College Search : A PCL Pathfinder

A number of excellent books and Web sites provide information for college-bound students and their parents. Listed here are some starting points for gathering information on testing, the college application process, sources of financial aid, school rankings, and contact information. Prospective students may also want to review some of the career materials to explore various occupations and their educational requirements. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

College Board College Handbook by College Board. Annual.
Contains information from an annual survey of every accredited college in the United States. Entries for each college show their admissions requirements, deadlines, and acceptance rates; academic and extracurricular offerings; special facilities and student services; contact information; and much more. Clearly laid out entries and over 30 indexes make it easy to use for quick reference.
STUDENT GUIDES 378.73 COL

The Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward B. Fiske, et al. New York: Times Books, 1989– . Annual. ISSN: 10427368. Previous title: Selective Guide to Colleges , 1983–1988.
In addition to the usual statistical information, this annual guide provides median test scores, number of applicants and percent accepted, as well as ratings on quality of academics and quality of life.
STUDENTS GUIDES 378.73 FIS

College Board Book of Majors . New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1980– . Annual. ISSN: 15416828.
Helps students determine which of the six hundred majors is right for them and which colleges offer that major.
STUDENT GUIDES 378.1 COL

Michigan Postsecondary Handbook. Lansing (Mich.) : Michigan Dept. of Treasury, 2005-.
A complete, descriptive listing of all Michigan postsecondary schools, including 2- and 4-year, special, and proprietary schools, occupational programs licensed by other state agencies, CIP code directory, Student Financial Services Bureau Directory of Programs, Michigan Career Pathways information, Career Cluster Training Q&A, Schools-To-Register Apprenticeship Program, ACT & SAT test information, NCAA information, web sites for college and financial aid information, and telephone numbers and web sites for school counselors.
REF 378.3 MIC

College Board Guide to Getting Financial Aid. New York: College Entrance Examination Board. Annual.
Provides the facts and figures needed to calculate the true costs at over 2,700 four-and two-year colleges. It includes itemized tuition and fee information; itemized charts of all student expenses; payment plan information; indexes of colleges offering merit, academic, and athletic scholarships.
STUDENT GUIDES 378.3 COL

Peterson's College Money Handbook. Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson/Peterson's, 1984– . Annual.
Annually updated reference guide to more than 1,600 individual colleges' student financial aid appropriations. Contains a chart that shows actual, average costs of specific colleges.
STUDENT GUIDES 378.3 PET

Scholarships, Grants and Prizes Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson/Peterson's, 1984– . Annual.
This unparalleled guide to privately funded scholarships is jam-packed with a plethora of awards worth billions of dollars.
STUDENT GUIDES 378.3 PET

FAFSA applications are kept at the Reference Desk.

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Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid Page
www.college-scholarships.com
A directory of college and university admission office e-mail addresses, arranged by state, plus supplemental links to financial aid offices, and information on tests such as GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and homepages of more than a thousand colleges and universities.

CollegeBoard
www.collegeboard.com
Preparing for and taking the SATs, registration dates and applications, general tips on getting ready for college.

College Calculators, CollegeBoard.com
www.collegeboard.com/article/0,1120,6-29-0-401,00.html
Use these calculators to estimate college costs, family contribution, and monthly repayment obligation for varying loan amounts.

Education, U.S. News & World Report
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.htm
Sponsored by U.S. News Online, this Web site offers college and graduate school rankings and additional features such as searching for scholarships by category, listings of internships, and “hot job tracks.”

FAFSA and Title IV School Code List, Federal Student Aid
http://studentaid.ed.gov
Obtain either the electronic or the print version of the “Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” and the “Title IV School Code List” from the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site.

IPEDS College Opportunities online, National Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/cool/index.asp
A U.S. Department of Education site designed to help you obtain information about colleges. Schools are searchable by location, program of study, size, or a combination of factors.

Education
Test Preparation