We present a framework based on a higher education application preference list that allows a different type of flexible aggregation and, hence, the analysis and clustering of application data. Preference lists are converted into scores. The proposed approach is demonstrated in the context of higher education applications in Hungary over the period of 2006–2015. Our method reveals that efforts to leverage center-periphery differences do not fulfill expectations. Furthermore, the student's top preference is very hard to influence, and recruiters may build their strategy on information about the first and second choices.