College Search:
Finding and Choosing A College

Your College Search. With over 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States alone, the range of choices available to potential applicants is staggering. While some students get bogged down with too many choices, others focus on too few schools, perhaps missing a "perfect fit." Our objective at College Confidential™ is to help students and parents develop a short list of schools that are worth evaluating in detail.

Whether you are at the very beginning of your search or in the final decision process, College Confidential has a wealth of information that will help. We're working on a new tool to find colleges, but in the meantime check out College Search at CollegeView.com.

Articles about Finding Schools and Choosing Between Them

• NEW! College Visit Reports
• NEW! Targeting Top Colleges
• DISCUSSION: College Search
• Tips for College Visits
• Second Tier, Not Second Best
• Some College Selection Criteria
• College Planning for the High School Senior
• Picking a Major: Finding Academic Programs as Unique as You!
• Beyond Brochures: Don't Be Fooled
• College Facts: How Early Do You Start College Planning?
• Making the Most of a Campus Visit
• High School Juniors: Looking Ahead to College
• More About Planning for College
• Some Basics of College Preparation

Ask The Dean: College Search Questions and Answers

How do I compare larger universities and smaller colleges? One of the fundamental decisions that high schoolers have to make during their college selection process is that of big school or small school... More

Is a college campus visit necessary? Would you buy a car without taking it for a test drive? Would you buy a stereo system without listening to your favorite music on it? More

What is the "Cluster Effect"? Most well-informed high school seniors know that there must be a strategy in place before they start their college application process. Though you may have a perfectly good set of reasons to apply... More

When is it too late to start college planning? Within limits, the sooner you start planning for college, the better off you'll be. Unfortunately, many students and their families don't begin making college plans until after the senior high school year has begun... More

Check out the complete Ask The Dean - College Search section!

Recommended Reading to help your College Search

Best 331 Colleges - 2002, by Robert Franek with Tom Meltzer and Eric Owens - This perennial bestseller features plenty of comments from actual students in addition to the usual mass of statistics and descriptive data for each school. Read our review.

Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student (Revised Edition), by Loren Pope. At a time when all too much tension is focused on a few top schools, our review tells why parents and students might want to uncover some hidden gems.

Visiting College Campuses (5th Edition) by Janet Spencer, Sandra Maleson, et al. Combines both general information on how to make the most of college visits as well as specific information on hundreds of the most frequently visited campuses. Check our review.

Smart Parents Guide to College: The 10 Most Important Factors for Students and Parents When Choosing a College, by Ernest L. Boyer and Paul Boyer. Need help in sorting out schools and comparing final choices? Our review tells how the Boyers give concrete advice on how to evaluate schools and find the best match for the student's needs.

Please Understand Me: Character & Temperament Types, by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates. Read our review to find out why this is a great place to start for those college-seekers who aren't particularly sure of a direction, much less specific colleges.

Specialty College Search Guides:

Peterson's Colleges With Programs for Students With Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorders (6th Revised edition) by Stephen S. Strichart, Charles T. Mangrum II, et al. LD and ADD students are being diagnosed more frequently, and many colleges are addressing the needs of these students from both an admissiosn and education standpoint. Read more in our review.

Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus (14th Edition), edited by Ruth Fredman Cernea and Jeff Rubin. Almost nine out of ten young people of the Jewish faith will attend college - this book helps families learn about the environment Jewish students will encounter at over 500 colleges, our review points out.

College Search Resources

U.S. Colleges and Universities:
Searchable Directory of 20,000+ Web Page Listings