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Ryan Lytle
Use these digital options to help find the college that's right for you
College students and graduates are familiar with the traditional admissions process. Whether students in past years traveled hundreds of miles to explore a campus for the first time, or scheduled office hours with a college admissions counselor, the route to choosing a college oftentimes involved a lot of frustration and legwork.
Today, with technology permeating nearly every aspect of life, students and families are finding ways to stay more organized and productive throughout the process. Tools of the past, such as the three-ring binder and the notebook, are giving way to apps and mobile devices that allow students to research a school, visit a campus, and meet with admissions counselors--all while never stepping foot on school grounds.
As technology advances, digital tools have become more prevalent in making this life-altering process more manageable. Here are just a few of those tools available to students and parents:
1. College Tuition Net price calculator:
Higher education institutions in the United States is required
to post a net price calculator on its respective college website, but many schools, such as
According to Bill Wells, director of financial aid at
Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb.com and FinAid.org, though, cautions families to take into account the accuracy of the tool. "I would characterize it more as telling you whether or not the college is in the right ballpark, [but] these calculators could be off by thousands of dollars."
2. U.S. News My Fit:
Experts advise students looking for their best college fit to visit schools in person to get a real feel of the environment. But, with myriad college options, students may feel overwhelmed narrowing their choices. Acknowledging these frustrations, U.S.
Using data points such as intended major, undergraduate enrollment, and Greek life preferences, students can narrow their options based on the size, makeup, and academic offerings of a particular school. Students can also enter their high school GPA and standardized test scores to determine how they compare academically to current students of the school, based upon data provided by the colleges and universities in a 2010 survey by U.S. News.
After entering his or her data, a user can browse college profile pages among the Best Colleges section to see whether a certain school is likely to be a good fit. In order to access the My Fit tool, a user must have access to the U.S. NewsCollege Compass.
3. Evernote:
Though the tool was not designed specifically for the college admissions process, Evernote allows students and parents to produce and organize their notes, opinions, and experiences in one place. This free app, which is available on nearly every platform, gives users the ability to archive and access their college search progress anywhere in the world.
"It's vital that students don't spend any time during their senior year idle when it comes to the college admissions
process," says Eric Berg, vice president for enrollment at the
4. Virtual tours:
For most current college students and graduates, getting a feel for a college was tedious and sometimes costly. Today, much of this work can be done from home, says Dave Kerpen, author of the . "Five years ago, in order to get to know a college, you'd have to go on a tour," Kerpen says. "Now, you can go on a virtual tour of basically any college, any time."
Virtual tour sites such as eCampusTours and YourCampus360 allow students to see a campus from the convenience of the couch. Users can access more than a thousand virtual tours between these two sites, utilizing 360-degree functionality--at no cost. While the virtual tours may help students narrow their list of colleges, they shouldn't make their final decision without a physical visit, says Berg.
5. Skype:
The free video chat service,
"The opportunity for programs like
6.
7. Twitter:
The search function of Twitter is a powerful tool to observe conversations, Kerpen says. "It allows students to find out what's being said right now about a particular college."
Whereas a college or university may be able to filter the discussions taking place on its
Available on Amazon.com:
The Best Business Schools' Admissions Secrets
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7 Tools to Aid the College Admissions Process