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One of my favorite tools for searching for colleges is Cappex.com. After you make a free account you can explore colleges and see profiles on each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you navigate to admissions, there's a neat tool where you enter your GPA and ACT or SAT score and it tells you your chances of being accepted.

 

 

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FIT

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While "Match" is about academic and test scores, "Fit" is about basically everything else.

 

Careers and Institutions

 

You might start by thinking about careers. What are your long term education and career goals? What are you interested in? What are your favorite subjects in school? How do you learn best? Are you thinking about learning a specific trade or craft or are you looking for a well-rounded, liberal arts education that can transfer to many professions?

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Try looking up career fields and industries you might be interested in and seeing what level of degree you will need to succeed in those careers. 

 

NCcareers.org - Interest Finder

NCcareers.org - Explore Occupations

NCcareers.org - Plan My Career

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More self-assessments for learning about yourself:

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Depending on your goals, you may find that a certain type of institution will serve you best.

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• 4-year Private College/University

• 4-year Public College/University

• 2-year Community College

• Trade School

• Special Interest School

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Community College & Alternatives

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Community college can be a great option for many students!

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• The NC Community College System serves ~700,000 students annually

• 58 colleges across North Carolina; 275+ programs of study

• North Carolina has the third largest Community College System in the United States

• Offers accessible educational options, including guaranteed college-transfer programs, short-term workforce training, basic skills instruction, dual enrollment for high school students, career and technical education and apprenticeships.

 

Many students have trouble deciding between a 4-year institution and community college. Here is a quick comparison of the two:

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If you are considering community college, you may then be choosing between the following credentials:

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If community college is not an option for you, you may consider alternative credentials, which include trade schools and licensures such as:

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• Plumbing, Web Development, Dental Hygiene, Hair Dressing and Cosmetics, other trades

• Most of the time you do not need a high school diploma

• May not apply to DACA and undocumented students

• There are so many licenses out there!

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Other Factors

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Other than career goals, there are many other factors you may want to consider when searching for colleges, such as

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• Affordability, financial aid packages, scholarships, loans, possible debt

• Environment, geography, location, distance from home, travel

• Majors, areas of study, curriculum (set or flexible)

• Degree programs and long term career plans

• Accessibility of family and community support

• Programs for low income, minority, and first generation students

• Campus atmosphere for women, minorities, LGBTQ students

• Campus demographics and diversity

• Sports programs, arts programs

• Extracurriculars, organizations, service opportunities

• Study abroad programs

• Size, student body

• Living on or off campus

• Average class size

• Graduation and job-placement rates

• National or state rankings, accreditation

• Greek life

• Meal plans

• Religious opportunities

• Libraries

• Available study places

• Community interaction

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As you can see, there are a lot of factors and considerations that go into choosing the right college for you. They key is to decide which of these factors are the most important to you. What are your deal-breakers? What can you not live without?

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Use these resources to help you decide what is most important to you, and get started on your list.

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College List Priorities Worksheet
​College List Worksheet

 

 

College Search Tools: 

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Lastly, use these college search tools to find colleges. You can filter out schools based on your preferences!

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College Board Big Future College Search​

​​CFNC College Search Tool 

CollegeData.com College Search

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And use this spreadsheet template to keep track/compare colleges you're considering!

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After you've come up with your list of 4-12 schools or programs, the next question is... 

 

how do I get in?