PostSecondary Resources and Information

Naviance:  Naviance is a college and career tool that offers interest inventories, college searches, and career information.  Naviance is the mechanism by which counselors and teachers submit transcripts and letters of recommendation to colleges and universities on behalf of students.  All high school students in HCPSS have an account in Naviance. Counselors utilize Naviance in grades 6-12 to provide classroom lessons to support postsecondary readiness. 

Big Future:  A college and career website maintained by The College Board. This is a comprehensive site that includes interest inventories, search engines, resources, blogs, scholarship information and more. 

College Essay Guy:  College Essay Guy is where students, parents, and counselors find smart, practical guidance for the college admission journey.

College Scorecard:  The College Scorecard is an online tool, created by the U.S. government, for consumers to compare the cost and value of higher education institutions in the United States.

College Navigator:  College Navigator is your direct link to nearly 7,000 colleges and universities in the United States. If you are thinking about a large university, a small liberal arts college, a specialized college, a community college, a career or technical college or a trade school, you can find information on all of them here. 

College Transitions:  A team of consultants, researchers, and former admissions officers, College Transitions offers a data-driven program of services that helps students identify good-fit schools, maximize their admission prospects, and make the most of their college investment. 

HBCU Listing:  There are 107 colleges in the United States that are identified by the US Department of Education as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).  

The College Tour:  The College Tour is a TV series brought to you by multi-award winning producers.  Hosted by Alex Boylan, each episode of The College Tour tells the story of a single college through the lens of its students.  

Niche: Finding the right school shouldn’t be hard. From K‑12 to college to grad school, we make it easy to discover and connect with the best ones for you.

Free College Workshops:   Join interactive College Admissions Workshops to excel on your college essays, applications, and more!  The workshops, hosted on Schoolhouse.world’s platform, are aimed at helping students make progress through the college search, application and financial aid process with support from trained tutors in free, virtual, small-group workshops.  Students can register for whatever times work for them!  Big Future, Schoohouse.world and Coalition for College partner to provide this free resource.

College Essay Guy Matchlighters Program :  Free One on One College Counseling for highly motivated juniors from low-income households.

Matriculate:  Matriculate connects high-achieving, low-income juniors and seniors to highly-trained undergraduate advisors—completely virtually—empowering students to attend colleges where they will thrive.

AXS Companion Guide to Common App:  The AXS Companion is a free, open online resource designed by professional consultants to be used side-by-side with Common App as you work through your application. Each section includes explanatory videos, helpful tips, a glossary of application terms, and links to resources mentioned in the videos.

Coursera- Applying to College 101: Empowers learners of all backgrounds to demystify and better understand the college search and selection process. Led by expert educators, including Whitney Soule, Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Sean Vereen and

Sara Woods, Co-presidents of Heights Philadelphia, this free course will help students, family members, college counselors, and any curious learner to navigate each stage from the start of the college search process through preparing your applications to colleges.

Resources

FairTest.org:  Fairtest.org maintains the list of colleges that do not require SAT or ACT for admission.

SAT: The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The SAT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test created and administered by the College Board. 

ACT:  The ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. It is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test administered by ACT, Inc.

PSAT:  The PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a standardized test administered by the College Board. It prepares you for the SAT and is administered in October to all 10th and 11th grade students during the school day.

SAT vs ACT: A visual representation of the differences.

Free Test Prep:

Schoolhouse.org partners with Khan Academy, College Board to offer FREE virtual SAT prep.  All tutors are freshly familiar with the SAT, fully trained and certified, and eager to help students reach their goals.  Bootcamps run on a rolling basis with new classes starting every week.

Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy is world-class SAT prep that is effective, personalized to each student, and 100% free. 

The Blue Bridge Foundation offers instructor led virtual sessions OR self-paced virtual SAT/ACT courses.

Test Prep Agencies

The Answer Class:  A local organization that provides in-person and virtual test preparation as well as college application support.

Compass Education Group:  This company provides test preparation, videos, resources and more related to standardized testing.    Compass Education Group- 2025-2026 Guidebook

C2 provides tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students.

Princeton Review:  The Princeton Review provides tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. 

StudentAid.org:  Federal regulated website where FAFSA application is housed as well as a ton of resources on Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Maryland Higher Education Commission: All state and financial aid scholarships are found on this website.

MEOC:  Maryland Education Opportunity Center and HCPSS have a partnership whereby MEOC supports families in searching, applying, and receiving financial aid for postsecondary attendance.

CollegeAidPro:  Tools and support to help families find an affordable college education.   

College Essay Guy Financial Aid

How do I Pay for College Without Going Broke Podcast-  Lisa D'mour with Ron Leiber

HCPSS Local Scholarship Document:  This lists all community and local scholarships available to students.

Coalition App Presents:  Behind the Scenes of a College Admission Committee Featuring admissions counselors from Colby College, Lehigh University, North Carolina State University and Wellesley College.   (Hay subtítulos en español disponibles para esta grabación. Haga clic en el ícono de ajustes en la parte inferior del)  (August 14, 2024)

College Essay Guy Presents:  Analysis of a Successful College Application... and what you can learn from it: (August 21, 2024) 

College Admission Insider:Inside the Mind of an Application Reader

College Essay Guy Podcast: I interview some of the most brilliant minds in the college admission world, analyze their genius, then break it down for you into practical, actionable steps. Why? To bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admission process. 

Georgia Tech Admissions Blog  Georgia Tech Admission Counselors pull back the curtain on the college admissions process by providing tips and their perspective of applications on the receiving end. 

Tufts Admissions Blog Tufts admissions counselors talk prospective students through the application process while current students reflect back on their own experiences on the admissions process

UVA Admissions Blog A UVA admissions counselor helps students through the college admissions process, including archived posts dating back over 18 years. 

Future U  Podcast devoted to dialogue regarding higher education topics including college admissions

How to Find your Dream College Jeff Selingo    Whether you have seniors about to make their final decisions, or teens in high school just starting the search, I'll lay out what you can be doing differently right now to have a smoother journey.

Buyers and Sellers: How to Identify Colleges that Give the Most Aid

National Center for College Students with Disabilities: The NCCSD is the only federally-funded national center in the U.S. with information and resources for future and current college students with disabilities, including those in part-time programs and graduate students. We work with students, their families, teachers, professors, and anyone with questions about disability and higher education. We’re here for you.

Education Matters:  Postsecondary Disability Services:   A fact sheet prepared by the Maryland Department of Disabilities, Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Maryland Disability and Higher Education Network on accessing disability services at the postsecondary level.

Learning Disability Consultant:  Author and speaker Elizabeth C. Hamblet offers advice and delivers presentations based on her professional experiences drawn from her 20+ years as a college-level learning disabilities specialist.

National Parent Center on Transition and Planning:  Think College is a national organization dedicated to developing, expanding, and improving inclusive higher education options for young adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). PACER Center is a proud partner of Think College. This website includes information on transition planning, legal issues, employment, and pathways to success.

College Transitions:  Colleges with Strong Learning Support Services:  The College Transitions team has identified a number of a universities that do an exceptional job helping students with disabilities find postsecondary success. In some cases, we highlight a general disabilities services office that is known for providing exceptional support free of cost. In other cases, we highlight programs that, for an extra fee, will provide structured and scheduled support to students, sometimes in a particular disability category.