Blog | Trail Guide Admissions

The Most Common Mistake Families Make When Building a School List

Written by Brian Albertsen | 6/15/26 2:45 PM

One of the most common mistakes I see families make when visiting colleges: Only visiting one “type” of school.

A good visit list has variety. A big state school. A smaller private. A school outside your home state. And one you've never heard of that matched on your major or scholarship opportunities.

You don't need to visit 15 schools. You need to visit the right mix of schools. What schools are on your list so far?