The last year of high school is often one of apprehension, stress, and even consternation. Seniors need every trick in the book to help them get through this trying time. After writing for CollegeXpress for the past several months, I have come to realize that online search tools and articles, features, and blog posts centered around the college experience can be a great helping hand for prospective college students. Reading about study tips, preparing résumés, and conducting comprehensive college research has really helped me form a much clearer and more concrete plan.
Online resources like college-related blogs can go a long way in helping high school students plan, organize, and prioritize their work. It really helps you have a more optimistic outlook toward the whole journey, as it can do wonders in dispelling tension and unease by keeping you informed and helping you make the best decisions. The first step to beginning your college search is to have the best resources possible with the most reliable and updated information.
Sometimes listening to stories carried down by word of mouth or your peers can divert you away from your path, as it may not always be the most reliable source of information. The following are a few online college websites and blogs are quite interesting and can be excellent resources for college-bound students. We all love CollegeXpress, of course, but here are a few resources that you may not be too familiar with as of yet.
1. College Navigator
After consulting the QS World University Rankings for your chosen subject of interest, these are some of the perfect websites to peruse, especially if you want to learn more about your options and choices for college courses. College Navigator contains a very vast database of many universities offering reputed courses in different fields of study. All you have to do is look up the relevant institutions that fit your chosen course, and begin having your pick of the best!
2. The College Solution
Run by recognized college expert and educator Lynn O’ Shaughnessy, this highly informative blog is structurally divided into six components: admissions, academics, college life, colleges, money, and research. I found The College Solution is one of the most popular blogs out there for college-bound students. It particularly covers aspects regarding financial aid, loans, and budgets, offering a lot of advice that could help you choose the college that is most suited to your financial resources.
3. YouTube
We all love YouTube, and most of us can spend hours watching videos. Granted these aren’t exactly college blogs, but there are many YouTubers and vloggers out there who make really great content about university life, studying abroad, college extracurricular activities, handling stress, and picking the right school. For instance, I learned about the Pomodoro Effect for time management and productivity through a YouTube channel called Med School Insiders.
Even though many videos are aimed at students who are already at university in specific fields of study, high school students can also find ones to preview university life, learn study tips, and more. A few good YouTube channels I recommend are Thomas Frank, Med School Insiders, Scarlett Turner, Katherout, and Katherine Berry.
Related: 12 Free Online Resources Every High School Student Should Know About
4. Forbes.com
Even though this is not strictly a resource dedicated to college, Forbes covers a variety of feature articles that explore the college search and application process. Forbes is a highly reputed magazine and is considered to be one of the best out there. I have been recommended many Forbes articles in the past that showcase expectations from colleges and college rankings, as well as advice from professionals regarding interviews, entrance exams, and student life. Forbes also sheds light on the changing spectrum and progression of undergraduate education and how students can prepare for what is to come. It is really easy to subscribe to Forbes or read their articles online.
5. The Washington Post
Like Forbes, even though The Washington Post is not specifically dedicated to college, it offers a lot of insight into college education in the US, including many articles about the college enrollment and admission process, plus a lot of content coverage and statistics about major universities. Some of the articles are very interesting and offer a different perspective into undergraduate education all over the world. Even though you may need a subscription, I feel that it’s totally worth it!
6. NerdWallet
Money is often one of the biggest aspects of our ultimate university decisions. NerdWallet is probably one of the most ideal resources out there for those who are concerned about money and your college budget (who isn’t?!). There is a particularly good focus on student loans on this website. NerdWallet specifically gives prospective students a lot of information regarding the financial aspects of a college education and the best decisions to make accordingly.
7. The College Board
The College Board is a great online resource, as it gives students ample amounts of information regarding the SAT, ACT, and AP exams. They give you a lot of information about the scores required for specific courses as well and offer students valuable feedback and progress reports after they attempt practice tests. There are also excellent resources here for students who want to pursue competitive courses after graduating from high school.
8. The Princeton Review
This is probably the easiest way to get all of the information and answers to your burning queries in one place. Even though The Princeton Review has absolutely no connection with Princeton University, it has a comprehensive log of relevant articles that can help with college research Like the College Board, The Princeton Review also heavily focuses on preparation for standardized tests, like the SAT, SAT Subjects Tests, GED, PSAT, TOEFL, and ACT, plus other aspects of college readiness.
Related: Your Simple Guide to Junior and Senior Year Admission Planning
You should always remember that preparing and finally going to college is one of the most essential journeys you will ever take, so it’s important to have all the information you need to get the entire picture. College search resources like these can help you stay in control of your own research. So let’s make use of all the resources we have at our disposal to make informed and smart decisions about our futures!
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