LEAP

There are more choices than ever when it comes to college. So what is available (and much of it FREE!) to navigate this road?

College Fairs

Attending a college fair in your area allows you to gather information and connect with many college reps in one day. The National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) hosts fairs throughout the country. Cincinnati’s is this Sunday, October 2nd, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. at the Duke Energy Center. The full list of NACAC National College Fairs is listed by following the link. Save time and register before the day of the event.

Colleges in your area will often host fairs as well or perhaps even your high school will. LEAP will be part of Mason High School’s (OH) college fair this Friday, September 30th. Stop by and see us if you plan to attend.

College Reps Visit Your School

Most schools don’t host an entire fair. Instead they have college reps visit throughout the fall. Check with your guidance counselor on which schools are visiting and when. Plan to get a pass ahead of time to go down and discover more about schools in which you are interested. To curtail students wanting to skip out on class, most schools limit the number of college reps you can meet with. Make good use of your time, by looking at the full menu of options, carefully screening schools online through the school website then choosing those you’ll attend. Gather literature, take good notes and ask questions!

Free Resources on the Web

In addition to the college website, web-based resources are so numerous they outnumber the universities they are pushing. Which can you trust? Here are a few of LEAP’s favorites:

·       www.collegeview.com has a tool called Super Match or you can look up individual schools.

·       College Navigator is the government’s database on schools. I love the amount of information they provide particularly on the financial side of school.

·       www.collegeconfidential.com allows individuals to chat with others on schools and other topics. These chats have the ability to connect a prospective student with someone who has already walked your road.

·       www.collegeresults.org is probably my favorite site for finding similar schools. Once a school you like is entered, use the “Similar Colleges” tab at the top. It also provides to ability to sort the similar schools using a variety of data.

There are many more but these are a few of my favorites and are easy for families to navigate.

Social Media

Many colleges are using Facebook and Twitter to connect. These are great resources, but I caution you to cleanup your own profile before you start interacting with the colleges. Un-tag those unflattering photos!

Good old email still works just great too and can give you a more personal contact with the rep for your area.

Want to know the impact contact can have on your application? Read our previous post on Demonstrated Interest.

Article by: Lisa Mader
President, LEAP
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Mark your calendar!
LEAP's Annual FREE ACT-SAT Prep Essentials Seminar
(click to register!)
October 12th at 7:00 p.m. in Mason