WEB LINKS TO INSPIRE COLLEGE APPLICANTS

PERSONAL EXPLORATION

NOT SURE OF YOUR STRENGTHS, BEST QUALITIES, WHAT YOU WANT TO STUDY OR FUTURE PROFESSIONS? COMPLETE ASSESSMENTS AND WITH YOUR RESULTS AS A STARTING POINT, EXPLORE COLLEGE MAJORS AND FUTURE PROFESSIONS.

Step One: Set up an account at College Coalition to gather and organize your academics using their set of free on line planning tools. www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org
Free personality quiz: The Big Five Traits: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/personality/
Free values assessment: The Values Test can help you learn more about your underlying work needs and motivations, and can help you decide what is important to you in a job. https://www.myplan.com/assess/values.php
Free assessment: True Colors. https://my-personality-test.com
Free personality assessment : https://www.16personalities.com
You Science aptitudes, interests, and future . Worth it at $29. https://www.youscience.com/student-aptitudes/
Self-Direct Search Assessment. Worth the $9.95 https://self-directed-search.com
Free career test: https://www.yourfreecareertest.com/career-tests/free-career-test-for-students/
College Majors: https://www.collegemajors101.com

LETS MAKE A COLLEGE LIST

CAREFULLY CRAFT A COLLEGE CRITERIA LIST. COOLY ASSESS YOUR ACADEMIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. START YOUR RESEARCH CREATING A LIST OF 10-12 SCHOOLS OF VARIED SELECTIVITY. CREATE A SPREADSHEET AND TAKE LOTS OF NOTES.

COLLEGE SEARCH:

Cappex: General Search: great site for comparing schools, calculating admissions chances, calculating financial aid, and just figuring out if a school is a good match for you in general. https://www.cappex.com
College Insight: option to start your search with a specific college, a topic that interests you, or with building your own table of different variables to compare schools https://college-insight.org
Big Future: College Search Step-by-Step" for students who are unsure of how to go about the search process https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org
Chegg: create a profile and see which schools might be right for you. www.chegg.com/schools
College Board college search. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org
College match tools and student reviews: https://www.unigo.com/colleges
Colleges that change lives: https://www.ctcl.org/?sfid=16108
Hidden Small Colleges: https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/hidden-gems-2019/hidden-gems-in-the-us-2019/
Best Value Colleges: https://www.forbes.com/value-colleges/list/#tab:rank
FORBES BEST COLLEGE List: https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/#4a53d5171987
Best Value Colleges . Different measures: https://www.bestvalueschools.com

VIRTUAL CAMPUS VISITS

VISIT EACH SCHOOL THROUGH THE ADMISSION WEB SITE AND TWO OTHERS. ASK FOR LOTS OF ADVICE. TALK TO STUDENTS AND ALUMNI. WRITE UP VOLUMINOUS NOTES. REFINE YOUR LIST TO 8-10 SCHOOLS.

Detailed advanced search engine. including sorting by offered sports. Media includes videos, social media, college web site, map and more https://campustours.com
Review and scholarship information: https://www.unigo.com
Campus Video Tours: https://campustours.com
General college info and reviews: www.niche.com
Rankings in many categories and videos: https://www.youniversitytv.com

APPLICATION ADVICE: TESTING, ESSAYS AND MORE

READY TO GET TO WORK? THERE ARE WEB SITES TO HELP AND ADVISE YOU FOR EVERY STEP OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

TEST PREP:

Sign up for tests and MUCH MUCH more: https://www.collegeboard.org
Free official test prep: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat
Free full length SAT test practice: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat
Free course on SAT test strategies: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat/new-sat-tips-planning
Free ACT Overview: https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions/making-high-school-count/standardized-tests/v/overview-of-act

APPLICATION:

PROMPT: This is your first stop! Detailed analysis of essay prompts and supplemental questions. Paid feedback. https://prompt.com
Khan Academy: free guides to all aspects of the college application process: https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions
Successful college essays and advice: https://blog.prepscholar.com/college-essay-examples-that-worked-expert-analysis
Actual Essays from Johns Hopkins and comments from Admission Staff: https://apply.jhu.edu/application-process/essays-that-worked/
How to write the college essay: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-to-write-a-college-essay
The common App activity List: https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/how-to-complete-the-college-application-activities-list
The Activity list again: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/guide-college-activities-list-common-app-example-application
Letters of Recommendation: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-ask-for-a-letter-of-recommendation
Recommendation Letters again: https://blog.collegevine.com/9-rules-for-requesting-letters-of-recommendation-from-teachers/

FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

BASIC FIRST STEPS: COLLEGE CALCUATOR ON COLLEGE BOARD AND THE FAFSA FORM

Comprehensive financial aid web site: https://www.fastweb.com
Financial aid overview: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college
Calculator to use for most schools: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/tools-calculators
Scholarship listings and student college reviews: https://www.unigo.com/scholarships

RECRUITING AND INFORMATION WEB SITES FOR ALL FUTURE COLLEGE ATHLETES

NCAA: ALL COLLEGE ATHLETES

College sports. NCAA recruiting overview: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future
Register at the NCAA eligibility center https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/
Recruiting rules, calendars and letters:http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/recruiting
General recruiting guide: https://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting

ESPECIALLY FOR SWIMMERS

EXPLORE PROGRAMS, ASSESS YOUR PERFORMANCE IN A SPREADSHEET, AND FOLLOW YOUR FAVORITE TEAMS. IN ADDITION TO FAST TIMES WHAT ELSE WILL IT TAKE TO IMPRESS COLLEGE COACHES?

Start here: www.swimcloud.com
Overview woman’s swim recruiting: https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-swimming
Overview of Mens college swimming: https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-swimming
Writing a coaches e mail: https://usatodayhss.com/2017/how-to-tell-coaches-are-reading-your-student-athletes-emails-even-if-they-dont-respond
Writing a coaches e mail:https://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting/contacting-college-coaches/email
Womens recruiting times: https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-swimming/college-swimming-recruiting-times
Swimming Colleges.. broken down by division with detailed information: https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-swimming/colleges
Mens recruiting times: https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-swimming/college-swimming-recruiting-times
Full list of mens swimming programs: https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-swimming/colleges

ARTISTS

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