RESEARCHING COLLEGES
There are over 3,800 colleges in the United States and choosing a college will be one of the most overwhelming experiences that a high school student will have to encounter. Most students fear that they might not pick the right school. The concept that there is only one school in the nation that is the right fit is not true. There are actually several schools where your child will thrive and receive a quality education. This website was designed for you to make the most educated decision about a college and allow you to be aware of some of the different resources and opportunities that are out there.
The first item I want you to be aware of is that the companies that make college rankings are subjective and you should not place all your eggs in this basket without doing some research first. Some students and parents are fixated on these rankings and believe that if they do not attend one of these schools they will not get great job opportunities after they graduate. This is a false statement. There are hundreds of colleges in the United States with challenging academic programs which will prepare you for your career that do not appear on these lists. Many college admission officers and high school counselors do not put much weight into college rankings because often they are measured in categories that may not be important to the student (e.g., square footage of the campus, college professors' salaries, etc). Although many college admissions officers do not agree with having rankings, most colleges still submit information to them in fear that their college will look bad in these reports if they do not.
The second item worth stressing is the importance for the student to do the majority of the work on researching colleges / schools of interest. There is no dispute that parents play an important role in the college experience and make great sacrifices in order to give their children an opportunity to go to college, however, students need to feel they have ownership in this process. There are so many different factors, from a school's location to university facilities, that a student needs to take into consideration when comparing schools. Although two students could have same grades and interest in majors, one college will not necessarily be the right fit for both of them because of their particular interests. The more ownership a student has in this decision-making process, the more accountability and responsibility he / she will own when they go off to college which will hopefully translate into both happiness and success at that school.
COLLEGE SEARCH ENGINES
Collegeboard, the company that designs the SAT, has a wonderful search engine that can prove to be very beneficial. The database starts with 3842 colleges and starts to eliminate schools based on the student’s choices of what they want in a college (size, major, clubs, etc.)
College Navigator is a government website that was created by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.
YOUniversity shows virtual tours on college campuses across the nation. This resource is especially helpful for students looking into colleges that are far from home and want to get a better feel for what the school looks like. There is no substitute for visiting a campus, but this source can help. Visit it for yourself.
Collegedata.com has a great search engine that not only searches for the school with your program, but will also compare it head to head with other schools that have the same program.
Campus Tours gives an opportunity to look at a specific college majors and see what programs might be suitable for their interests.
EXPLORING MAJORS
Search by major by using Peterson’s database. You can also do a general search and the site will tell you information on categories of the middle 50% of ACT/SAT scores from a college, which gives you an idea of what type of score you need on an entrance exam to get in. It also will tell you the level of difficulty to get into these institutions.
Educationquest has an
Index of Majors that will show what majors are offered at each college or university in the state of Nebraska. Use this beneficial website to find out if the school you are researching carries your program of interest.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Power of Possibilities website will help you identify all the undergraduate majors at UNL that are related to your academic and career interests. Very helpful for seeing how your academic strengths can relate to your potential choices in majors.
4 YEAR SCHOOLS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
A comprehensive list of 4 year schools by state has been created byThe University of Texas and is very helpful for researching college within a state of interest.
POSTSECONDARY SCHOOL OPTIONS IN NEBRASKA
The NCCPE’s Directory of Postsecondary Institutions in Nebraska is a great source to research all the postsecondary school options in Nebraska. Whether your interests lie in going to a college, school for hair design, real estate, massage, or other professions, this site will give you the web addresses and contact numbers in one place.
COLLEGE FAIRS
Educationquest has a list of all the Nebraska College Fairs for the 2008-2009 school year. The major college fair that most Burke students attend is the Omaha Area College Fair, which takes place on Sunday, October 26th at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. It is a good idea to do a little research ahead of time because there are over 150 booths set up which represents 2 year and 4 year colleges, both private and public, and also private careers and the military are there as well. Click on the link above for a complete list of schools in attendance.
NURSING PROGRAMS
Midwest Student Exchange Program is a helpful way to students to attend other schools outside Nebraska and make them more affordable. The states that participate in the MSEP are Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. This is a wonderful program and is worth researching! Keep in mind as well that although some schools may participate in the MSEP, it also varies depending on the program of study. Contact the colleges you are interested in for more information.
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES
Historically Black Colleges are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established prior to 1964 with the intention of serving the African American community. HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents. HBCUs enroll 14 percent of all African American students in higher education, however, they only make up 3 percent of America’s 4,084 institutions of higher education. There are 110 historically black colleges in the United States, which includes both two-year and four-year institutions.
WOMEN'S COLLEGES
Women's Colleges are institutions of higher education that can offer a condusive environment for women.
SPECIALIZED COLLEGE GROUPS
The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) is a great website for searching for strong liberal arts schools that are located in the Midwest.
The website for the Adventist Colleges and Universities contains 13 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at an Adventist college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Assembly of God Colleges and Universities contains 19 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a college/university that founded from the Assembly of God. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Independent Baptist Colleges & Universities contains 42 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Baptist college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Bible Colleges & Universities contains hundreds of colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Bible college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the National Catholic College Admission Association (NCCAA) includes 168 Catholic colleges in North America. The website gives a nice description of the colleges and programs that they offer. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Church of Christ Affiliated Colleges & Universities contains 35 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Church of Christ Affiliated college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Disciples of Christ Colleges and Universities contains 14 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Disciples of Christ Affiliated college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Association of Episcopal Colleges (AEC)contains 11 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Baptist college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America contains 28 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a school affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Friends/Quakers Colleges & Universities contains 19 colleges across the United States. Visit the website for more information.
This List of Jewish colleges are for students that are interested in studying at a college that practices the Jewish faith. Visit this yahoo search engine for more information.
The website for the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America includes over 40 Lutheran colleges in North America and focuses on career preparation, maintaining a stronger sense of values, and having involvement in communities and churches. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry contains over 90 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Methodist college. Visit the website for more information.
This List of Mormon colleges are for students that are interested in studying at a college that practices the Mormon faith. Visit this yahoo search engine for more information.
The website for the Association of Presbyterian Colleges & Univesities contains 65 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Presbyterian college. Visit the website for more information.
The Official Website of the Southern Baptist Convention contains 53 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a Southern Baptist college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the United Church of Christ contains over 28 colleges across the United States that are interested in studying at a United Church of Christ college. Visit the website for more information.
The website for the Interdenominational Colleges contains 18 colleges across the United States. Visit the website for more information.
BOOKS ON COLLEGE GUIDES FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges: Descriptions of the Colleges 2007, Barron’s Educational Services, Inc.
The College Handbook 2009, College Board Publications.
The Complete Book of Colleges, 2007 edition, by the Princeton Review, Random House, Inc.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2007, Sourcebooks, Inc.
The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College, 2006, Sourcebooks, Inc.
The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, 2007, compiled and edited by the staff of The Yale Daily News, St. Martin’s Press.
Peterson’s Guide to Four-Year Colleges, 2007, Peterson’s Guides, Princeton, NJ.