part one: finding a college
There’s no magic formula for choosing a college, but there are steps you can take to find a good fit. There are LOTS of factors to take into consideration when you choose a college:
Use this tool to help narrow down a few choices for you. You will choose one college to research further for Part Two.
- Does this school have your major?
- Does this school have a good program for your career field?
- Do you want to go to school in a city or somewhere rural?
- Do you want to go to college near home?
- If you plan on playing a sport in college, does the school have your sport?
Use this tool to help narrow down a few choices for you. You will choose one college to research further for Part Two.
- Go into your email/google drive and locate the document called, "Choosing College"
- Create a footer and write your last name in the bottom-right corner.
- Create an account at BigFuture.
- Use the College Search Tool to get some suggestions and ideas for colleges that fit your criteria.
- Once you've "selected" a college, go to that college's website and find the "Admissions" section. This is where you will find information about how to apply and what requirements they have.
- Find your college's average SAT/ACT test scores here.
part two: cost of college
College can be very expensive. It is estimated that there is more student loan debt in the country than all credit card debit. US News reports that the average debt for college seniors graduating in 2010 was $25,250, the highest on record. This activity is designed to help us figure out how you are going to pay for college.
Key Terms Check
Principal Amount of Loan: How much the loan amount is
Simple Interest Rate: What the bank charges you to loan you money
Number of Monthly Payments: Often called the term of the loan. How long it will take to pay off your loan
- Go into your email/google drive and locate the document called, "Cost of College."
- Create a footer and write your last name in the bottom-right corner.
- Go to the website of the college you have chosen and find their "Admissions" section. Find where they list their tuition cost (You may have to search around a bit!)
- You can begin your search for college scholarships here.
- Find out loan information here.
Key Terms Check
Principal Amount of Loan: How much the loan amount is
Simple Interest Rate: What the bank charges you to loan you money
Number of Monthly Payments: Often called the term of the loan. How long it will take to pay off your loan