for breaking down the college application process in a way that actually makes sense, especially for students who don’t have access to tons of resources or guidance.

He posts short, super helpful videos on everything from building your college list to understanding what “undecided” really means on an application. One of his most useful videos walks you through the entire college application journey - starting from researching schools to what to actually include in your application. It’s the kind of advice that makes you feel a little more in control of the whole process.

If you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, his content is a really good place to get grounded.

The Little Details That Actually Matter More Than You Think

Okay, so now that you’ve narrowed down some schools with the help of all these tools, zoom in on the little things that might make or break your college experience:

Do they even offer your major? Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t check.

What’s campus culture like? How are the people? Competitive?

Fun? Remember - these will be your peers for the next four years.

How’s the food, dorm life, support system? Because you’ll be living there - not just attending classes.

Are there student orgs, internships, or research that actually excite you? This is where the fun (and resume building) happens. Not to mention to check if the college offers any paid jobs that are worth your time.

Apply Smart, Not Just Dreamy

You’re not just picking a school - you’re picking a home for the next few years. That home should match your values, needs, and goals - not just your idea of what sounds impressive. Use Notion to keep yourself sane. Let Borderless do the matchmaking for you.

Because the goal isn’t just getting in. It’s fitting in, growing, and leaving with no regrets.