College Options101 Resources

College Review Guidebooks

• Fiske Guide to Colleges

• Princeton Review’s The Best 385 Colleges

• Cool Colleges by Donald Asher

Liberal Arts Colleges

• Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope (https://ctcl.org/)

• The Hidden Ivies by Howard Greene

Books for Visual and Performing Arts

• Creative Colleges by Elaina Loveland

Books for Navigating the College Journey as a Family

• The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together by Rick Clark and Brennan Barnard

• The College Conversation: A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children Along the Path to Higher Education by Eric Furda and Jacques Steinberg

• Where you Go is Not Who You will Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni

College Search Engines

• College Navigator: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator

• College Board Big Future: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

Data, Research and Lists

• College Data: https://www.collegedata.com/en/login/

• College Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

• Collegexpress: 800+ lists to narrow your search- https://www.collegexpress.com/lists/

College Tours

• YouVisit for virtual college tours: https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/

• Campus Tours: https://campustours.com/

Financial Fit

• Tuition Reciprocity: https://blog.collegevine.com/what-are-tuition-reciprocity-programs-how-do-they-help-out-of-state-students/

• College Board Expected Family Contribution Calculator: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/paying-your-share/expected-family-contribution-calculator

Assessing Overall Fit

• Free Corsava Cards Account: https://corsava.com/signup

• A “Fit” Over Rankings Why College Engagement Matters More than Selectivity: https://www.challengesuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Challenge-Success-White-Paper-on-College-Admissions-October-2018.pdf

Favorite Blogs:

• Rick Clark, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Georgia Tech: https://sites.gatech.edu/admission-blog/

• Jeff Schiffman, Director of Admission at Tulane University: http://tuadmissionjeff.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR0rJOUSLSX_naeyF194QB57Y2y25H_EhjANvLv0Si0XREnOu_g1oajKRpY

Financial Aid 101 Resources

12 websites to guide you in the process of applying for financial aid

1. Create your FSA ID: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

2. Detailed instructions on how to fill out the FAFSA: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out

3. Sample 2022-2023 FAFSA Worksheet: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-23-fafsa-worksheet.pdf

4. Listing schools on the FAFSA, including state-by-state grant money guide: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/school-list

5. Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Student Loans Amounts: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized

6. FAFSA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnu3BHoR9IYgBnCkqQdgmA

7. List of schools requiring the CSS Profile. Be sure to filter by schools that require the CSS Profile for domestic US Citizens: https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatingInstitutions.aspx

8. Getting started with your CSS Profile: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/getting-started-your-css-profile-application

9. EFC (Expected Family Contribution) Calculators: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/tools-calculators

10. Article on 15 of the Biggest FAFSA Mistakes: https://grownandflown.com/fifteen-biggest-financial-aid-fafsa-mistakes/?fbclid=IwAR1h01HAFdGGIKERq2re7VdOl__MEmZBWeFH3Z98nSdgerfdIUfGb0WmoJU

11. Article on FAFSA and CSS differences: https://grownandflown.com/what-need-know-fafsa-css-profile/

12. Domestic Undergraduate Need-Based and Merit Aid Chart: https://www.bigjeducationalconsulting.com/resources