Applying to College

Looking for information about college admissions? Having sent two sons off to school (and watched them graduate), we learned a lot about the process. The sites I’ve bookmarked here will help you search for colleges that match your criteria, locate college and university home pages, find on-line application forms and search for financial aid sources.

Note: Many of these sites ask you to "register," which means providing a user name and e-mail address at the very least. Some ask for more information, including your address and phone number. If you're using a site to manage online applications, this is fine, but understand that many sites use the information for marketing purposes. Examine each site's privacy policy carefully.

To avoid having your regular e-mail account flooded, consider setting up a separate e-mail account for college-related material on one of the free e-mail services such as Yahoo or GMail. Use this e-mail address whenever you "register" on another site. This will keep your regular e-mail account free of junk and provide a single place to gather all your college-related mail. Another benefit: you can access these accounts from any computer with a Web browser.
 

    The College Board
    Make this your first stop for college information on the Web. Excellent college search, financial aid facts, on-line SAT registration and practice questions.

    FINAID

    This superb, comprehensive guide to financial aid is sponsored by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).

    FastWeb

    Another excellent database of scholarship and financial aid sources.

    The Common Application Online
    Many colleges accept the Common Application. If you're applying to several schools, you only have to fill it out once. Then you can send a copy to any school that accepts the Common App. Participating colleges have pledged to treat the Common App the same way they treat their own applications. This site allows you to fill out the Common App online and apply directly to many schools or download a copy of the application to your computer. Be aware, however, that many Common App schools want additional information or essays that aren't part of the standard form.So check the school's Web site or admissions office first.

    Princeton Review
    Kaplan Educational Centers

    These two outfits have been duking it out in the test preparation business for years. Good sites for college searching, general information and ordering SAT preparation software.

    U.S. News College Fair

    Site of the magazine's famous (or infamous) rankings of colleges and universities. Also, an excellent source of information about colleges that have on-line application forms.

    Peterson's CollegeQuest

    Good source of information about colleges, plus an on-line application service.

    Collegiate Choice College Tour Videos

    These hardy souls have videotaped actual walking tours at more than 350 colleges and make them available for $15 apiece. If nothing else, they deserve a medal for taking that many tours -- or a least a reserved bed in a rest home.