Club crew, a 50-foot rock-climbing wall, great Indian food within walking distance, and a sink in a dorm room—the list of specific college-wants can be long and perhaps to the outsider, trivial. To students and families that are familiar to having their needs and wants met, expectations can be high and particular (or peculiar!). However, when deciding where to apply and ultimately where to enroll, students tend to use much broader priorities when making their big decisions. We survey alumni after graduation about a lot of things, one being, an inquiry about what most influenced their final decisions. And while Saturday football games, a campus near the beach, great sushi, or a single room might have had some sway, there are bigger ticket items that were leaned on to narrow and finalize matriculation. I share the list of the constant top three responses to assist our present students and families in getting through some of the less consequential variables and skipping to what will be most important when creating a list and comparing colleges.