College 101: Choosing a College

This website allows you to select features about schools and they will provide a list. Great for quick facts about a particular school. The academic profile of a college's freshman class, financial aid and merit aid stats, available majors, and much more can be easily retrieved. BigFuture is the College Board's college planning website for students and parents.

Students can create a profile that goes well beyond test scores and grade-point averages that they share with schools. The site has search options that let students discover intriguing schools that they didn't know existed. Through Cappex, students can access a valuable directory of Merit Aid scholarships that thousands of schools offer.

This is a college matchmaking site where you can create a profile and see which schools might be right for you. This site can be very helpful in your college search because it lets you keep a running list of schools that you’re interested in once you create a profile. You’ll also find grades based on student reviews for everything from campus dining to academics to the party scene, so you can get an inside look at what people really think about the school. Explore Chegg's listings of colleges and universities, organized by categories like 'most beautiful campus', 'campus with the best food', 'most school spirit', 'best merit aid', 'best quality of life', and 'fun college majors'. Results can be filtered by type (2-year/4-year), US state preference, public/private, setting (rural, urban, etc.), and gender preference.

You might be familiar with College Confidential for its (sometimes less than trustworthy) discussion forums, but it also has a great college search feature. You can fill out your preferences in over 20 different categories including location, majors, Greek life, party scene, and special services. Based on your answers and how important these factors are to you, you’ll get matched with schools that fit you best (out of a database of over 4,500 schools that includes schools outside of the US).

Created by the Institute for College Access and Success, this site has gathered detailed information on thousands of colleges. Students can find statistics for any school on such topics as college affordability, graduation rates, and college diversity, including the racial and ethnic breakdown of students and professors.

The graphics aren't slick, but this US Department of Education website contains more data on the nation's colleges and universities than anyplace else on the Internet. Using the College Navigator's school search engine, students can scour the country for schools based on different criteria. Presented by IES-NCES (Institute of Education Sciences - National Center for Education Statistics).

This site provides college search options and lists that can help students identify and explore colleges by major, location and a variety of other criteria. Easily search and apply for $7 billion in scholarships.

Ranks U.S. colleges and universities in three separate lists: public, private universities, and liberal arts colleges. Users can query, view and sort the schools on each list by various financial and quality measures.

Offers inside reviews by current students to give you insight into colleges you may be considering. Also provides information on college rankings and finding scholarships.

This site is good for learning about application timelines and getting yourself organized for college as well as searching for schools that meet your criteria. There are articles with helpful tips about choosing colleges, applying to college, and getting financial aid and scholarships. You'll get fast stats about colleges and suggestions about other schools that you may like based on your searches.

This site, which has teamed up with the Wall Street Journal, serves up the unvarnished scoop on schools from the students themselves so it provides reviews without any spin from the admission offices. Unigo urges college students to share their take on their own schools through comments, photos, and videos.

In a video, Beth Kobliner explains to narrow down a list of schools your kid loves—and you can afford. The 'You Better Shop Around' page offers tips on how to shop smart . A video shows Cristella and Ismael - A daughter and her dad, an immigrant from Mexico, with reflections on looking at schools as a first-generation student. The We Need to Talk College website is presented by Beth Kobliner, an author and commentator and journalist on money issues.

In a video, Beth Kobliner explains how to choose a school that makes you and your kid happy. The 'Selecting the Right School' page gives tips on what to do in those few weeks you have in April to figure out what school works best for you, your child, and your budget. A video shows Emelie and Maria - A daughter and mom discuss the compromises involved when choosing between two New York schools. The We Need to Talk College website is presented by Beth Kobliner, an author and commentator and journalist on money issues.

A guide to American students considering enrolling in a college or university abroad and studying for a bachelor's degree. Covers colleges and programs in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe (including Germany, France, Spain, among other countries), Australia, Singapore, and China. Author: Paul Hockenos, New York Times News Service.

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