<p>Basically I'm doing the entire college search by myself. I go to a BIG public school where the counselors really only care that we're going to graduate high school. They don't help with the college search at all, and when I've asked they only talk about state schools. My parents try to help but aren't very knowledgable. I know there are lots of websites, but I'm pretty tired of them. Is there some alternative to a counselor that's another human being? Like I know there are private counselors but they're expensive....
Any help would be great!!
Thanks.</p>
<p>My son was homeschooled, so I became the college counselor. I got a TON from this site and from CollegeBoard’s school finder and from Prince ton review 's school finder and school summaries.</p>
<p>You can do it, but it’s a lot of work. Try to get your parents more knowledgeable - have them read some of the pinned financial aid posts for starters.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Depending on the state you live in, there are organizations that provide free help including college counseling. Try asking at a local public library for information. Also, there’s one more website you should visit to see if you can find human help [National</a> College Access Program Directory](<a href=“http://www.collegeaccess.org/accessprogramdirectory/search.aspx]National”>http://www.collegeaccess.org/accessprogramdirectory/search.aspx).</p>
<p>If you focus your questions well and provide relevant information about yourself, you can get lots of good advice on College Confidential. Sometimes you’ll also get biased advice from those of us pushing our favorite schools. You’ll be o.k. if you treat these posts as suggestions to investigate, not as gospel truth. For basic factual information about admission criteria, acceptance rates, financial aid, class sizes, etc., a good source is the “Common Data Set” that usually is posted on each school’s site.</p>
<p>If you already know which factors matter most to you, try using an online college matching tool. Example:
[College</a> Admissions, Search, and Financial Aid Help from College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/)</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice!</p>
<p>First get a copy of Barrons or Petersens College Guide. Look geographically. And make a list of 20 schools you have interest in. Categorize them by reach,match or safety depending on YOUR SAT and gpa/class rank. Be honest and reasonable.</p>
<p>Apply to 3 reach, 5 match, 3 safety schools. Be CERTAIN to include schools that will give you money…USNWR rankings are about prestige but NOT about quality of education in the real sense of the word. Many Generals, CEO’s and superstars graduated from small schools or schools down the list of prestige.</p>
<p>Make a list of what you want in a school. What you dont want. Size, class sizes, sports or academics, type of campus : urban or suburban or bucolic countryside. All the factors you find important. Include siblings and mom and dad. Be realistic about costs. </p>
<p>Look at public flagships and small private schools. READ THE COLLEGE GUIDES. </p>
<p>Look at the websites of schools of interest. </p>
<p>These guides are available at Barnes and Nobles etc. They are worth the money. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I ditto the suggestions of a good college guide or two. Start out by borrowing a few from the public library and start browsing through them to see which ones meet **your **needs. Then you can invest in one or two you like best (my favorite is the Fiske Guide).
You can get a good overview of the whole process at these sites:
US government - [Prepare</a> for College | Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college]Prepare”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college)
College Board - <a href=“https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started[/url]”>https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started</a></p>
<p>You can come back here to ask questions as you go along.
Yes, it is a lot of work, but it is your future so it is worth everything you put into it!</p>
<p>Thank you for all the advice! I’ll look into all that</p>