You use your computer for just about everything, from taking notes to sending instant messages to friends to buying the latest MP3s. So why hasn’t the college application process gotten with the program?
Filling out paper applications and forms can be tedious and confusing. But the truth is, you can do just about everything online these days if you know where to look. We’ve rounded up some of the best online tools to help you out with the college application process, from finding scholarships to learning what your odds are. If you’re ready to put down the pen and paper for good, click on over to these great sites.
Undoubtedly, you’re familiar with Facebook—in fact, you’re probably logged in right now. It’s the perfect way to keep up with friends and relatives, share photos, and play FarmVille and the rest of your favorite online games. Now, thanks to a cool app called College Planner, you can even use Facebook to apply to college.
College Planner lets you research user reviews of schools, discover schools based on your interests, find out what schools your friends are planning to apply to, and discuss school choices with your friends. Best of all, you can apply to any school online without even leaving your Facebook page!
There are so many decisions that go into choosing the perfect school for you—so how can you narrow it down a little? With Peterson’s detailed search tool, it’s easy to find the perfect selection of schools. You can view detailed profiles for thousands of colleges, and run searches based on criteria including location, majors, and cost to find the schools that fit your needs.
As your parents have probably told you time and again, college is really, really expensive. Most families can’t afford to pay anywhere near the full tuition prize, so scholarships can really come in handy. You may not realize that there are thousands of available scholarships out there, which can be put towards any college. Is your GPA a bit lackluster because you dedicate so many hours to volunteering at a soup kitchen? You could be the perfect candidate for Cappex.com’s $1,000 “A GPA Isn’t Everything” scholarship, which rewards students who’ve shown valuable skills outside of the classroom. Learn about all the other ways you could be eligible for free money by visiting the site.
It can be tough to know where to set your sights if you don’t know which schools are realistically within your budget. Luckily, in addition the scholarships we just mentioned, many families are also eligible for significant financial aid from the U.S. government. If you’re a senior, you can fill out a FAFSA form to determine your financial aid eligibility, but in the meantime, you can predict your needs by filling out the FAFSA4caster, which will let you know how much aid you’re likely to receive before you start applying for schools. Ask your parents to fill out the form here.
For each college you apply to, you’re likely to be up for an application fee of between $50 and $70. That’s no small change, so when it comes to filling out your applications, you’ll need to choose your schools wisely, and choose a few safe bets along with the long shots. If you’re not sure how your odds stack up for getting into your favorite schools, Campus Compare’s handy “What Are My Chances?” tool will take account of your GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities to measure your chances at any college you select.
