This is by no means a comprehensive list. More sites are developed constantly and some of these may add or discontinue certain features, or even cease to exist. Still, these provide a good starting place, with many of them offering a variety of interrelated services. Students are also encouraged to check Family Connection for more information.
Multifaceted websites:
This site focuses on five different areas: College Board Tests (information, dates, registration, sending scores); Plan for College; College Search; Apply to College (including on-line applications and advice about essays); and Pay for College (including a financial aid estimator, scholarship search, and the CSS PROFILE)
This very comprehensive site focuses on four areas: Research; SAT/ACT; Apply; and Pay for School. In addition to college searches, ‘Research’ allows access to abbreviated versions of the write-ups from “The Best 351 Colleges” as well as the recently published “Best Colleges Region by Region." This section also gives information about college majors, including links to lists of colleges which offer that particular concentration. “SAT/ACT”, in addition to exhorting you to sign up for one of the Princeton Review courses, offers a great deal of information about the tests as well as free sample questions. “Apply” facilitates applying online to hundreds of colleges, and “Pay for School” includes a financial aid estimator and a scholarship search.
In addition to allowing you to access a portion of the rankings (complete listings are available only if you subscribe to their “Premium Online Edition”.) Various search options, including a scholarship database, and numerous articles are also available.
SAT and ACT Registration and Score Reporting:
www.collegeboard.com (for SAT-I’s and SAT-II’s)
www.act.org (for the ACT)
Financial Aid Applications:
The FAFSA (the free federal financial aid form required by all colleges) is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov while the PROFILE (a supplementary financial aid form required by many private colleges) can be accessed at www.collegeboard.com. Both encourage online submission.
Financial Aid Estimators
(you enter your financial income and asset information to determine an estimated family contribution, based on both federal and institutional methodologies):
See www.collegeboard.com and www.princetonreview.com.
Go to the EFC Estimator. This also provides Title IV and Profile codes, needed as you complete the financial aid forms. This website also contains a great deal of useful information about the financial aid process and types of aid available.
Financial Aid Information & Scholarship Searches
(in addition to the ones noted above):
This site has one of the most extensive and up-to-date scholarship searches.
This includes scholarships by category.
This site also offers good information about loans.
This site says it offers “the world’s largest private sector scholarship database."
This site offers more general information about financing college and is geared toward students.
www.educaid.com; www.nelliemae.com; www.salliemae.com:
These websites have information about planning for the cost of college, as well as information about types of loans and repayment schedules.
www.afrotc.com; www.armyrotc.com; www.cnet.navy.mil/nrotc/nrotc.htm:
These are informational sites for different ROTC programs.