What’s Next?

Take your college preferences to the next level and give yourself an edge in the college admissions process

Explore these valuable tips and resources to help you along your college journey. These trusted tools are recommended by experienced independent educational consultants and high school counselors — use what the pros use and focus on your path to success!

Have fun and become an expert as you take ownership of your college list. Explore a college a week, attend virtual sessions, and get to know the admissions representatives at each of your colleges. Colleges pay attention to your engagement and it will help you make a more informed final decision.

Build Your College List

Don’t fall into the common trap of picking a college based on size, location, sticker price, and major. There is a better way to find places where you will thrive!

know yourself

The College Essay Guy’s step-by-step guide “How to Choose a College” is just about the best resource out there for helping you build a list of colleges that align well with what matters most to you.

know your options

CollegeXpress is an exceptional place to search for colleges you may never have considered. Check out their college lists and rankings, including categories that may surprise you, like “Colleges that are Especially Welcoming to Freshmen”.

College Research

Corsava Tip: As you do your research, use your Corsava account to rate your Must Have and Would Be Nice cards for each of the colleges on your list. Get a personalized ranking of your list and use it to better target your applications, interviews, and conversations with admissions reps.

Virtual college Fairs

Any college fair, whether virtual or in-person, can be overwhelming. Come prepared with a list of colleges you want to check out and learn more with NACAC’s virtual college fair quickstart guide. Check out StriveScan’s 6x6 Virtual College Fairs that highlight groups of colleges.

Get to Know Them

Be sure colleges know you are interested in them by registering on their Admissions page and signing up for virtual tours and information sessions. Use these tips to get more out of reviewing college websites.

Get the Inside Scoop

Check out individual college websites first for their official virtual tours, then head to YOUniversityTV and CampusReel for another perspective - including student interviews.

Financial Aid & Merit Scholarships

College costs and rising student debt are at the top of everyone’s mind these days. Understand what your family will have to pay, not the sticker price, and learn more about what colleges and degrees are worth it for you.

Taking the time to educate yourself on financial aid, merit aid, and scholarships on the front end will save you a bundle later, and help you avoid a costly Plan B.

Know Your Numbers Early

Discover what your true cost of college will be, how much you will owe, and explore your post-graduation earning potential by setting up a free account on Edmit. Comparing the college on your list will be a big eye-opener!

The newly updated College Scorecard will help you determine what kind of debt graduates can expect, how many students graduate on time, average salaries, and more. And don’t forget that every college website includes its own Net Price Calculator to determine what you can expect to pay.

Get Money for Being You

CollegeXpress offers targeted scholarships based on your profile. Sydney Montgomery shares some great scholarship advice in this video.

We are excited about a new scholarship site, Going Merry — a free site that bundles and auto-fills applications to make your life easier!

First-generation and underrepresented students can connect with colleges for more scholarships and fly-in programs to explore campuses before applying.

Test Drive Your Passion

Hands-on experiences can take you on a road you may never have imagined.

Why not consider some alternative ways to strengthen your application, get experience, and discover a path you may never have expected?

Are you considering taking a year off before you go to college? The options continue to grow both virtually and in places around the world.

Independent projects, summer programs, online courses, and gap year experiences are a great way to explore different career and life paths, take a break from school, meet new people, and get out in the world.

Expand Your Horizons

Verto Education allows students to earn college credit and then enroll at one of their partner colleges following this unique, global first-year college experience. Skip the college application process and jump into an adventure, knowing your college awaits. 

TeenLife maintains an extensive listing of both virtual and on-site summer and gap year programs around the world.

Research Takes Many Forms

Explore what you love while giving your college applications a boost. Connect with a mentor as you create a passion project and showcase your work! Visit Polygence to learn more — and bring your imagination! With hundreds of research mentors and industry professionals across diverse disciplines, they are poised to help you tackle any intellectual challenge! They also offer college credit through UC Irvine’s Gifted and Talented Institute (UCI x GATI) for Polygence students who choose to write research papers.