The Topic: College Bound Easier - After completing high school, many students choose to continue their studies by going to college. More and more adults are returning to college too. Many technical and professional careers require people to return to school to continue their education.   Harder - People have many options for post secondary education including vocational school, technical school, community college, professional schools, as well as colleges and universities.   There are many factors to think about when selecting a college including practical and financial considerations, as well as, course offerings. Do you want to stay close to home or visit a new area of the world? Are you interested in a particular major that is offered at a particular school? Is a public or private institution best suited to your needs and interests? Do you prefer a small or large campus? How will your grades and test scores impact college admission? These are just a few of the many questions you need to consider before choosing a school.    CollegeBound Network http://www.collegebound.net The College Bound Network provides a great starting point for many web resources related to getting in and succeeding at college. Related Websites: 2) College Bound Magazine http://www.collegeboundmag.com/ 3) Student Rewards http://www.studentrewards.com 4) College Surfing http://www.collegesurfing.com/   CollegeLink https://www.collegelink.com/clnk/customize/Default.asp? This comprehensive website has college searches, information on test preparation, getting into top schools, finding scholarships, electronic college applications, paying for college and college success. Other Comprehensive College Success Websites: 2) CollegeNET http://www.collegenet.com/ 3) College View http://www.collegeview.com/home/index.html 4) College Spot http://www.collegespot.com/ 5) Embark http://www.embark.com/ 6) FastWeb http://www.fastweb.com/    7) GoCollege http://www.gocollege.com/   Mapping Your Future http://www.mapping-your-future.org/ This site provides information about higher education and career opportunities. Take the guided tour of 'Planning a Career.'   Think College http://ed.gov/thinkcollege/welcome/ This website has been designed to provide information on educational opportunities beyond high school for learners of all ages. This website has information for pre-high school, high school, returning adult students and parents. There are links to financial aid and college planning websites. Websections: 2) Think College Early (middle school) http://ed.gov/thinkcollege/early/tce_home.htm 3) Think College? Me? Now? http://www.ed.gov/pubs/CollegeMeNow/      After exploring the resources at several of the websites, complete one or more of the following activities   Explore Colleges. Create a list of factors to consider in selecting a college. Use College Homepages and Braintrack to locate at least three colleges you'd like to explore. Compare and contrast the colleges.   Becoming a Test Taker. In some cases, your test scores are an important part of your admission to college. Use the websites below to practice!   Ask Good Questions. It's important to ask lots of questions before you choose a college. After exploring some options, write some email asking questions. For example, you might write the admissions office of a university. Consider writing to some people who have the career of your interest. Find out about their college experience. Use a website like Expert Central to find some email contacts.   Create a Financial Plan. Explore Financial Aid for College. How much will it cost to go to college? Sit down with an adult such as a parent and discuss the financial aspects of attending college. Create a spreadsheet that shows the options. Use some of the financial websites below for suggestions. Explore a helpful worksheet. Use the FinAid Calculators for help.   Build a Timeline. Regardless of your age, it's time to start planning now. Create a timeline that contains important dates related to your college career.   Should You Go to College? Take an online quiz at College Prep by Peterson from Parents' Press.   Complete a College Bound WebQuest. Follow or adapt the procedures found at one or more of the following webquest site: 1) College Quest by J. Brown (Grade 12) http://kmahan.esc17.net/webquests/college/WEBQUEST.HTM 2) College WebQuest (Grade 11) http://www.ccsd.edu/mis/jim/SummerWebLessons/collegeweb/index.htm 3) How Do I Get There From Here?Financing College by M. Chenal-Ducey (Grades 10-12) http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/webfinancinmi.html Websites By Kids For Kids College Base (1998 ThinkQuest Project) http://library.thinkquest.org/17038/ This website gives high school students an idea of what college life is like in three different sections: Admission, Adventure, and Appraisal.   College-Mart, One Stop College Shopping (1997 ThinkQuest Project) http://library.thinkquest.org/12374/ Suitable for middle-schoolers just beginning to explore the idea of college life, there are simple explanations here of fraternities, dorm life, the process of applying for college, and even general information about paying for college.   Comprehensive University Education Guide (1997 ThinkQuest Project) http://library.thinkquest.org/10378/ This project focuses on educational options to consider after high school including school types, degree options, admissions, money, and exchange programs. It also contains a database of schools and glossary.   Choose Your Path (1997 ThinkQuest Project) http://library.thinkquest.org/13611/ Planning to continue your education in a college or university? At this site you'll find a wealth of information about institutions of higher learning in each U.S. state. Discover sources for financial aid, scholarships, and grants. Site also has persuasive arguments that may convince students of the long-term value of a college education.   Pathway to Tomorrow (1999 ThinkQuest Project) http://library.thinkquest.org/50058/crsrces.html Deciding where to go to college is a major life decision! Here are sites to help college-bound students through the maze of applications, accepting admission, and affording college education   Ultimate College Guide for the Average Honor Student (1997 ThinkQuest Project) http://library.thinkquest.org/10844/ Based on the Top 50 colleges as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, included are interviews with college students and questions asked by the authors to admissions officers. You'll also find a complete listing of undergraduate admissions office addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail contact information.   Planning and Decision Making Office of Postsecondary Education: U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/index.html The federal government provides information for students and families, including links to colleges and universities and other higher education web sites.    Tips on Preparing for College and a Career from Fordham University http://www.fordham.edu/step/dugan/timeline.htm Here you have tips on gaining college acceptance, a time-line from grade 9 upwards that suggests activities, and links to other sites.   College is Possible   College is Possible http://www.collegeispossible.org/ Thinking about college? You probably have a lot of questions: How does the application process work? What sort of college is right for me? How much will college cost?   Home Schooler's College Admissions Guide from College Board Online http://www.collegeboard.org/features/home/html/intro.html Home schoolers face unique challenges when it comes to planning and applying for college. This website contains some things to consider.   Planning for College: Some Issues for Parents and Students to Consider from College Board http://www.collegeboard.com/features/parentgd/html/intro.html Not everyone will attend college, but every secondary student should explore their options.   Ready, Set, Go! http://www.hesc.com/pub/rsg/rsg.html This on-line newsletter for middle school students. Information on planning academically and financially for college.    Prepping for & Taking the SAT and ACT Act, Inc.: Information for Life's Transitions http://www.act.org/ Best known for the ACT Assessment, our college admissions testing program, ACT offers a wide range of programs and services in educational planning, career planning, and workforce development. Not To Be Missed Section: 2) Estimated Expenses for One Year of College http://www.act.org/path/parent/college/costcom.html   College Board http://www.collegeboard.org/ Learn about important things to consider before deciding on college plus college costs and financial aid information. Prepare for the SAT, explore college and career options, and access a guide to the application process. All this from the group that brings you the SAT. Not-To-Be-Missed Section: 2) About the SAT & Subject Tests http://www.collegeboard.org/sat/html/students/indx001.html   Princeton Review: Tester http://tester.review.com/ Register then take a practice SAT test online.   Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®) http://www.toefl.org/ This is the site for English proficiency testing services for international students planning to study in the United States, Canada, or other countries where English is used in an academic environment.   Money Matters Financial Aid for College from the Better Business Bureau http://www.bbb.org/library/finaid.asp To get the most from your educational potential, you should begin mapping out your future as soon as possible.   FinAid from National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators http://www.finaid.org/ This website is a comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid. Not To Be Missed Section: 2) Calculators http://www.finaid.org/calculators/   Highly Competitive and Prestigious Scholarships, Fellowships & Internship Awards for College, Graduate School & Postgraduate Research http://scholarships.fatomei.com/ This site provides information on a broad number of scholarships. Related Websites: 2) College Scholarship Search http://angelfire.com/ns/scholarship/search.html 3) Scholarship Search Wizard http://www.fastweb.com/cpt/   International Education Finacial Aid http://www.iefa.org/ Here is a comprehensive listing of grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other information to assist students in their pursuit to study abroad.   Nellie Mae Student Loans http://www.nelliemae.com/ Get advice for paying for college from the largest source of student loan funding.    Scholarship Scams from State of West Virginia, Office of The Attorney General http://www.state.wv.us/wvag/faq/consumer/scholarshipscams.html Learn the six signs that a scholarship search may be a scholarship scam. Similar Websites: 2) Get Educated on Scholarship Scams http://www.ag.state.oh.us/civilrts/columns/scholar.htm 3) Scholarship Scams at Sallie Mae http://www.salliemae.com/planning/scams.html   State Residency: How to Save Tuition http://www.savetuition.com/ Learn how to save on college tuition by establishing residency.   Student Financial Aid : U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/finaid.html The Department administers several major student aid programs, including Pell Grants and Stafford Loans, which provide over $42 billion a year to help millions of students pay for the costs of college. This is the starting point if you're ready to apply for financial aid or just interested in more information about the federal student aid programs. Related Websections: 2) Finding Out About Financial Aid ... http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/Students/student.html 3) Student Guide 2001-2002 (Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education) http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/2001-2/index.html    More Comprehensive Websites 2001 Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid http://www.college-scholarships.com/ This site offers college bound students, parents, and counselors easy access to information on US colleges and universities, college scholarship and financial aid searches, SAT and ACT test preparation tips, and more.   Free Application for Federal Student Aid http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ This site provides information about federal financial aid program. Students can apply online.   Guide for the College-Bound Athlete from National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics http://www.naia.org/local/collegebound.html This is the official site for eligibility regulations, financial assistance policies, and recruitment policies. Related Website: 2) College Bound Basics by Rick Perko http://www.coachsedge.com/coaching/collegebound/    Fresher's Guide to Life, University and Everything from Kentucky University http://www.personal.u-net.com/~ic/fr_guide.html This guide offers general survival hints for new students, including managing money, social life, and study.   Locating Campus Information and Applications College Quest http://www.collegequest.com/plugin.nd/CollegeQuest/pgGateway# Free site membership allows you to locate and find out about a campus and its programs, aplply online, explore financial aid options, and more.   Essay Edge http://www.essayedge.com/admissions_fr.html This website specializes in application essay and personal statement editing and also provides advice on all aspects of the college and graduate school application process. Related Websites: 2) Essay Wizard http://www.northfork.com/essaywiz/ 3) Writing the College Admissions Essay from the Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center (ICPAC) http://icpac.indiana.edu/infoseries/is-15.html 4) Writing Web http://www.writingweb.com/    eCollegeApps http://ecollegeapps.com/ Save time and money by obtaining applications and applying to your favorite colleges and universities online.   Online Degrees, Financial Aid, and Scholarships http://www.online-degrees-and-scholarships.com/ This is a good place to start if you are looking for information about online degrees and virtual courses.      Peterson's http://www.petersons.com/ Although this site is a little slow, sometimes even difficult to load -- it is the comprehensive guide to higher education with comparative college data about specific colleges and graduate schools.       College Homepages at the Student Center http://collegehomepages.studentcenter.org/ This links-site connects to websites of most colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. Similar Websites: 2) Braintrack http://www.braintrack.com/ 3) National Center for Education Statistics http://www.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/ 4) Web U.S. Universities, by State from UT Austin http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ/state/   Degree Search http://www.degreesearch.com/lpBin/lpext.dll?f=file[search.htm] This search site lets you locate colleges with specific majors by state or geographic regions.   Study Abroad Information http://www.studyabroad.com/ Here you can find study abroad programs, travel info, maps, and more!   Sites for Parents Getting Ready for College Early http://www.ed.gov/pubs/GettingReadyCollegeEarly/ This is a guidebook for parents of middle and junior high students. 2) Spanish Version http://www.ed.gov/pubs/GRFC_Span/grfcspan.html   Higher Education Information Center http://www.heic.org/ This is the website of an organization that promotes college access and awareness for people of all ages, especially first generation college students, by providing information, counseling and advocacy.   Ignore College Ranking: Become an Educated Consumer by S. Levin from Washington Parent Magazine http://www.washingtonparent.com/articles/9712/rankings.htm Read this article from an educational consultant who has been advising students and their parents about college selection and admissions for 18 years. Other Articles: 2) How to Strive for a Top College by D. Peterson at Parent-Teen's College Prep http://www.parent-teen.com/collegeprep/ivyleague.html 3) What You Do This Summer Can Help You Get Into College by D. Peterson http://www.parent-teen.com/collegeprep/summerprep.html   Parent Connection http://www.hesc.com/pub/pc/parent_connection.html For parents, it's never too early . . . or too late to start thinking about the subject of a college education.   Preparing Your Child for College from the U.S. Dept. of Education http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Prepare/ This is a 1996-97 guidebook for parents.   Websites For Teachers Financing Your College Education http://www.li.net/~emadmin/college.htm This lesson for grades 10-12 focuses on exploring financial aspects of attending college.   Internet Lesson Plans for College & Career Planning http://www.marblehead.com/guidance/lesson.htm This website provides lessons for freshman through seniors related to planning for college.   Daily Lesson Plan: College Accept-tion to the Rule http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/990225thursday.html In this lesson students are encouraged to extend their ideas about the college application process by thinking about ways to supplement college applications.    college financial aid admissions dorm SAT ACT scholarship graduate school careers campus freshman application essay post secondary community college undergraduate university Bachelor’s degree high school major minor study academic technical school military academy campus tour housing registration transcript bookstore cashier's office credit hour elective tuition GPA teaching assistant lab lecture orientation professor registrar prerequisite      Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 3/01.