Wading through the virtual avalanche of books and Web sites designed to simplify the college selection and admissions process can be daunting.
The good news, though, is that the information doesn’t vary greatly from book to book or from one Web site to another. Browsing through a couple of different sources should provide enough perspectives to launch you on the road to college.
Here’s a list of some of the places to go for help in college planning. Remember to check information to make sure it is up to date.
Books
– Places to start
“A is For Admissions: The Insider’s Guide to Getting Into the Ivy League & Other Top Colleges” by Michele Hernandez (Warner Books, $14.99)
Hernanadez, who was assistant director of admissions at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., describes the step-by-step process that top schools use in their admissions offices.
“Barron’s Best Buys in College Education” by Lucia Solorzano (Barron’s Educational Series, $18.95)
Barron’s has selected 260 colleges of all types and sizes that it feels are the best bargains.
“Essays That Worked: 50 Essays from Successful Applications to the Nation’s Top Colleges” by Boykin Curry and Brian Kasbar (Random House, $12)
The title says it all. There also are comments from admissions counselors.
“Game Plan for Getting into College” by K. Patricia Aviezer (Petersons Guides, $14.95)
This focuses on how to pick a college that’s right for you, and has tips on applying and information on financing a college education.
“The Guide to Getting In” (Harvard Student Agencies, $13.95)
Written in a casual, readable style by students at this student-run corporation at Harvard University, this book goes through the entire college-search process. Topics include letters of recommendation, what admissions folks look for in interviews and athletic recruiting. The subheading, by the way is “Winning the College Admissions Game Without Losing Your Mind.”
“The Insider’s Guide to Colleges 2003,” compiled and edited by the staff of the Yale Daily News (St. Martin’s Press, $17.99)
This is another student-written and researched guide. It has profiles of more than 300 schools from a student viewpoint, with information on both the social and academic life on campus
“A Parents Guide to College Admissions” by Marjorie Nieuwenhuis (Simon & Schuster/Kaplan Educational Centers, $14)
This is an easy-to-read primer on preparing your child for college, with advice on everything, including admissions testing, the early-decision process, applying online and campus visits.
“The Unofficial Guide to College Admissions” by Shannon Turlington (IDG Books Worldwide, $16.95)
The guide includes chapters on selecting the right college, what admissions committees are looking for and how to write essays with impact.
– Specialty Books
“The K&W Guide to Colleges: For Students With Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder” by Marybeth Kravets and Imy Wax (Princeton Review, $27)
Students with learning disabilities and their families will find profiles of more than 300 schools and a Quick Contact Reference List that gives program information for another 1,000. Also included: learning-disabled programs’ admission requirements and graduation policies, what services are available at each school (tutors, note-takers, oral exams, extended test time, etc.) and a look at the level of support services at each school. The names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of program administrators also are listed.
“Daystar Guide to Colleges for African American Students” by Thomas Alexis LaVeist (Simon & Schuster, $20)
This book contains profiles of what it considers the 100 best schools for African-Americans, advice about college from black professionals, plus facts and figures about African-American student life and faculty at hundreds of colleges.
“The Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus,” edited by Ruth Fredman Cernea, Jeff Rubin and Ruthiew Fredman (Random House/Princeton Review, $14.95)
Discusses Jewish life on 500 campuses, with information on availability of Kosher food, religious services, Jewish student enrollment and student organizations.
“The Multicultural Student’s Guide to Colleges” by Robert Mitchell (Noonday Press, $25)
The subheading on this book is “what every African-American, Asian American, Hispanic and Native American applicant needs to know about America’s top schools.” The book looks at more than 200 top schools and examines what they offer socially and academically for minorities.
“Peterson’s Game Plan for Getting into Private School” by Lila Lohr (Peterson’s, $14.95)
Includes chapters on myths and truths about private schools, what they offer, visiting schools and how to search for the right school for you.
“The Student Athlete’s Handbook: The Complete Guide for Success” by Perry Bromwell and Howard Gensler (Wiley Publishing, $14.95)
Topics include guidelines on handling the recruiting process, explanations of NCAA rules and regulations, information on scholarships and financial aid for athletes and help on assessing your athletic abilities.
Magazines
“Kaplan/Newsweek How to Get into College 2003” ($7.95)
The publication covers the gamut, including test taking (with sample SAT/ACT questions and a diagnostic sample test), a list of this year’s “hottest schools” and articles on selecting the right school for you, financial aid and campus life.
“U.S. News & World Report 2003 America’s Best Colleges” ($7.95)
This ranks 1,400 schools in multiple categories and includes brief profiles of what it considers America’s top schools. There also are articles on numerous topics, including getting off wait-lists and finding financial aid.
Internet sites
www.collegeboard.com
This complete college site, run by TheCollege Board, has sections on selecting the right college, testing, test dates and locations, practice tests and financial aid. It also includes a free scholarship search.
www.collegeconfidential.com
Another complete site with the usual information on applying, testing, finance–plus a little more. There are sections on campus life, evaluating college rankings and advice from admissions’ experts. You’ll also find reviews of books on admissions, and a special focus on Ivy League admissions.
www.collegeispossible.org
The Coalition of America’s Colleges and Universities created this site for parents and students, and did a comprehensive job. There are sections on choosing the right college, preparing to go to college and paying for college. It also offers links to recommended books about the preceding topics. In the “Paying for College” section, the site even takes on “myths and realities” to dispel some of the common myths about paying for college and financial aid.
www.collegelink.com
This site allows students to apply electronically to more than 1,000 colleges.
www.colleges.com
You’ll find a variety of information on finding the right college–and can sign up for the weekly U. Advisor Weekly Newsletter, which will send you information on preparing for college every Monday. There’s also U. Magazine, the national college newspaper that for 10 years “has been bringing you [articles on] the best, the worst and the weirdest of college life.”
www.collegeview.com
The site is maintained by Hobsons, which publishes college guides. Users can take a virtual tour of the campus of their choice, research careers, register to win a scholarship and learn about applying online.
www.ets.org
The Educational Testing Service runs this site, which has sections on selecting the right school, preparing for standardized tests and applying to college. There also are links to sites where students can apply online and other college-related sites.
www.gocollege.com
You can search for schools by majors and other criteria. There also is a large scholarship database as well as tips on financial aid, campus crime statistics, lists of hotels near campus, etc.
www.nacac.com
The “for students” area of the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s site is a good place to track news about college–choosing the right one, admissions, etc. Find out about college fairs, pertinent publications and other Web resources. Also check out the calendar of what to do when, 9th –12th grade, and read the articles in “Steps to College,” the association’s online newsletter for students researching and choosing colleges.
www.petersons.com
The publisher of one of the school directories runs this site, which includes a way to search for colleges by major, tuition, sports and other criteria. There’s also help writing admissions essays, as well as test-preparation questions and information on financial aid.
www.princetonreview.com
Use the free school-match service, which can help you find the right school. Access 700-plus school applications, use free practice tests, search for scholarships and read advice on topics such as how to pay for college.
www.supercollege.com
Search the profiles of 3,000 colleges, read winning admissions essays, get tips on filling out application forms, search a scholarship database and read timetables for preparing for college while in high school.
www.wiredscholar.com
Launched by Sallie Mae in 2000, this site helps students and their families prepare for college with information on selecting the right college, applying to college, scholarships and financial aid.
