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So now that you are completely overwhelmed by the information that is accessible to you, we want you to know that although the below websites can provide you with a window into each of the colleges you are researching, you still need to do the work to understand which schools are a best fit for you, socially, academically, financially and emotionally. None of the below websites will be able to decipher that for you. They can provide information to assist you in making your decision, but much of the information you are looking at online are averages and perceptions of others, which may, or may not, be yours. This is probably the most important decision you will make to date in your life so be sure to give it its due diligence when working towards the college you will eventually attend. Enjoy the journey!
BigFuture is a free online resource that helps students take the best first step after high school. We help you explore careers, plan for college, and pay for college.
Naviance
Naviance
Our district pays for you to have an account. Click the step by step directions to the left and fill out a variety of the assessments you will find there. Here is a link to the Spanish version of the same instructions.
Naviance Log in Handout.pdfCollege That Changes Lives is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. We support the goal of every student finding a college that develops a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college.
When you go to the College Data website, you simply just type in the name of the college or university you want to research and a wealth of information will appear. On the OVERVIEW tab, the school’s stats are listed, such as size, admissions possibility, mid SAT and ACT information, and cost. There are 5 other tabs that house more specific information as you may want to delve even further into this school’s data. The FINANCIALS tab is especially of interest to many families as this lists average merit and financial aid awarded and the percentage of students receiving this aid. Keep in mind that these are just averages and will vary by student and their specific credentials, academic and financial as an example. This website is a great starting point for researching the colleges in which you are interested.
The College Navigator website offers similar types of information as other college search websites but in a more condensed fashion. You can search for one college in particular or a series of schools that meet certain criteria. Once you select a school from the list, you will see all the data available on that school on a single page – everything from an overview of the school, as in number of students, public or private institution, and student to faculty ratio to the types of degrees they offer. As you delve further down the page, you can extract tuition, financial aid, programs/majors, net price, enrollment, admissions, retention and graduation rates and varsity sports offered. This website proves a clean and concise way to research and view a college’s information.
The Niche website has not only plenty of statistical information associated with each school, but it also provides a window into the overall “grade” that has been issued from Niche, which is comprised of academics, diversity, athletics and value, to name a few. In addition to the expected stats you would expect to find as you research, you can also read reviews that students attending that college have written. What I would caution you of is not to always believe the written word. Look for trends.
My Future™ helps young adults plan their next steps in life by bringing together the most recently available information about colleges, careers and military service opportunities from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education and Labor.
All of the websites below give virtual tours of almost any college that you can imagine on almost any topic you can imagine! Taking a virtual tour from one of these sites aside from the one that may be provided on the college’s website since they seem to be more real rather than produced. Delve into this and enjoy learning about any school that is on your radar!
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