Mahitha Kunamneni & Samantha Schaefer

So, you want to go to college. But which college is the right one for you? It can be tiring to try and figure out where you will attend. The idea of college is expensive as well! Applications cost money, taking and studying for standardized tests cost money, and once college starts, you have more costs to worry about. Saving money in the process of applying to college is essential, and there are several free resources online that can help you begin your college search.

1. US News

   In the early stages of applying to college, everyone should consider looking through the updated US news college ranking website. This website is not only useful for seeing how each school is ranked but also for information on what each college can offer students, found within the sub-link for each college. For example, colleges are divided into liberal arts-focused vs. STEM-focused. If someone is highly interested in the premedical track, there would be a college that has a well-known and successful track. Once you have made a basic list of interests from this website, the next step to take is to visit each college’s website, which will have more detailed information on your area of interest. Even if you do not want to attend a school on this list, you can get an idea of what kind of school you would like to attend. 

2. CollegeBoard

   Now for my favorite college search tool: CollegeBoard, which offers multiple resources through their BigFuture site. If you already have a school in mind, you are able to look up that school by name to find more information about it. If you do not have any idea of where you would like to go, you can also filter schools by location, major, and more. CollegeBoard gives more information than USNews, in that it is tailored to applicants. It can tell you the deadlines for their specific application process, offered majors, costs, and information about campus life. This website was the mainstay of my college search, offering almost all of the information that I needed. 

3. Niche

   Niche is another great site for beginning your college search. It offers many tailored lists for colleges, such as “2021 Best Colleges for Engineering in America”. These lists can be especially helpful for those who know what they want to study and would like to base their college decision on their choice of major. Their website also offers a college search tab, complete with many filters to narrow your search down. 

Cutting Down Costs

Another way to lower the costs of college is to offset the cost of standardized testing, through resources such as Khan Academy and Kaplan. Kaplan will provide a free practice test for one ACT exam and one SAT exam. Furthermore, Khan Academy will provide several free practice exams with explanations post-exam. You can find more resources for the SAT by checking out our blog on this topic!       

Choosing a college, unfortunately, can be tiresome and expensive; however, everyone can utilize these free resources in looking for their perfect fit!