5 Tips for a Successful College Search

1. Research Online

BigFuture (CollegeBoard) and Niche are good tools for searching and filtering colleges that could be a fit for you. Also, college websites, virtual tours, YouTube, and even all those emails you get can give you a deeper look at schools.

2. Research In-Person

Go to college fairs (here’s the National College Fair schedule), college visits at your school, talk to your school’s college/career prep counselor, and of course, visit campuses to get a feel for what a college is really like.

3. Look for more than your major

If a school doesn’t have what you want to study, then it’s logical to take it off your list! But what else do your other schools have to offer for involvement, location, support, atmosphere, and other things that are important to you?

4. Know the difference between ‘sticker price’ and actual cost

This is where scholarships and financial aid come in. Did you know every college is required to have a Net Price Calculator on their website? It’s where you can plug in your info and get an estimated actual cost after potential grants and scholarships. (Check out PLU’s Net Price calculator as an example.)

5. Stay organized & ahead

Do what it takes to keep track of both application and scholarship deadlines. Colleges will have different deadlines from each other, and some scholarship deadlines are long before the application deadline – you don’t want to miss out!

Another organization strategy that will help a lot, even if you’re just beginning your college search as a freshman or sophomore in high school, is to start an activities resume, and keep it updated.