Step 3: Research Colleges
There are multiple tools you may use in order to research and compare the colleges in which you are interested. Be sure to utilize as many as possible to gather the most information you possibly can.
Tools
College Comparison Worksheets
Calendar
Resources to Compare Colleges
- College Board
- People
- Start with the People Who Know You Best: Family members and close friends – talk to your family members, particularly those that you interact with regularly. Sometimes it's hard to recognize your own strengths and skills; your family and close friends are a great sounding board when it comes to outlining your talents and tapping into your passions and often they will know others outside of your family circle that might be helpful resources.
- Next look at resources at your school:
- Your school dean, APs, or counselors
- The staff and volunteers in the Boca Raton High School College/Career Center
- Teachers: Chat with your favorite teachers about what you might be interested in. They’ll have thoughts on your strengths and weaknesses and where you might be most successful. They also might be able to suggest other teachers and/or staff members to speak with who attended one of the schools that you’re considering.
- Other people in your life:
- If you work, talk to your manager and co-workers. Tell them what you are thinking about doing or studying.
- Friends - this doesn’t necessarily mean the people you hang out with on the weekends. If you have older friends and/or adults in your life that know you well, talk to them about their post-high school experiences and any advice they might have for you. If they went to college, what did they study? Looking back, are they happy with the decision? Do they know anyone who attended one of the schools you’re thinking about?
- People you admire and professionals in fields that you’re interested in – If there’s someone in your community or in a field of interest to you that you admire, talk to them! Even if you have never spoken to them, find an email address or other way to contact them and ask for advice! Most people would be happy to help you and it never hurts to ask. The worst thing that could happen is that they ignore you or say “no”. If you can’t figure out how to contact them, stop by the Fairview CCC and ask for some help.
- Anyone who attended one of the schools you are interested in – if you’ve been networking along the way, you may have a names and contact information of people who attended one of the schools that you’re interested in. Use it!
- College Visits in the CCC – literally hundreds of colleges and universities visit the CCC each year, mainly in the fall, to present information about their respective schools. The college representative that leads the discussion is often a member of the admissions office staff and may even be the person who reads all of the applications from Fairview for that school.
- People at the colleges and universities that you’re interested in
- Admissions office staff – find the contact information for the admissions staff member responsible for your part of the country (contact the admissions office for this information). Use that person as your resource for any questions about the admissions process. Remember that that person also likely will see your application and probably will participate in whether or not your application moves forward in the process.
- Financial Aid office staff - If you make the assumption that you cannot afford college based on the sticker price of tuition, you might miss out. It is difficult to talk about money, but if you investigate all the options and ask for help and advice, you will find affordable choices. College and university financial aid websites and office staff offer useful information and links as well. Investigate early and ask for help.
- Current students and faculty in fields that appeal to you – most people love to tell you about things they are doing that they are passionate about. Don’t hesitate to ask for contact information in the school/field that you are interested in at one of the colleges you’re looking at.
- Books
- The Princeton Review's The Best 378 Colleges by Robert Fanek, Kristen O'Toole, David Soto, and The Staff of The Princeton Review
- Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward B. Fiske
- The College Finder by Steven R. Antonoff
- The K&W Guide to College Programs & Services for Students with Learning Disabilities or ADHD, 11th Edition by Marybeth Kravets and Imy Wax
- College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities: Strategies and Tips to Make the Most of Your College Experience by Cynthia Simpson and Vicky Spencer
- David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
- Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni
- College Visits
- There are two types of college visits....on-campus and virtual. Refer to the College Visits page for more information.
- College Websites: A college's website is the place to go to thoroughly learn about the school, what it offers and how to apply.
- Make sure to review the following:
- “About” section that tells you a college's mission, it's history, facts, maps of the campus and various other information about the place.
- “Academic” section, you will find the departments or majors offered by the college, the professors and usually links to their websites, course catalog, and special programs offered at the college.
- “Apply” or “Admissions” section will give you the information you need to apply to that school as well as the application deadline dates for early and regular decision.
- Browse the website of each school you are interested in and look for the following:
- Research to see if it has the majors and/or programs you want to study.
- Make sure you understand the school's curriculum and requirements (e.g. all freshman are required to take a year-long introductory humanities class, a senior thesis is required to graduate).
- In your application to a college, the admissions readers want to see your interest in their school and this is conveyed by your knowledge of the school and how it fits with your goals.
- Make sure to review the following: