College Information Websites
This page is a collection of websites useful to both parents and students in college and post-high school planning.
- College Search Websites
- College Rankings Websites
- College Application Websites
- College Essay Websites
- Athletic Information Websites
- General Information Websites
= Counselor Favorites
College Search Websites
There are many college search programs. The programs listed below are the ones that the counselors have found most helpful. They allow the student to indicate (and think about) their criteria for choosing a college. Based on those criteria, they generate a list of possible schools. Such computer-generated lists are only a beginning point. Students then need to evaluate the lists, research some of the schools, visit with their counselor, etc. (One of the most valuable contributions of doing these college search programs is that the questions the programs ask force students to think about which criteria really are important to them.)
- www.collegeboard.com
Look for “Finding the Right College” - www.review.com
Sponsored by Princeton Review. Look under “college”, then “search for a college”
- www.bestcollegepicks.com
Sponsored by Peterson’s—includes excellent general search but also specific searches for visual and performing arts, culinary, nursing, etc.
- www.collegenet.com
Excellent search engine—hotlinks right to the schools that interest you—has on-line applications--customized Internet admissions applications built for over 1500 colleges and universities. When applying to more than one program, you save redundant typing since common data automatically travels from form to form.
- College View
A free online college search service with profiles of 3,500+ colleges & universities,sites, virtual tours, electronic applications, financial aid info, career planning tools, and more. Find others with similar interests in Coffee Shop.
College Ranking Websites
The counselors would advise you to take rankings “with a grain of salt.” The quality of rankings varies based on the criteria used to compile the rankings, who is doing the rankings, etc. However, with this in mind, they can provide some general comparisons of schools that are valuable.
- College Confidential
Discusses the pros and cons of ranking colleges.
- College and University Rankings
The University of Illinois has gathered links to a collection of sites that rate colleges with various criteria. The site also discussed the philosophical difficulties with the whole process of ranking colleges.
- Kiplinger's Best Public Universities
Site sponsored by noted finance magazine. Sorts the schools in their survey of public colleges by overall rank, cost, quality measures or financial aid measures. Clicking on the college names after the search will take you to their Web sites. the site also has a similar search for private colleges.
- U.S. News & World Report
U. S. News and World Report’s yearly rankings of “America’s Best Colleges.” Includes tips on latest trends.
College Application Websites
- Black College Common Application
Apply to twenty historically black colleges with one application for $30.
- www.commonapp.org
Common Application is used by over 300+ colleges and universities. You can fill out common application and submit online or you can download forms. Also has most school supplements.
- College Viewbooks
Students can fill out one simple form and request up to 20 college viewbooks and applications mailed directly to their homes.
- C3 Apply
This site sponsored by ACT has a college search feature, college applications on line, ACT's Financial Aid Estimator, and virtual college tours.
- Unified Application
for 7 of the top Music Conservatories in the country!
College Essay Websites
- Essay Edge
This commercial site offers to assist students with writing essays for college applications. It also offers free access to admissions essays accepted by top colleges.
- Ivy Edge
This commercial site offers to help you edit your college application essays for a fee. However, this part of their site has helpful free guides to writing essays and applying to colleges that may be downloaded for free.
- Ivy League Admission
Commercial essay writing service also gives free writing advice for competitive admissions programs. - The Very Worst College Applications Essays
This tongue in cheek site does have a link to the Cambridge Essay Service, for a fee site that offers help with writing college essays. Even if you don't use the service, you might find some of their suggestions helpful.
Athletic Information Websites
- Link Athletic
Link to over 13,000 web sites for men's and women's athletics programs at universities. Organized by sport/gender/state.
- NCAA
This site contains much valuable information for the potential college athlete including eligibility requirements for Division 1, 2, & 3 schools. - NCAA Recruiting
The recruiting process must balance the interests of prospective student-athletes and the Association’s member institutions. Information from NCAA. The rules define who may be involved in the recruiting process, when recruiting may occur and the conditions under which recruiting may be conducted.
- NJCAA
The National Junior College Athletic Association provides opportunities for student-athletes to continue their athletic careers. The NJCAA is divided into three divisions just like the NCAA. The schools who are members of this organization are two-year community and junior colleges. After completing their eligibility, a student-athlete may choose to continue their academic and athletic career at a NCAA or NAIA school.
- NAIA
The small, private colleges and universities that are members of NAIA offer most of the same opportunities as NCAA schools.
National Christian College Athletic Association
Find Division 1 and 2 Christian colleges for various men's and women's sports.
There are many fee-based sites that offer to connect athletes and college coaches and athletic programs. Consumers need to investigate such sites thoroughly to make sure that they provide services that are commensurate with the costs or fees. For a list of some of these sites go to Wise Man Tech.
Be wary of organizations that will promise to find a student a sports scholarship. The only athletic divisions that give scholarships have very clear academic ACT/SAT guidelines. Work with your counselor to determine your eligibility and the process for registering with the NCAA. You will first register for the NCAA Clearinghouse after your junior year final grades are recorded.
General Information Websites
- Colleges
The Colleges, Universities and Scholarships Page is designed to offer college-bound students, parents, and counselors easy access to information on colleges and universities throughout the United States, free scholarship and financial aid searches, SAT and ACT test preparation tips, and more.
- ACT
Information and registration for ACT, financial need estimator, etc.
- All About College
Excellent search engine for colleges, test prep, and financial aid
- American Education Services
Comprehensive site with information on the college selection and application process and financial aid.
- Any College
Use this database to search for colleges by program, state, school type, sport and school name.
- Campus Program
This site not only searches for college programs by state, but also allows you to find colleges by specific career fields, majors, and occupations.
- Campus Security
The OPE Campus Security Statistics Website is a direct link to reported criminal offenses for over 6000 colleges and universities in the United States. If you are thinking of attending college in a large urban city, a small liberal arts college, a specialized college, or a community college you can find their security statistics here. Website is maintained by the Office of Post secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education.
- Campus Starter
Searchable database for colleges and universities in Canada
- Campus Tours
The Campus Tours Index provides fast and easy access to interactive tours of colleges across the United States.
- Careers and Colleges
Comprehensive, but somewhat commercial site on a variety of post secondary opportunities. - College Atlas
Colleges and Universities by Major
- College Base
Offers help on the SAT & ACT, has a collection of college stories, and evaluations of colleges from the student's perspective.
- College Board
Students, parents, & counselors will find a comprehensive menu of information to aid in the transition to college. Includes EXPAN - for free - college, career & financial aid database Includes SAT and AP (Advanced Placement) testing information and registration.
- College Coach
Information on preparing quality college applications including : getting organized, online applications, the Common Application, Early Admission Programs, getting great recommendations, writing college essays, and preparing for interviews.
- College Compass
Huge site contains links to careers and majors, college selections, financial aid, scholarships, test preparation, and summer programs.
- College Confidential
Comprehensive site guides you through the entire process from researching colleges to getting in and paying for them.
- College Data
Comprehensive site includes information on finding a college that fits your needs, getting into it, and paying for it.
- College is Possible
This comprehensive site sponsored by a coalition of universities contains information on selecting a college, application process, and financial aid.
- College News
Free campus new wire includes text from many college newspapers in the Chicago, New York Boston, and Philadelphia areas.
- College Opportunities On-line
This site is a direct link to over 9,000 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 them all here. This site was created by the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education. It was authorized by Congress in 1998 to help college students, future students, and their parents understand the differences between colleges and how much it costs to attend college. If you are not sure what colleges might be of interest, COOL has the tools to help you search for a college based on its location, program, or degree offerings either alone or in combination. Once you've found some colleges of interest, you can obtain important and understandable information on all of them.
- College Prep 101
This on line course is intended to provide high school students with the information they will need to decide on attending college. Included in the lessons is information to help with college preparation, selecting a college, easing the transition to college, and managing the changes in life which occur during college.
- College Profiles
Features in-depth profiles with information about academic programs, athletics, campus life, and financial aid, along with geographic search,directories for honors programs, women's colleges statistics on minority enrollment and numerous other resources for prospective college students.
- College Results
This site allows students to: examine overall graduation rates and see how those rates have changed over time, learn about universities' records graduating diverse groups of students and compare the graduation rates of similar institutions - colleges and universities that share many characteristics and serve similar student populations.
- College Zone
Takes a student from choosing a college as a senior to finding success on a university campus as a freshman.
- Colleges That Change Lives
Based on the book by Loren Pope and filled with information and first hand experiences, this website offers a unique perspective on forty remarkable liberal arts colleges. You can also sign up for a free monthly newsletter filled with advice on preparing for college and specific universities.
- Collegiate Choice Walking Tour Videos
Tours are simple, non-promotional videos of the student guided campus tour offered at over 700 colleges and universities across the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, and Scotland. These videos are not professionally produced. Guidance counselors, not commercial film makers, are doing the recordings. $15/college tour + shipping
- Dormitories Around the World
On this page you find links to various dormitories (or residential homes) from all over the globe. Some offer pictures of their dorms and/or include short essays. The dorms are sorted first by the country they're in and secondly by the university's name.
- Educational Planning Center
Although this site is sponsored by a bank in Nebraska, it has much valuable information about preparing for college and financial aid that would be useful for students everywhere. With FAFSA in hand, anyone anywhere can get the estimated funding question answered.
- FairTest
Site run by National Center for Fair and Open Testing. University section includes latest on college testing and list of schools that do not use standardized tests as part of application process.
- Go College
Comprehensive commercial site has information on selecting a college and paying for it.
- Greenes Guides
Website maintained by the authors of several very popular books on college admission. Counselors find the “Advice and Articles” and the “Knight Ridder Columns” sections very helpful.
- How College Admissions Works
The admissions director of Duke University gives real life examples of how the admissions process works. (especially good for students applying to select colleges and universities)
- Kaplan
Test Prep on line. College application software, career info, self tests plus many more topics.
- Kiplinger's Best Public Universities
Site sponsored by noted finance magazine sorts the schools in their survey of public colleges by overall rank, cost, quality measures or financial aid measures. Clicking on the college names after the search will take you to their Web sites. The site also has a similar search for private colleges.
- Making College Count
This site gives advice for college success -- to survive college, get a degree, and have great opportunities available after school. Many topics including picking a major, managing money, acing finals, etc.
- Mapping Your Future
On this site you'll find information to help you plan your career, select a school & plan for your future.
- My College Guide
This site has a college search section as well as articles about admissions, getting money for college, and doing well once you are admitted.
- My Majors
Take a short quiz on this site and it analyzes this information and suggests six majors to think about because they match your interests and high school experience. It can also give you more information about what these majors are, what type of courses you would take to get a degree and what jobs are available to graduates with various degrees.
- My Footpath
Free "Ask the Counselor" advice on the college planning and selection process and fee-based admissions reports.
- My Road
Comprehensive site allows you to explore majors, find a college and research careers. A searchable database of 900+ career fields, 6000+ vocational schools, colleges, and universities and links of scholarships, sources of loans, financial aid and advice.
- Next Step
Comprehensive college information site.
- The Personal Statement
Site from the University of California - Berkley walks a student through the process to follow to compose an exemplary personal statement as part of the college application process.
- Peterson's Education Center
Major publisher of materials about colleges and process of selecting a college. The Education and Career Center includes consistently organized information about educational opportunities at all levels. It also gives the ability to search Peterson's databases and share info with others. On line applications for 209 universities and graduate schools - some can be transmitted electronically and some can be printed and mailed in the usual manner.
- Preparing Your Child for College
This site produced by the US Department of Education explains the benefits of a college education and about ways to put college within reach academically and financially. Throughout their school years, students make academic and other decisions that affect whether they will be eligible to enter college.
- The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review helps people find and get into the right college or other school. They have great resources to help with testing, admissions, financial aid etc.
- Scholar Stuff
Offers a little something for everyone; a comprehensive list of colleges from around the world, chat rooms, financial aid sites, and links to information on college prep exams.
- Schools in the USA
Searchable data base allows visitors to locate a suitable college by program, name or location. Once a college is selected a student can request more information electronically. A parallel version of the site is especially for international students who wish to study in the US.
- Security on Campus
Campus safety is a topic that should be considered by students and parents as part of the school selection process.
- Steps to College
The National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) distributes a bi-monthly newsletter with timely college advice. Articles are on many topics of interest to students and parents. New topics are highlighted. Archived topics are also readily available.
- Students.gov
U.S. Government - wide initiative to deliver electronic services from government agencies and organizations to post secondary students. The site has links for information on: planning and paying for your education, internships, community service, career development, and military service.
- Super College
Comprehensive college guidance site has sections on searching for a college, admissions & tests, and scholarships.
- U.S. College Search
A searchable database of 9,000+ 4-year universities, 2-year colleges, junior colleges, vocational schools, job training programs, and technical certification programs. Search by state/city, degree program, major / degree program, and school name.
- U.S. Department of Education
Search for the college that's right for you by geographic region, state, city, type, major, or Title IV eligibility.
- U.S. News
U.S. News and World Report—tools and reports to take through the steps of the college process—from choosing where to apply to the application process itself.
- What Can I Do With a Major In?
Site from the University of North Carolina links career to the majors available on campus.
- Wired Scholar
Comprehensive site assists students with preparing for college, test preparation, and obtaining financial information.
- XAP
Comprehensive site allows students to search for colleges, take virtual tours, apply online, get financial information and plan a career.