How To Use Corsava Cards
Open the two decks of cards
Place the four choice cards — Must Have, Would Be Nice, Do Not Care, and No Way — face up on a table or workspace, ideally with a few inches between them. These cards represent the strength of your student’s preferences.
Give your student the remaining cards
The cards are divided into six categories: Academics, Campus Culture, Educational Culture, Extracurricular Activities, Residential Life, and Student Resources. Each card reflects a unique characteristic of the college experience within these broader categories. Definitions for the cards can be found here.
Though the cards come packaged by category, many prefer to shuffle them first, offering surprises during the card sort as they jump from majors to extracurriculars. Find additional creative ways to use the cards here.
Ask the student to sort the cards
Ask the student to place each card under the choice card that best reflects their emotional preference for that particular characteristic. Encourage your student to ask questions and talk through their thought process as they sort the cards.
Students think about their college choices in a whole new light as they ponder questions like: Do you like being at the top of your class, or do you do better when pushed by your peers? Do you want a more collaborative or competitive atmosphere? Do you want to meet new people every day at a large college, or do you want to see familiar faces every day?
As you all move through the college process, preferences may shift. Pull the deck out again, do another sort, talk about what’s changed and why. Research, visits, and conversations with admissions representatives can all result in preference shifts. This is a good sign!
The front pocket of the card case is a great place to store the four choice cards. The card sort activity can be a great way for younger students to start learning about different aspects of college as they start to think about their future.
Explore our Resources page for loads of additional activities and resources to support your student’s college process. From sharing your own experiences to helping students put together a more targeted list of college, there is no better way to begin the college process on a positive note.