The Internet can be a valuable tool in the college search process. A good place to start is with web sites that provide databases of colleges. Depending on the site, you can type in the geographical area, size, setting , major(s), and other characteristics that interest you. You’ll then see a list of colleges that match your preferences. These "comparative" sites are a great way to generate a long list of colleges to research further. You might find colleges you haven’t even thought of.

Some sites that offer college search options (as well as other college information) include:
- www.collegeboard.com: advice for students and parents, search, online apps, SAT, AP, CSS Profile
- www.act.org: college search, online applications, advice, timelines, financial aid info & estimator, ACT
- www.embark.com: college search, online applications, test prep, financial aid, scholarships information
- www.review.com: college search, advice, info on scholarships, financial aid, test prep, online apps
- www.petersons.com: college search, financial aid, test prep, careers, study abroad, summer study opps
Once you have a preliminary list of colleges, research them online through the individual college web sites and email contact. To find a college’s web site: most comparative sites like those above also provide links to college home pages; or just type a college’s name into www.google.com or www.yahoo.com.

Official information can be learned from the admissions office, guidebooks, and the college catalogue. Unofficial information is available in the student newspaper, from contacting current students, and browsing student-made Web pages. College web sites are the easiest way to gather unofficial information short of visiting the college in person.
To make the most of a college’s web site, try these strategies:

- Look up answers to the questions raised in the section Figuring Out What You Want in a College.
- Seek home pages of faculty members in majors that interest you for syllabi & research interests.
- Read pages for "prospective students" for basic information, mission & priorities of the college.
- Visit home pages of student organizations–for example, the Outdoor Club or the Student Senate.
- Look for current student home pages. Send short email messages to a few asking questions.
- Find the alumni association pages–what are alumni of the college doing now? What is the college doing for its alumni?
- Take a virtual tour of the campus, if the college’s home page offers one.
For a link to online campus newspapers listed by site, check out the site of the American Journalism Review: http://newslink.org/statcamp.php.

Another helpful source of official information about the college is the college catalogue. Here are some suggestions for using college catalogues (many are available in the JMCHS Guidance Resource Center):
- Use the index to find areas in which you are interested first.
- Read carefully about Admission Requirements.
- Read Graduation Requirements for what you have to take to graduate from that college.
- Compare specific offerings in a given major across different types of colleges (small, large, public, private, research university, etc.). What’s the difference between majoring in chemistry at an engineering school and at a liberal arts college?
- Use the catalogue to answer questions about what courses certain majors have to take. What does "double major" or "area studies" mean? What kinds of study abroad programs are available?

More web sites to help in the initial searching process:
www.fastweb.com: financial aid/scholarship focus, as well as a college admissions focus.
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.php: includes college search, college comparisons, advice, information on financial aid scholarships, and the (in) famous rankings.
www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.php: has links to many of the well-known and not-so-well-known rankings and college lists. Also has a helpful "cautions and controversies" on rankings section.
www.nacac.com: includes info for parents & students on college planning, college fairs, helpful tips
www.blackexcel.org: College information and resources targeting African-American students.
www.hispaniconline.com/edu&/: Information and links for Hispanic students.
www.oyaron.org: a non-profit, no-fee college counseling organization for gay and lesbian youth.
www.catholiccollegesonline.org: links to home pages of Catholic colleges.
www.hbcunetwork.com: Historically Black Colleges and Universities network www.ajcunet.edu/jcss/jcss.php: Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ search site.
www.hillel.org/hillel/Hillel_Schools_New.nsf/Schools?OpenForm: guide to Jewish life on 500 campuses.
www.schoolfinder.com: a major search, link, and information site for Canadian colleges and universities.
www.ucas.ac.uk: the site of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service of the United Kingdom.
www.aaicu.org: good site for international study planning.
www.aacc.nche.edu: home page for the American Association of Community Colleges.
In addition to web sites, there are a number of college reference books that can be very helpful in the college admissions process. Bruce Hunter, the college counselor at Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s, has put together a 14-page annotated bibliography of particularly helpful books. His bibliography can be found on his school’s web site: www.rowland-hall.org/college.php. The books listed below are those identified and described on his list that are available in the JM Counseling Center for you to look through in the office or to borrow from Ms. Alamilla.

COMPREHENSIVE OBJECTIVE COLLEGE "PHONE BOOKS"

The College Handbook, College Board, New York, NY, 2002. 3600+ two-year and four-year colleges, indexes by size, type, religion, sports, early plans. Great introduction, CD-ROM included.

Peterson’s Competitive Colleges, Peterson’s, Princeton, NJ, 2002-2003. Profiles nearly 400 colleges, overview of paying for college, admissions process. Good starting place for high achievers, no ads.

NARRATIVE, SUBJECTIVE COLLEGE GUIDEBOOKS

Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even if You’re Not a Straight-A Student, Loren Pope, Penguin Books, New York, NY, 2000. Required Reading preface is must reading.

Cool Colleges for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late-Blooming, and Just Plain Different, Donald Asher, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, 2000. Great new book of "schools where you’ll be challenged and inspired" includes narrative profiles of 30+ distinctive colleges, brief paragraphs on many more.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges, Edward Fiske, Three Rivers Press, New York, NY, 2002. Most widely respected and accepted book in growing category began life as controversial NY Times Guide.

100 Colleges Where Average Students Can Excel, Joe Anne Adler, Arco, Macmillan, New York, NY, 1997. Average defined as C grades, 950-1050 SAT or comparable ACT. Two-page profiles, great resource.

PRELIMINARY COLLEGE LIST-BUILDER BOOKS

Index of Majors and Graduate Degrees, College Board, New York, NY 2001. Very popular resource, but carefully watch the C,A,B,M,D abbreviations after each college. Brief major descriptions included.

Rugg’s Recommendations on the Colleges, Frederick E. Rugg, Rugg’s Recommendations, Fallbrook, CA, 2002. Great brainstormer, grouped alphabetically by major, 19th edition from a former counselor.

CAMPUS VISIT, COLLEGE INTERVIEW BOOKS

Peterson’s Guide to College Visits, Peterson’s, Princeton, NJ, 1999. New second edition is much improved, presents campus visit information on 600+ colleges including quick facts, travel, airports, lodging, etc.

INTERNET, WORLD WIDE WEB RESOURCE BOOKS FOR COLLEGE ADMISSION

College.Edu: On-Line Resources for the Cyber-Savvy, Lisa Guernsey, Octameron Associates, Alexandria, VA, 2000. Cleverly noted as Version 4.0. Very comprehensive, under 150 pages, best buy at $8.

HOW COLLEGES ADMIT STUDENTS, "WHO GETS IN" BOOKS

Behind the Scenes: An Inside Look at the College Admission Process, Edward B. Wall, Octameron Associates, Alexandria, VA, 2000. Great concise resource from former Amherst dean.

COLLEGE ADMISSION STRATEGY BOOKS

The College Admissions Mystique, Bill Mayher, Noonday Press, New York, NY, 1998. Great advice and agenda-setter from respected college counselor retired from high-pressure Northeast prep schools.

CollegeMatch: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You! Steven R. Antonoff and Marie A. Friedemann, Octameron Associates, Alexandria, VA, 1999. Excellent booklet, great tone and advice.

How to Get into the Top Colleges, Richard Montauk and Krista Klein, Prentice Hall Press, Paramus, NJ, 2000. Very comprehensive resource runs 600+ pages, helpful chapter on British U. admission.

Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College that’s Right for You, Loren Pope, Penguin Books, New York, NY, 1995. Best book on the market in any category! Sage consultant offers wisdom. 20 Myths.

COLLEGE ESSAY AND APPLICATION BOOKS

Do It Write: How to Prepare a Great College Application, G. Gary Ripple, Octameron Associates, Alexandria, VA, 1999. Excellent compact booklet under 50 pages.
The College Application Essay, Sarah Myers McGinty, College Board, New York, NY, 1997. Excellent book includes detailed analysis of 11 essays, 50 sample questions, presents six steps in writing.

PARENTS’ GUIDEBOOKS TO COLLEGE ADMISSION

Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the College Years, Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger, Adler & Adler Publishers, Bethesda, MD, 1997. Recently revised and updated third edition with new subtitle. First half discusses what to expect; second half covers adjustment.