College Search Tools

Narrow the search before visiting a college.

Visiting a prospective college is always a good idea, but other options allow students to prescreen a college to determine if it will be a good fit. CollegeBoard is a website that specializes in comparing colleges, college fairs are regularly conducted in cities across the United States and registrars will answer questions by phone or email. These options allow students to whittle down their lists of colleges before taking a road trip.

Compare Colleges

Find colleges where you want to study that offer majors of interest.

Students can sign up at CollegeBoard to compare colleges. Search criteria include costs and admission standards, majors, location, whether the school is public or private, the percent of minority students, programs for the disabled, sports offered and housing programs. This easy-to-navigate site will help the student begin to narrow choices, especially if he is undecided about the field of study. If the student has identified a major, then it is time to dig deeper.

Explore Related Majors

Learn if the college offers advanced or certificate programs.

Students can take the shortlist of colleges and examine the CollegeBoard profiles of each school to see which offer the degree program desired. Some offer certificates and bachelor's degrees while others offer master's and doctoral degrees. The admission statistics indicate if the college is likely to admit the student. Note other related degrees. For instance, if the student wants to major in pre-medicine, see if bio-immunology is also offered. Related degrees mean a wider choice of classes.

Attend College Fairs

Attend a college fair.

College fairs offer a way for students to ask questions not covered by online statistics. You can find a list of major college fairs at the National Association for College Admission Counseling website. You can ask which programs are planned in the future and which programs will be discontinued. You could also ask about library services, fitness centers available, campus security and campus activities.

Contact the Registrar

Call the registrar for information about courses.

Make a polite call or send an email to the office of the registrar to ask questions about course requirements and when courses are scheduled throughout the school year. Registrars make decisions about transferring credits and will send class descriptions, schedules and applications to prospective students.

Visit Colleges

Visit campus.

The best way for a student to get a feel for a college is to visit. By now, the student has narrowed the list to a handful of schools that meet criteria for cost, size, degree programs, majors and extracurricular activities. The student can call ahead to arrange a tour. Buying a local newspaper will provide information about off-campus jobs available, community activities and off-campus housing. When the student is fully informed, she is ready to apply.

References

• College Board: Inspiring Minds
• College Board: Questions to Ask College Representatives
• National Association for College Admission Testing: NACAC National College Fairs

Resources

• Career Planner: Registrar, College or University: Job Description and Jobs