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Helpful Websites for College Research

NPC Centennial Scholarship 2024

 

General Research

 

Resources for Underrepresented Students

 

Fly-In and Diversity Programs

Virtual Campus Tours

 

Majors and Academic Programs

 

Institutional Systems and Associations

International Institutions 

 

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Blogs

Other Resources

 

Helpful Books for College Research

There are many resources available to students and families for researching colleges and universities.

Institution Specific

Colleges publish a variety of marketing materials including websites, view books and brochures. These sources are an excellent place to find detailed information about each college, including their mission, course of study, admission requirements, application procedure, cost and financial aid. It should be noted that college specifically design their publications to attract the largest audience.

Objective Guidebooks

Objective guidebooks contain a wide variety of facts and figures including: academic offerings, degrees granted, majors or fields of concentration, student activities, athletic teams, acceptance rates, admitted geographic distribution, GPA and test score ranges, and contact information. 

Subjective Guidebooks

These can be more entertaining, but are opinion based with observations (sometimes gathered from student surveys) about faculty, academic programs, student life, and the general campus atmosphere. Though the reader must be on guard against stereotypes, these can be useful when compared to college publications and information from an objective guidebook. 

 

College Reference Guides: 

Objective Guidebooks

Barron’s, Profiles of American Colleges

The College Board, The College Handbook

Peterson’s, Guide to 4 Year Colleges

Princeton Review’s, The Best 376 Colleges

Wintergreen/Orchard House, Index of Majors and Sports

 

Subjective Books

Asher, Cool Colleges for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming, and Just Plain Different

Fiske, The Fiske Guide to Colleges

Greene, The Hidden Ivies

Pope, Colleges That Change Lives

Pope, Looking Beyond the Ivy League

Rugg, Rugg’s Recommendations on the Colleges

Yale Daily News, The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges

American Council on Education, American Universities and Colleges

 

Financial Aid

The College Board, College Costs and Financial Aid Handbook

Hammond, Discounts and Deals at the Nation’s 360 Best Colleges

Lieber, The Price you Pay for College

Lieder, Don’t Miss Out (financial aid)

Murphy, You Can Afford College: Family Guide to Meeting College Costs

Re, Financial Aid Fin-ancer

Roberts, Route 529

Schimke, The A’s and B’s of Academic Scholarships

Smith, Paying for Your Child’s Education

 

“How to” Books 

Clary, The College Survival Handbook

Fetter, Questions and Admissions

Greene and Minton, Scaling the Ivy Wall

Mitchell, How to Win the Heart of the College Admissions Dean

MacGowan and McGinty, 50 College Admissions Directors Speak to Parents

Mayher, The College Admissions Mystique

Moll, Playing the Selective College Admissions Game

Page, The Smart Girl’s Guide to College

Princeton Review, College Admissions: Cracking the System

Ripple, Campus Pursuit

Sowell, Choosing a College

Steinberg, The Admissions Maze

Turner, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to College Planning

Wall, Behind the Scenes

Yale Daily News, Guide to Succeeding in College

 

Special Interest 

Adler, Women’s Colleges

Black, African American Student’s College Guide: Your One-Stop Resource for Choosing the Right College, Getting In, and Paying the Bill

Mitchell, The Multicultural Student’s Guide to Colleges

 

Athletics

Koehler, Advising Student-Athletes: A Complete Guide for Counselors, Coaches and Parents

Princeton Review, Student Athlete’s Guide to College

 

Learning Differences and Special Services

Peterson’s Colleges with Programs for Students with Learning Disabilities

Princeton Review, The K & W Guide to Colleges for the Learning Disabled

 

Religion

National Catholic Admissions Assn., Official Catholic College and University Guidebook

Peterson’s Consider a Christian College

Peterson’s Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus

 

Theater and Visual Arts

Cherles, Directory of Theatre Training Programs

Peterson’s Professional Degree Programs in the Visual and Performing Arts

 

International Students and Study Abroad

Barat and Rollot, Studying In Europe

The College Board, Foreign Student Supplement to The College Handbook

Peterson’s Study Abroad

Peterson’s Summer Study Abroad

St. Martin’s Press editors, Work, Study, Travel Abroad

 

Other Interests

Coburn and Treeger, Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Today’s College Experience

Delahunty, I’m Going To College-Not You! :Surviving the College Search with Your Child

Furda & Steinberg, The College Conversation, A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children Along the Path to HIgher Education

Muchnick & Curtin, The Parent Compass, Navigating Your Teen’s Wellness & Academic Journey in Today’s Competitive World

Pasick, Almost Grown: Launching Your Child from High School to College

Rowe, Career Connection for College Education