Is there an efficient way to look for the right college?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I feel pretty lost when it comes to trying to find colleges that fit well with what I need and that I'd do well at. I made a list of things that I want in a college. But, is there a way to go about looking instead of going to each colleges website one by one?</p>

2

<p>If your criteria are those which are searchable on [College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/]College”>http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/) , then you may be able to get an initial list which will then be more manageable to go through school by school.</p>

3

<p>You can download data from ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ which can make a nice start. I probably went a little overboard but here’s what I did for my son. How I Created My Own College Rankings</p>

4

<p>Agree that [College</a> Results Online](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/]College”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/) is a good resource. The data is from 2010 but for a general list that should be fine. College Results Online mostly uses the data from College Navigator but has more options regarding advanced search options. Both are good places to make an initial list based on hard data. </p>

<p>College Confidential also has a College Search function, which also has Majors as a criteria:
[College</a> Search - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/)</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

5

<p>I think the Fiske Guide is very helpful and a good summary of atmosphere and strengths along with useful academic and other ratings. Then do some comparison visits close to home—an LAC vs. a university, for example. Once you see how a few places feel you can do more follow-up research.</p>

6

<p>If you are looking for slightly less common features in a college, a thread on CC is an amazing way to tap into the collective knowledge on this board.<br>
I remember threads about schools with LARP groups, gluten-free friendly dining, schools that allow pets in dorms, schools with boarding for horses…</p>