As we approach the fall and another college admission season kicks into full gear, we thought that we would share our eight favorite resources for those applying the colleges in the fall, in no particular order….

  1. NACAC’s College Admission Status Update: This resource put out by the National Association for College Admission Counseling is a central resource for information about changes in college admission as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. It’s extremely helpful for following the shifts that colleges are making as a result of the pandemic, which looks like it may be interesting again this fall…
  2. Fair Test’s list all the test optional schools for this fall: Updated on a rolling basis, this list tracks which schools will be “test optional” or, in other words, not require the SAT or ACT as part of application.
  3. List of College Fairs: This resource lists all the major college fairs that will occurs this fall, great opportunities to meet some of the admissions officials from the various schools you will apply to, and to get more information about those schools.
  4. The National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: This site offers a search function to locate schools with a specific set of criteria, such as type of school, affordability, tuition, or test score requirements. It’s a good place to start for those who are just entering the process, in particular.
  5. Niche’s Best Colleges in America: A Great set of Rankings for all American schools, graded based on a number of key factors, by students, professors, and educational professionals. It even shows a scatter plot of those accepted and denied based on SAT/ACT scores and GPA.
  6. Youniversity Video Tours: If the pandemic does indeed prevent in person visits in the fall, this resource allows you visit campuses virtually via video tours.
  7. Research current topics of gossip at schools: For those who are looking for the juicy tidbits flying around the watercooler at individual colleges, college confidential provides the insider look as to what is being discussed on campus at various schools.
  8. College Scoops: And finally, the best for last! College scoops provides insider handbooks for each individual college, providing links to everything valuable to living on or visiting campus: where to eat, where to study, live, hang out, etc.