Last week, I gave a presentation to parents of rising seniors, and one question came up more than any other: how do we actually build a good college list? Here are the five things I check for in every list I help build, regardless of the student, from an honest read on where they stand to a real reason for every school that makes the cut.

Most families think standing out means doing more. It rarely does. A former Harvard admissions officer breaks down the four things that actually make a college application memorable: creativity, personal alignment, depth of impact, and a genuine sense of purpose.