Someday you are going to have to pick a college...
This may be the biggest decision you have made so far in your life. Don't do it without some research...
Use these resources to help you make that big decision.
Electronic Resources
CollegeView
This site should be your first stop when searching for a college. The jewel of this site is that it searches for colleges based on your criteria. You can also save all of your information if you register with the site. This is a free service, so take advantage of it.
Take these steps to do a criteria search for colleges.
1. Click on Advanced Search which is under the Search box in the top right corner of the site.
2. You'll see several different preferences (such as size, areas of study, location, etc.) to choose from for your college. Click on Add Criteria and submit the information necessary for each preference.
3. Do not click on the SEARCH NOW icon until you have completed all of the preference areas of interest to you. When you have completed a preference, click on a new preference which are all listed at the top of the site.
4. At any time you may click on VIEW SEARCH CRITERIA which shows you which preferences you have already completed and what your criteria are for each section.
5. When you have completed all of the preferences, click on the SEARCH NOW icon. The site will now give you a list of all the schools which fit your selected criteria.
Campustours.com
Now that you have used the CollegeView site and you have a list of potential colleges, use this site to take a virtual tour and find out all the information you need to enroll.
1. Type the name of the university in the Search box.
2. When the name of the university comes up, click on VIEW DETAILS.
3. To get a virtual tour, campus map, or pictures of campus, look for TOUR LINKS column. Click on your preference. For a sample, check out this tour of IUPUI. http://www.iupui.edu/tour/tour.html
4. This site is also excellent because of all the other information you can get. Notice the side bars with information on Majors, Tuition, Enrollment Statistics, and General Info.
5. Use this site for each of your college preferences.
Google's University Search
http://www.google.com/options/universities.html
Google gives an alphabetical listing of every United States college's website. This would be a good site to use for quick access. It is as easy as typing the name of the college or university in the search box.
My College Guide
This site can help you find a college, but it can also keep you updated on all the college happenings. This is a fun site to check out for articles, polls and general college information.
College Board College Campus Checklist
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/college-visits/101.html
Once you have narrowed some college choices down, it is time to go and visit them. Print out this checklist to complete with each visit. It will help make your decision even easier down the road.
Books
The Best 361 Colleges, 2007 Edition. Princeton Review: New York, 2006.
This book gives complete information for 361 colleges and universities in the nation. It also rates each school. If you prefer looking through a book rather than looking online, check this one out. However, check tuition rates on each school's website for the most up to date measure.
Orr, Tamra B. America’s Best Colleges for B Students: A College Guide Students Without Straight A’s. SuperCollege, LLC: Los Altos, CA, 2005.
This book profiles 100 great schools who say yes to students who are not making straight A’s. It also helps you find a school that offers academic support to help you transition from high school to college.
updated February 18th, 2008