After thinking about yourself and about the type of school you want to go to, you then need to find specific information on the schools that meet your requirements. If you have done the necessary research, you’ll be ready to make your college application early in your senior year. Here are some ways to get started:
Visit the guidance office or library.
- Look through the college directories and guide books (i.e.. The College Handbook, Lovejoy’s, Peterson’s, Chronicle Guidance, and others)
- Find the bulletins and other college and university publications.
- Find information on scholarships and on other ways of obtaining financial aid.
Do a college computer search
- Use the 2-year or 4-year Peterson’s Career and College Quest program in the Guidance Office or
- Use the Choices program in the Guidance Office or Library
Write for College Bulletins
- Write to several colleges that seem to fit your requirements. You’ll find that a college’s general catalog usually contains information on its programs, admission requirements, finances, and so forth. If you are writing to a large university (one that has several schools and colleges), specify the particular college that interests you. Here is a sample letter you can use:
Your Address
Springfield, VT 05156
Today’s date
Director of Admissions
Bugs Bunny College
Rabbit, TX 12345
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am a student at Springfield High School and expect to graduate in _________. I am interested in your college. Please send me your current catalog and application form. I am considering __________ as my major field of study.
Sincerely yours,
{your signature}
Your name printed
- Get all you can from the basic descriptions that you’ll find in the college bulletins. Take note of the school’s philosophy, distribution of students, faculty, living arrangements, facilities (labs, studios, libraries, etc.) and variety and number of courses offered.
- Also investigate rules governing the student body, services provided (i.e. health care, job placement), employment opportunities and extracurricular activities.
Read other college publications.
- You can write for college newspapers and magazines, literary quarterlies, alumni newsletters, etc. They’ll give you an idea of the interests, tastes, and abilities of the students.
- Departments of interest to you may have their own catalogs.
Talk with your guidance counselor.
- Your counselor can help you get off on the right foot. Discuss your requirements; talk about your interests; see if you are being realistic about your abilities and practical in your planning approach.
- Your counselor can help you find out how stiff the competition is, suggest college possibilities and alternates, give advice on financial aid.
Ask alumni, friends, family.
- How do they feel about college and what pointers can they give you to aid in selection?
- Alumni are an excellent source of information--they know their schools from the “inside”. But remember, an alumnus is likely to favor his or her own alma mater!
- Springfield graduates who are currently attending colleges in which you are interested may also be of help. Check in the guidance office to see where Springfield graduates have gone.
Go to a college fair.
- Fairs at which many institutions of higher education are represented are held each year throughout New England. The fair in Vermont is usually hosted by a college in the Burlington area. The fair gives you and your parents an opportunity to speak with admission representatives of many different colleges at once.
- The counselors bring a bus load of students each year to the College/Career fair in Keene.
magenta pin Borrow the college video.
- Several colleges have sent us a VHS video tapes of their school. You may borrow it and bring it home or we can make arrangements for you to see it here at school.
Use the Internet: web sites and email
- One quick way to find a college on the internet is to use the Choices program: open a Report on a college and right above the window in which the college profile appears is a button labeled "web site". Click on the button to open the menu and you can go directly to the college's web site. Computers are available in the Guidance Office and the Library for student use. If you want to use the internet directly try www.collegeboard.org or www.collegenet.com to find colleges. Or you might just use a search engine and put in the name of the college in which your are interested.
- At the college web site look for the admissions office. In this area you should find out what you need to do to apply and what the requirements for admission are. If it is a college in which you are really interested, you should get on their mailing list. Look for a form to fill out on the web site or look for the email address of the college admissions office.
- On a college web site you can frequently find out about the courses that are offered. Check the campus newspaper for information about what is happening on campus. If you are interested in sports, look for the athletic calendar. Use the links below to find schools:
Links to Help Find College Information
College and University Home Pages
in New England
Quick links to these colleges!
New England Board of Higher Education
To find programs open to Vermonters at public colleges in New England
Colleges and Universities
They are all here!
A user-friendly directory of 4-year institutions and community colleges provided by the University of Texas.
Peterson's Guide to College Information
What college has your major!
College Board Online Home Page
They have years of experience!
Business, Trade and Technical Schools
A useful directory of private vocational and training programs for learning beyond high school.
College Edge
A one-stop site for preparing for college, exploring careers, finding the college thats right for you, and financing your education.
CollegeNet
Search for colleges across the country by region, cost, size, and other factors.
Collegeview
Two Year Colleges
U.S. Two Year Colleges-- The University of Toledo-Community and Technical College sponsors this helpful web site focused on community colleges.
Download College Applications
(Over 800 applications available)
or order a free CD-ROM with applications at Apply!
Common Application
The Common Application is the recommended form of 195 selective, independent colleges and universities for admission to their undergraduate programs. Many of these institutions use the form exclusively. All give equal consideration to the Common Application and the college's own form.
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