The file below shows good US colleges, listed in 5 groups according to selectivity, with admit rate (%) and state. You can use this as a guide to start creating your college list.
You should aim for max. 8 colleges/universities, with a range of selectivity. If you choose only Group 1 colleges, even if you have strong SAT/ACT scores, a great school transcript and deep extra-curricular activities, you are likely not to receive any acceptances: that’s the reality of just how selective these colleges have become (e.g. Stanford and Harvard – 5% admit rate). So be strategic and spread across the groups. There are excellent institutions in all the groups, from small liberal arts colleges with great faculty:student ratios to large campus universities offering
a huge range of majors.