Sophomores and Juniors: Where to Start?

I am excited to meet with my sophomores and juniors to begin making college visit plans and list building. However, sometimes students and families aren’t ready for the conversation because they need time to explore on their own. But where to start?

Before booking the proverbial trip to Boston (MIT, Harvard, and Northeastern have single digit admit rates), why not start smart, go online, and see what you can learn for free? (There is a lot of misinformation, so please stick with these sites.)

Less College Stress families: go onto your page and read about every college-the Fiske Guide (below) is included for free. Use the links in the Researching/Visiting colleges file! In fact, explore all your files...there’s much to be discovered about every aspect of the college process. While you are college shopping through through the Less College Stress system, try these:

Fiske Guide: the most comprehensive college guide, offering information about every feature of a college, plus possible overlaps and top programs. (free through my system, not outside it.)

College Navigator: play with exploring schools by Geography, Major, Type of degree and Institution, Undergraduate Student Enrollment, Tuition, Campus setting, % of applicants admitted, Test Scores, Varsity Athletic teams, and Religious Affiliation. (under Research within any College Profile) College Navigator.

Campus Reel: see great videos of campuses and follow students through their days at school.  (under Research within any College Profile) https://www.campusreel.org/

Loper: a college app that works like a dating app. Download, start your account, enter all your must-haves, and Loper will offer up colleges to swipe on. Link Loper to your Less College Stress system so I can see the schools you like. https://www.getloper.com/

Another idea? Rather than booking a major trip, visit a few campuses in your area on a Saturday or Sunday. Find out what "driving distance" means to your family. Not sure if you are open to an urban campus? Walk the campus at a large state school, a mid-sized college (app. 4,000-10,000), and a small liberal arts college to get a sense of what you prefer. Explore, talk to students, and keep an open mind. If you can see yourself in every scenario, that’s fine. Rule out what you don’t want. I am here to fill in all the details, provide the data, and refine the list later!