FREE RESOURCES
The College Search
College Board’s Big Future provides a search engine allowing students to narrow their focus based on location, type, affordability, campus life, majors and more.
Niche a forum for students to review colleges which can give you some insight into the student experience on campus.
Colleges that Change Lives (CTCL) is a nonprofit organization committed to a student-centered college search process rather than prestige.
College of Distinction aims to rank schools based on four criteria: Student Engagement, Teaching, Community, and Outcomes. Their mission is to help families find not only the “best” school, but also the right one.
Princeton Review is similar to College Board’s Big Future but provides a variety of rankings ranging from “Best Professors” to “Dorms are Like Palaces” or “Most Beautiful Campuses” which provides a new lens and may highlight schools that are not yet on the radar.
Common Data Set is a database of statistics published on every college’s website that provides information on financial aid, admissions, enrollment and more. To find a colleges CDS search “[college name] CDS” and choose the most recent year available.
Virtual College Visits
Appily: Colleges and universities partner with YouVisit & Appily to create official virtual tours of their campuses.
Campus Reel: Offers thousands of student-produced video blogs providing a on-the-ground experience for prospective students
The College Tour YouTube Channel: This channel provides video tours of various campuses across the US, organized by state and though not yet comprehensive, they continue to add to their library.
Testing
SAT’s official site offers the ability to sign up for the SAT, provides information on score releases, and makes on full-length practice test available for free. As of spring 2024, the SAT is fully digital.
ACT’s official site will allow you to sign up for a test, set a reminder, purchase test prep resources, and offers a free testing guide. Currently you can choose to take the ACT either online or on paper.
Khan Academy has partnered with College Board to update its test prep to better prepare students for the digital SAT.
Varsity Tutors provides free practice tests for a range of tests (SAT, ACT, AP, PSAT and more)
Financial Aid
FAFSA: Link to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
FAFSA Aid Estimator: A useful tool for those wanting to estimate potential aid before completing the full FAFSA form.
CSS Profile: Many private colleges will require completion of the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. Each college will have its own deadlines, but a good rule of thumb is to have it completed by November 1 if applying Early Decision.
WUE Tuition Savings (Western Undergraduate Exchange): A tuition savings agreement between 160+ participating public colleges and universities in 16 Western states limits out-of-state tuition to no more than 150% of the resident tuition rate, making out-of-state options that would be eliminated due to tuition costs, more viable.
College Cost Comparison Tool: Once colleges have shared financial aid offers, utilize this tool to compare costs.
MilLife Guide - Higher Education for Your Children: Resource for information on loans, grants, scholarships for the children of service members.
WAFSA provides state financial aid for undocumented students and other select applicants. Check the eligibility requirements before applying as you will either apply to FAFSA or WAFSA.
Grants & Scholarships
Scholarship search engines include FastWeb, Appily (formerly known as Cappex), College Board, and many more.
Washington Student Achievement Council offers a variety of state-based grants and scholarships for Washington students.
Washington Scholarship Coalition provides a search engine for state-based scholarships.
The Ultimate Scholarship Book is updated and released annually, you can purchase it online or check your local library for a copy.
Always check the financial aid websites of every school you apply to early for information on merit aid and scholarships. Application deadlines for institution based financial aid are often before admissions decisions are released.