HS College Planning Tips: for week of Sept 06

Compare and Rank Colleges

Compare your choice of schools head-to-head and take a virtual tour of the campus. Begin grouping your college choices and rank them based on your selection criteria:

Use this worksheet to keep a college comparison report: FREE download

• College Comparison and Profiles
  compare colleges by region and cost: http://nces.ed.gov
  you can profile two or more colleges on cost, student size, teacher ratio, and other criteria: www.collegeboard.com
• College Rankings
  view college rankings by school criteria and other rankings www.library.uiuc.edu

  college rankings from US News & World Report: www.usnews.com

Make a Campus Visit

You should plan to make a college visit after you submit your application. The cost to attend college can be high for many schools. So make sure this is the right school for you.

• Plan to visit the college for a full day.
  Attend when the school is in session, if possible.
• Arrange an interview with the admission office
  or other “campus visit” groups.
• Meet with the financial aid office
  to get all related financial aid information offered by that school.
• When doing a visit,
  check out the library, student unions, sporting facilities, and academic centers. Walk the campus to familiarize yourself with the layout.
• Review housing facilities and dormitories
  to determine whether to live on-campus or off-campus housing. Note the college rules for housing. Some colleges require first-time Freshmen to live in dormitories.
• Schedule time to speak with students and faculty.
  Visit the clubs and societies that are part of the campus life. Check campus rules, safety
  programs, and facilities that maintain the safety of the campus.
• Drive around the surrounding community
  to familiarize yourself with restaurants, theaters, rec areas, job opportunities, etc.

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for September