When I was in high school, a musical group from a Bible college came to sing at our church. The guys were really cute, and I liked their music, so I decided that I wanted to attend that college. Oh, the college also had the major that I was interested in :-). I sort of half-heartedly took a look a a few other colleges, but my fate was sealed when my number one choice offered me early admission. I think I had applied and been accepted before my parents realized fully what that meant. So, I went to college and graduated four years later with no debt (thanks, Mum & Dad!).
All that to say that I have no idea what I’m doing with daughter number one right now. I do remember that my brother had quite a different experience in choosing a college. I vaguely remember that he had stacks and stacks of catalogs in his bedroom, and we visited quite a few colleges before he settled on one.
Instead of stacks and stacks of catalogs, we now have the Internet. Thank goodness! Today’s college search tip is to utilize the wealth of resources available at the tips of our fingers. Start by checking out local colleges and other colleges you’ve heard about online. Look at the websites with your college-bound teen to get a feel for what’s offered and what the campus might be like.
When your child takes the SAT or the ACT, if s/he creates an online account, which I highly recommend, s/he will start receiving postcards and information from colleges that match her/his profile. Check out those college websites, too.
Look for college fairs in your area. If you belong to a homeschool e-loop, chances are that someone will post information about a local college fair. Attend, be open, talk to the admissions counselors. Oh, and take your student.
Here are some general college prep websites to check out:
College Board
ACT Student site
Peterson’s College Search
U.S. College Search
Q4U: What are your best online college search tips?
Bethany LaShell 