About Shortlist
Shortlist is a free, family-centered college research platform. Our goal is to make college fit decisions less overwhelming and more honest.
Why we exist
Most college search products optimize for attention or for advertiser revenue. We optimize for the family's ability to make a good decision they can live with. That means surfacing official data with sources, modeling fit across multiple dimensions, and refusing to let advertisers buy organic ranking.
What we promise
- Every public fact links to its source, retrieval date, and confidence class.
- Sponsored placements are clearly labeled and structurally separated from organic results.
- Sensitive preferences (identity, support needs, finances) are optional and never used for advertising.
- We do not allow under-13 self-serve accounts until COPPA-compliant flows are in place.
How we make money
Sponsored placements from colleges and student-services providers, with editorial review and clear labeling. We never sell user data, and we never accept payment in exchange for changing organic rankings or facts.