Choosing the right college - Choosing a College
High school seniors will return to school this fall dreaming of the day they slip into their cap and gown and take their first steps into the adult world. For many, the pathway will lead to the college of their choice.
The Web has many sites that can help high school students with the two most challenging aspects of college preparation: choosing the right college and mastering the entrance tests that will help you gain admission to the college of your dreams.
For high school graduates already entering college this fall, there are also sites to help you navigate this brave new world, including advice for keeping that "freshman 15" pounds off your waistline and where to turn the first time you sniffle and Mom's not there to hand you a tissue.
Choosing a College
Undoubtedly the most exciting, yet daunting, task for the soon-to-be graduating high school senior is choosing the college that fits them best. At College PowerPrep, seniors can click on College Guidance to receive suggestions about how to choose the school that suits you academically and socially.
Under the Select a College section, you'll get a list of factors that should be considered when choosing a school. According to this section, the first step a student should take is to concentrate on assessing their academic strengths. Students should also consider extracurricular activities that are important to them and how they've performed on standardized tests. After determining answers to questions asked above, students are asked to carefully narrow their choices based on other individual needs, such as academic rigor, geography, cost and courses of study.
The College Board site is another good place to narrow down your school choices. First, click on Search for Colleges. Then, you will be asked to choose a number of options that you prefer in a college, such as type of school, location, major and sports. For example, under "type of school," you choose between public and private; men's, women's or co-educational; size; and whether it's important to attend a school that offers distance learning or that has a strong heritage of African-American scholarship. After completing the information, click on See College Info, and a list of schools will appear that most closely match your criteria.
The American College Entrance Directoryis one of the best one-stop shopping sites for the budding scholar. You'll find everything here from methods for choosing a college to financial aid and standardized testing information. The site also contains a regularly updated list of new college web sites, and links to such organizations as the United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic Fund and Study in the USA (for international students seeking higher education opportunities in the United States.)
Students planning to attend a local college or university may want to check out the WCCO Channel 4000 college guide, which includes a guide to local four-year, two-year and computer and technical programs. Here, you'll find a link to CampusTours.com, which provides "virtual tours" of colleges from Minnesota and across the country. The Channel 4000 site also features articles with titles such as "Can I Afford This?," "Will I Get In?" and "Why Study For The SAT?"
Choosing a College (Part 1)
Test Taking (Part 2)
Making the Grade (Part 3)