How to Research Colleges From Home
Most colleges have exams in May and may not offer campus tours. Here are strategies for researching colleges online.
To determine if a college is right for you, start with the basics on the college website.
Location (including size of the city or town where it is located)
Size of student population (both undergraduate and graduate students). Is it a small college (less than 3,500 students, midsize (3,500-10,000), or large (10,000+)?
If you need specific services in college, research the student disabilities office to see what supports it provides and how to qualify to receive them.
Follow the official college admissions account on social media to stay up-to-date on what is happening at that school.
Next, navigate to the academic majors and minors list.
Explore majors and minors in your academic areas of interest. Go to the department page for each major and minor to check out the required and elective courses. These courses can tell you a lot about the differences between colleges. Make a list of one or two of the upper-level courses that seem interesting to you.
See what kind of advising, research, and study abroad options are available in that major.
Determine whether you have to apply to a specific school at the college (if you want to pursue a certain major) or whether you will have time before you have to declare your major.
Review any honors programs that may be of interest to you.
Visit the admissions page. To check out the following:
Admissions options (Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision (1 and 2), or Rolling Admissions.
Requirements for admission, including whether standardized test scores are required.
Review to be sure the high school classes satisfy the college’s academic admissions requirements.
See what kind of virtual visit opportunities the school offers. Sign up for a virtual information session, tour, or watch one of their videos.
Check out the financial aid page to see the cost of attendance at that school and what kinds of financial aid are offered. Also, look for merit scholarships.
Google the name of the college and “student organizations.”
There, you should be able to find a searchable list of different clubs and activities. See if the college offers ways for you to continue your high school activities or discover a new interest.
Check out any affinity groups that you may want to join.
Follow clubs that you are interested in on Instagram to get a sense of how active they are.
Finally, see what the student life is like at that college.
What kind of housing is offered? Is there a requirement to live on campus for a certain number of years?
Is there Greek life (or other social clubs) on campus?
The athletic teams and whether students attend games
What are the campus traditions?
If you have questions or would like to learn more about college admissions, please visit Excelsioradmissions.com or click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to learn how I can help with your college admissions process.
