Resources
College Research
When researching colleges, there are several valuable tools to help guide your decision. College search websites like College Board and Niche offer comparisons, user reviews, and essential statistics. Additionally, virtual campus tours and social media platforms provide real insights from current students. Don't forget to check out college rankings and financial aid calculators to make informed choices!
Niche is a college search website that combines official data with student and parent reviews to rank and compare U.S. colleges. Users explore academic quality, campus life, costs, and overall fit based on real experiences and personalized tools.
BigFuture is a college and career planning tool that helps students explore schools, majors, careers, and scholarships. It offers dashboards, planning checklists, and access to over 24,000 scholarships to support every step of the college journey.
IPEDS, or covers areas such as enrollment, graduation rates, faculty, finances, and student demographics, and is used to help policymakers, researchers, and the public understand trends in U.S. higher education.
The Western Undergraduate Exchange is a tuition-savings program that allows students from 15 Western states and U.S. territories to attend participating public colleges in other WICHE states at no more than 150% of in-state tuition.
College Navigator is a tool from the National Center for Education Statistics that helps users search and compare colleges and universities. It offers data on costs, admissions, graduation rates, programs, and more.
The College Scorecard is a U.S. Department of Education website that provides up-to-date, standardized data to help users compare colleges and universities. It features information on costs, financial aid, andgraduation rates,
Unigo is a crowdsourced platform offering student reviews, scholarship matching, and admissions resources. It connects current and future college students with insights, stats, and funding opportunities .
CampusTours is a platform offering interactive virtual tours and detailed campus maps for over 1,700 colleges and universities worldwide. It combines 360° photos, guided videos, and customizable mapping tools.
CollegeData is a platform that helps students search, compare, and plan for college using a database of over 2,000 schools. It offers admissions tools, financial aid calculators, and expert advice to support the planning process.
The College Tour is a free, student-driven platform offering virtual campus tours of over 2,500 U.S. colleges and universities. It features episodes providing authentic insights into campus life, academics, and student experiences .
Appily is a free, all-in-one college planning platform used by over 3 million students, offering tools like personalized college matching, scholarship search, virtual campus tours, and expert-guided planning resources.
Test Prep
There are many useful platforms and resources to assist students with preparing for standardized tests such as the ACT or SAT.
The College Board is an organization providing standardized tests like the SAT, PSAT, and AP exams to help students prepare for college. It offers resources for test registration and score reporting
The Princeton Review offers SAT prep through courses, tutoring, and self-paced programs. It provides instruction, practice tests, and strategies to help students improve their scores.
ACT.org is the official website of the ACT, a standardized test used for college admissions and placement. It provides test registration, prep resources, and score reporting,
Kaplan Test Prep offers resources for standardized tests, including classes, on-demand lessons, and tutoring. Programs focus on strategies, personalized study plans, and practice exams.
Khan Academy offers free SAT prep in partnership with the College Board. It provides practice questions, full-length tests, and instructional videos tailored to a student's strengths and weaknesses.
Offers study guides, practice questions, and test-taking tips to help students prepare for the ACT. It breaks down each section of the test and provides clear, effective strategies.
College Application Platforms
Below are some of the most widely used platforms for college applications. These tools allow students to apply to multiple schools using a single, streamlined application.
A widely used college admissions platform accepted by over 1,000 colleges and universities. It allows students to complete one application and submit it to multiple schools.
Cal State Apply is the official application portal for all 23 California State University campuses. It allows students to submit one application and select multiple CSU campuses and terms.
This application is an admissions platform accepted by member schools committed to access, affordability, and student success. Students apply to multiple colleges with one application.
The SUNY Application is the centralized portal for applying to State University of New York campuses. Students can apply to multiple SUNY schools with one application.
UC Application
The UC Application is used to apply to all nine undergraduate University of California campuses. Students complete one application to be considered for multiple UC schools.
UCAS is the centralized application system for applying to universities in the United Kingdom. Students can apply to up to five UK institutions with one application
The Common Black Application allows students to apply to over 60 HBCUs with a single application. It simplifies the admissions process.
Financial Resources
Financial resources for college help students and families plan for and manage the cost of higher education. These tools and programs include scholarships, grants, loans, and financial aid applications. They are essential for making college more accessible and affordable.
The FAFSA is the form used to apply for federal, state, and some institutional financial aid for college. It determines eligibility for grants, loans, and work-study programs
The DSF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students enroll in and graduate from postsecondary institutions.
This platform is an aid application used by many private colleges/universities to award institutional aid. It collects detailed financial information to help schools assess a student’s need.
High school students can earn micro-scholarships for achievements like good grades and extracurriculars as early as 9th grade. These scholarships become part of their financial aid package.
The Colorado College Opportunity Fund provides eligible Colorado residents with a state-funded stipend to help lower in-state undergraduate tuition costs.
This is paid directly to the institution.
Fastweb is an online scholarship search platform that lets students build a personalized profile to receive curated matches from its database of vetted scholarship opportunities
Other Resources
The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies whether prospective college athletes meet NCAA Division I or II academic and amateurism standards by reviewing high school transcripts.
From higher education journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo comes a look from inside the admissions office—one that identifies surprising strategies that will aid in the college search.
The NAIA Eligibility Center determines whether first-time student-athletes meet the academic and competitive standards required to compete at NAIA member institutions
RFrank Bruni's New York Times bestseller: an inspiring manifesto about everything wrong with today's frenzied college admissions process and how to make the most of your college years.
A nonprofit that promotes intentional gap year experiences through accreditation, resources, and advocacy. It helps students find gap programs focused on personal growth, service, and learning.
CareerOneStop is a free, U.S. Department of Labor–sponsored career and job-search portal offering curated resources for career exploration, education and training, and workforce tools.