Resources

There are a seemingly endless number of resources which can be of great value to you as you plan the next chapter in your life. I hope you will take advantage of some of the ones listed below to supplement our work together. For resources which address your specific needs, interests and preferences, please contact Next Chapter College Consulting.

College Search

  • College Handbook, by College Board – Facts about close to 4,000 schools.
  • Fiske Guide to Colleges, by Edward Fiske – Subjective guide to approximately 300 selective schools.
  • The Best 381 Colleges, by Princeton Review – Subjective guide to almost 400 selective schools.
  • The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, by Yale Daily News Staff – Subjective guide to over 300 schools
  • Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges, by Loren Pope, revised by Hilary Masell Oswald – Subjective guide to 40 less-selective liberal arts schools with high levels of student engagement and participation, committed teaching faculty, and more.
  • Cool Colleges: for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming, and Just Plain Different, by Donald Asher – Subjective guide to unusual, niche and off-the-beaten-path colleges for students who are atypical.

Input information about yourself and your preferences and get a customized college list:

Find out more about specific schools:

  • College Data – College search, admissions information, financial aid information, and more.
  • Common Data Set – Type “common data set” into the search function of a school website and get common data for each – general, enrollment, graduation and retention rates, admissions, etc. Link is to Yale CDS as an example.
  • College Results Online – Graduation rates, retention rates, degrees granted by program area, etc. Compare schools. By The Education Trust.
  • Campus Safety – U.S. Department of Education site. Safety and security on campus.
  • U.S. News – Lots of great information, but please don’t put too much stock in the rankings!
  • Unigo – Comprehensive information on colleges, plus college student and expert opinions and advice on a wide range of topics.
  • Niche – Objective information plus student reviews. 
  • eCampusTours – Video tours of colleges.

About College Admissions

  • Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting Into College, by Sally P. Springer , Jon Reider and Marion R. Franck
  • The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College, by Jacques Steinberg
  • Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid into College, by Andrew Ferguson

Standardized Testing

  • The Official SAT Study Guide, by College Board
  • The Official Study Guide for all SAT Subject Tests, by College Board
  • The Real ACT Prep Guide, by ACT, Inc.
  • Get Your ACT Together: The Fabulous Guide to the ACT, by Jed Applerouth
  • FairTest – List of schools that are test optional.
  • Khan Academy – Free, personalized SAT prep.
  • Number2 – Free test prep for SAT and ACT. Provides very good explanations for answers.
  • SparkNotes – Free test prep for SAT, ACT, Subject Tests and AP tests.

Applying to College

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Financial Aid basics:

  • The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price, by Lynn O’Shaughnessy
  • Meeting College Costs, by College Board

Search for scholarships:

Interests, Majors and Careers

  • Book of Majors, by College Board

Special Interests and Groups

Athletics:

  • NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association home
  • NCAA Eligibility Center – Register here. About NCAA, divisions, sports, etc.
  • NAIA – National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, another governing body of college sports.

Visual and Performing Arts:

  • AICAD – Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. A consortium of 40 leading art schools. Find a school, browse majors.
  • NAST – National Association of Schools of Theatre. Organization of approximately 168 schools, conservatories, colleges, and universities.
  • National Portfolio Day – Free events around the country where visual arts and design students can meet and show their work to college representatives.
  • Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs – Free college fairs around the country.

Population Segments:

Students with Learning Differences:

Religious Diversity:

Gap Year, Summer and Other Opportunities

  • Gap Year Fairs – Listing of Gap Year Fairs and dates, and Gap Year programs.
  • Teen Life - Covers Gap Year, summer programs, volunteer opportunities, and more.

Preparing to Leave

  • College Packing List - Free app for iPhone and iPad with checklists for clothes, bathroom, class, dorm, and more, plus the ability to add your own items.