Class 101-Dayton assisted the Class of 2024 in applying to more than 170 colleges and universities in 33 states and the District of Columbia as well as two international institutions.  

A number of factors help our students define their college lists: location and geography, the student’s college fit preferences, family expectations, and academic program information. For a few students, their area of study has to be a primary consideration. If they would like to major in something few schools offer, then the college list is first shaped by the student’s area of interest. Extracurricular interests like sports or music might also narrow the list. At times, family legacy is a primary influence on the list. 

For the majority of our students, we start with a broad list of schools, and we advise our students to tour a smaller school (less than 5,000 students), a mid-sized school (5,000 to 12,000 students), a large school (12,000 to 25,000 students), and an extra-large school (more than 25,000 students). Our lists will often include urban, suburban, and rural options, and we talk about the importance of visiting the community as much as visiting the college. 

With all applications submitted, our students take time to evaluate and compare their schools again through a more personal lens. From February through April this spring, our seniors will compare programs of study for requirements and electives, including reading the course descriptions of classes they are likely to take in their freshman year. We encourage in-person or virtual visits to talk with professors and students. Using their top expectations for college, they rank schools on their college list for opportunities including study abroad programs, honors programs, housing options, internships and co-ops, undergraduate research opportunities and grants, and extracurriculars. 

At Class 101, we also examine colleges’ post-graduate outcome statistics, and we review and revise the factors that each individual student deems important to his or her decision. It is not uncommon for students’ preferences to change during senior year, which is why a broad and well-researched list of colleges is so important. 

The delay in processing of the FAFSA this year has affected a key consideration for the Class of 2024: knowing the cost of college. Colleges will not receive the FAFSA data from the Department of Education until March which presents a significant challenge to college financial aid officials who have a shrinking window in which to receive FAFSA data and develop financial aid offers. When students receive texts or emails from admissions counselors at their colleges, we encourage them to answer promptly to help colleges understand who is more likely to attend. Colleges may even be able to send possible financial aid scenarios to students before they receive the data from the FAFSA. And these draft scenarios could help families understand estimated costs before students have to make enrollment decisions. Paying attention to admitted student portals, emails, and information is more important than ever. 

For the Class of 2025 and beyond, connecting with colleges can start now. Spring is the perfect time to brainstorm a big college list and start demonstrating interest through subscribing to admissions emails (and reading them!), scheduling visits, attending events and pre-college programs, and following social media accounts. 

If you are wondering where to start with your college list, here’s where Class 101-Dayton OH South students in the Class of 2024 applied: 

Appalachian State University
Arizona State University
Ashland University
Auburn University
Baldwin-Wallace University
Ball State University
Baylor University
Bellarmine University
Belmont University 
Bentley University
Boston College
Boston University
Bowling Green State University
Butler University
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
California State University-Long Beach
California University of Pennsylvania
Capital University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carthage College
Case Western Reserve University
Cedarville University
Centre College
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Columbia College Chicago
Cornell University
Davenport University
Denison University
DePaul University
Dominican University
Drexel University
Duke University
Duquesne University
Earlham College
Eastern Kentucky University
Eckerd College
Elon University
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
Emory University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida State University
Fordham University
George Washington University
Georgetown College
Georgia Institute of Technology
Grove City College
Heidelberg University
High Point University
Hillsdale College
Indiana State University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University–Bloomington
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indiana Wesleyan University
John Carroll University
Kansas State University
Kent State University
Kenyon College
Lee University
LeTourneau University
Liberty University
Lipscomb University
Long Island University 
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Marian University
Marietta College
Marist College
Marquette University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Miami University
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Millikin University
Mount St. Joseph University
Muskingum University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Northeastern University
Northern Kentucky University
Northwestern University
Nova Southeastern University
Ohio Northern University
Ohio University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Otterbein University
Pace University-New York
Pepperdine University
Pomona College
Princeton University
Providence College
Purdue University 
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Louis University
Saint Mary’s College
Samford University
San Diego State University
Santa Clara University
Seton Hall University
Shenandoah University
Sinclair Community College
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Southern Adventist University
Stanford University
Stephens College
Taylor University
Texas Christian University
The College of Wooster
The Ohio State University
The Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
The University of Alabama
The University of Findlay
The University of Tampa
The University of Tennessee
The University of Texas at Austin
Thomas More University
Tiffin University
United States Air Force Academy
University of Alberta
University of California-Davis
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Diego
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of Colorado-Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Dayton
University of Evansville
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Indianapolis
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Maryland
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi
University of Mount Union
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina-Wilmington
University of Notre Dame
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California
University of the Cumberlands
University of Toledo
University of Utah
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St Louis
West Virginia University
Western Kentucky University
Western Michigan University
Western New England University
Williams College
Wilmington College
Wittenberg University
Wright State University
Xavier University
Yale University