The College Search
There are excellent sites that help you search for the college that fits! Read "Finding the Shoe That Fits" and "Visiting Colleges Without Leaving Your Couch" first, then come back and take advantage of these search and tour sites.
- Admittedly - A simple-to-use site that allows you to type in a college name for a quick look at the school. Colored graphs and charts give a fast but detailed view of the school. There are forums, tips and even the option to message current students for advice. This is a great source to use once you know of a school (or hear of a school) and want to learn more.
- CollegeXpress - A one-stop spot for college, scholarship, and career search. One of the neatest things about the site is the inclusion of the lists from the book The College Search by Steven Antonoff. These lists break down colleges like never before. Consider "Colleges for the Artist that Doesn't Want to Go to Art School" or "Sea Grant Colleges" as an example of the creativity in these lists. The site also allows you to create an account so you can then save your favorite schools, lists, and articles.
- UNIGO - This bright and bold site does a great job using graphics and charts to give a picture of the school and your "match" with the school. It's a nice starting place because it is not so overwhelming with the initial information. In addition to the college search feature there is a search for scholarships and a career exploration element.
- CollegeView - CollegeView is a really great place to start because it has over 20 search criteria you could work through. Head to the site and start choosing your preferences in the yellow categories on the left. Remember, you don't have to be too specific! Just because you think you want a school in California doesn't mean you can't be open to others.
- Princeton Review - This is a well-known site that is easy to use. Click on the link, and you'll be able to get started by searching for schools that have the major or career you're interested in. You can also use their lists, such as finding the schools with the happiest students, although this feature requires you to make an account.
- Niche - Another good search site with a solid amount of information, Niche shows what they think about schools in terms of grades. Schools receive grades of A-F in everything from Academics to Athletics to Dining to Safety to Weather. One thing to keep in mind is what others may view as an A may not be so great in your book! Still, it's a helpful place to start.
Virtual Tours
- YouVisit - This is an easy site that gives an extensive look at the school with images and narration. A student walks you through the highlights of the school. In addition to the narrated content, there are 360-degree panoramas to look through, a number of different photos, and even videos of professors and students.
- CampusTours - Gives a quick look at the school and provides links to the school's website, virtual tour, videos, and even application spot. It is basic to use.
- eCampusTours - This is another helpful site that is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Choosing a college will get you straight to an in-depth virtual tour, plus information about the school in general.
- CollegeClickTV - This is a really neat site that is stocked full of videos of students sharing their experiences at their college in an interview-like fashion. It's a great addition to other virtual tour sites and definitely worth checking out!
- YOUniversity - This may be my favorite virtual tour site! It is very student-friendly with the many graphics, music, and interactive elements. It provides a look at the school while still offering quick facts about the school.