It's never too early to involve children in thinking about their future. Will they go to college? What will they study? Where will they go? How much will it cost? Wondering where to find some answers? Look to the Web. Here are some terrific cyber-resources to get you started.
The CollegeView Web Edition is a database of 3,300 two- and four-year colleges with multimedia "tours". If your needs can be broken down into six searchable criteria such as location, size and major, you can query CollegeView to find the college of your dreams. The database is a great idea, but if you're interested in a college that does not have a CollegeView "tour", you will need to look elsewhere for details. Many colleges have their own web pages. You can locate them with your favorite Web search engine (mine is Lycos.)
This grade-by-grade guide to getting into college starts in middle school with career exploration and choosing pre-college curriculum. It continues through high school to entrance exams, college applications and acceptance. Outstanding!
Nellie Mae is the largest nonprofit provider of student and parent education loan funds in the country. If you need help understanding your financial aid options, or are ready to apply for a loan, "Loan Link" can help. Nellie Mae has loan programs for parents, undergraduates and graduate students.
Here is all the information you need about the SAT college entrance exams, including test dates, registration procedures and tips on how to prepare for the tests. You'll also find a demonstration copy of the College Board's own SAT prep software "One-on-One with the SAT". If you have already registered for it, the next SAT test date is March 23. Otherwise, you have until March 29 to register for the May 4th exam.
As part of your preparation for the SAT, this interactive site provides feedback on your math and verbal skills. First, get a copy of the College Board booklet "Taking the SAT-I" from your high school guidance office and take the sample test. After you have completed the test, enter your answers into the WebWare answer sheet. The WebWare service will then show you which math and verbal skills you need to strengthen!
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
College Prep 101 |
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