This new tool is helping prospective college students | College Connection
A college investment is one of the largest expenses that most families will face in their lifetime. So, the key is to do some serious homework to identify best-fit colleges where students can prepare for the careers of their dreams at a school that meets their academic and social preferences.
College Board’s “BigFuture” website offers a free college search feature that is an ideal place for families to start their research. There they will find a college search database with information on more than 2,400 four-year colleges in the U.S. As students select the specific criteria that are important to them, such as school size, location, availability of on-campus housing, choice of major, etc., the list of appropriate colleges starts to shrink.
For example, if a student clicks on “location” and chooses New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania as options, the list shrinks to 191 potential colleges. If the student then clicks “majors” and indicates that they are seeking Business and Management, the list reduces to 153 good-fit colleges. If the student then identifies a preference for an urban setting, the list further narrows to 31 colleges. Without leaving their computer, students can vastly narrow down the list of colleges worthy of further investigation.
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These colleges can be categorized as reach, match, and safety schools by inputting SAT scores and GPA. Further details are provided indicating the likelihood of admission, the range of SAT scores for admitted students, graduation rate, and average annual cost of attendance after financial aid.
Parents and students should gather the facts on the real cost of attending any college under consideration. By googling the college name and COA (cost of attendance), they will find a breakdown of all the costs: tuition, fees, room and board, books, travel allocation, personal items allocation. Then, they should google the college name and “net price calculator” to find the amount the average student pays to attend the institution for an academic year after subtracting scholarships and grants (which do not get paid back). This will best reflect the true cost of attendance.
More: Use this free college planning tool | College Connection
At times, a particularly prestigious college is worth the investment, if you can gain acceptance. A “back door” way to get a degree from Columbia University, for those interested in engineering, is to gain acceptance to any of 100 other colleges – many of which aren’t nearly as competitive – and enroll in the Combined Plan Program. Students spend three years at their college of choice and then transfer to Columbia for two years, earning a liberal arts bachelor’s degree from the first school and an engineering bachelor’s degree from Columbia. This is a fabulous way for an average to above average student to earn an Ivy League degree, as Columbia’s regular acceptance rate is only 3.9%.
Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: College Board BigFuture tool great resource for prospective students
