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Free Resources
For free college admissions help:
See my Linktree for quick links to resources available in my Learn posts.
Subscribe to my Substack, Admissions Tidbits for more detailed guides.
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The AXS Companion – free online resource with videos, tips, and a glossary of terms for each section of the Common App.
Coalition for College – If your high school uses SCOIR, apply through your high school account. If not, create a free Coalition/SCOIR account.
Common Black App – used by 68 HBCUs
Financial Aid
Federal Student Aid – U.S. Department of Education federal student aid website
FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Paper version of FAFSA – for reference
CSS Profile – used by roughly 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal financial aid; use your College Board account
Financial Aid for California Students
Cash4College – CSAC financial aid assistance for students
Virtual FAFSA Workshops – free
In-Person FAFSA Workshops – free
Testing Services
College Board (PSAT, SAT, AP)
For my students
Log in to the Student Portal here.
College Search – Internet
When searching for colleges using filters or preferences, be cautious about entering too many and limiting your search too early in the process of exploring colleges. Cast a wide net at first so you don’t miss any hidden gems!
Big Future (from the menu bar at the top, click Find Colleges, then Find Colleges Overview)- Hosted by College Board, Big Future allows you to search for a college by name, or search by using a variety of filters: test scores & selectivity; type of school; location; campus & housing; majors & learning environment; sports & activities; academic credit; paying; additional support programs; and diversity.
College Scorecard – Hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard allows you to search for a college by name, or search by location; field of study; graduation rate; and annual cost. On each college’s profile page, there’s a wealth of information, including average annual cost by family income range, and median debt and median earnings after graduation.
CollegeData’s College Search – A service of 1st Financial Bank, this tool allows you to search for a college by name, or search for colleges that match a number of preferences: college location; size, gender mix, & type of institution; entrance difficulty; freshman satisfaction; graduation rate; financial friendliness; sports; student background; and academic programs.
College Navigator – Hosted by the National Center for Educational Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, College Navigator allows you to search for a college by name, or by a variety of characteristics. College Navigator is the only search site that allows you to specify multiple majors within one search.
FairTest – Hosted by the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, FairTest lists colleges which use a test-optional admissions process.
Scholar Matcher – Hosted by Scholar Match, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, Scholar Matcher is tailored towards students from households earning less than $50,000 annually. Students can search from specially selected colleges chosen for the “Scholar Match Honor Roll”. These are colleges that “offer superior resources, support, and outcomes for low-income and first-generation youth”.
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Naviance – If you have an account for Naviance through school, the scattergrams give you context specific to your high school, based on students in prior classes. Also check out the Super Match and College Match tools.
College Search – Print
Fiske Guide to Colleges (2020; ISBN 978-1492664949; Sourcebooks) – The granddaddy of them all, the Fiske Guide has been updated annually since 1982. Originally The New York Times Selective Guide to Colleges, the Fiske Guide is written by Edward Fiske, a former Education Editor of the New York Times.
Students who work with me have access to the Fiske Guide online.
The Complete Book of Colleges (2021; ISBN 978-0525569411; Princeton Review) – This mega-guide to colleges contains detailed information on 1349 colleges and universities as well as indexes to help you narrow your search.
Princeton Review also publishes two additional guides:
The Best Value Colleges (2019, 13th ed.; ISBN 978-0525567868)
The Best 385 Colleges (2020; ISBN 978-0525568421)
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You can find all of these books on Amazon.
Virtual Campus Walking Tours
Many colleges and universities enhanced their virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Check the Visit or Admissions pages on college websites to see what they have to offer.
Princeton Review has compiled a list of links to college website campus tours here.
You might enjoy the Amazon-produced TV series, The College Tour. There are multiple ways to watch, including Android and iOS apps and YouTube playlists.
YouVisit, now owned by Educational Advisory Board (EAB), hosts campus tours here. Viewers are required to create an account.
College search resources represent my personal recommendations. I do not receive compensation in exchange.
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