Online Resources Intro

I have recently been inundated with requests for lists of great resources to help students and families that they can access whenever they have questions… The following few posts will cover various topics and areas with short lists of the best websites for your college prep needs…

A Better Way: Part 1

Here's my vision for what colleges should do.

Use Virtual “Teachers”

Today, in most of the nation's 3,500 colleges, introductory courses, for example, Introduction to Biology, are taught primarily by an instructor, good, bad, or indifferent, lecturing to students umpteen rows away. You can often get a decent grade just by cramming for a midterm and a final, even though you'll have forgotten 3/4 of what you learned within days of semester's end.

Imagine that instead, you logged onto your home computer to find one of the nation's best biology instructors teaching Intro to Biology, using simulation and demonstration equipment far too expensive for most colleges to afford. You could replay any parts of the lecture you wanted, and at any point, you could click on words that would provide a fuller explanation of what the professor was saying.

After each 30-minute instructional unit, you would take an interactive quiz. You'd participate in simulations and other experiments online, using equipment for free that you couldn't possibly access in the real world. Even the classic frog dissection could be done online. Think of all the hassle, blood and gore that would be saved--not to mention the millions of frogs lives. Another benefit: the nation wrings its collective hands about the lack of minority instructors. Choose a minority instructor for the program and many thousands of students derive the benefits of having a minority biology instructor.

Using interactive teachers wouldn't completely replace the human instructor. Small classes and office hours would still be provided in person. But the large lecture, that boring vestige of the Middle Ages, so often blown-off by students who download lecture notes, would be replaced by interactive and virtual teachers, an approach that would enable every college student, rich or poor, to receive world-class education at a fraction of the cost.

Helpful Website for Your College Planning 5 of 5

Planning for college can be overwhelming. Where do you even begin? Here are some helpful websites that should make planning for college a little easier.

CommonApp.org

In order to cut out a lot of the time and work that comes with applying to colleges, you may want to utilize the Common Application at commonapp.org. The Common Application is an organization that benefits students by providing one admission application that students may submit to any 391 participating colleges and universities. This application can be completed online or in print.

For more information about planning for college, please contact your high school counselor or an expert, like me.

Helpful Website for Your College Planning 3 of 5

Planning for college can be overwhelming. Where do you even begin? Here are some helpful websites that should make planning for college a little easier.

FAFSA.ed.gov

The first and most important step in getting money for college is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is the form you need to complete in order to see if you are eligible for any kind of federal financial aid, such as grants, student loans, and work-study. Even if you don't think you are eligible for financial aid, you should still fill it out because many states and schools also use it to award non-federal aid. You should submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1st of the year for which you need aid. When filing the FAFSA be sure to use fafsa.ed.gov because other similar sites may charge a fee to submit the form. Use this site to get information about the following:

1. Before Beginning a FAFSA
2. Filling Out a FAFSA
3. FAFSA Follow-Up

For more information about planning for college, please contact your high school counselor or an expert, like me.

Helpful Website for Your College Planning 2 of 5

Planning for college can be overwhelming. Where do you even begin? Here are some helpful websites that should make planning for college a little easier.

ActStudent.org

If you have taken or plan to take the ACT, be sure to sign up for an account at actstudent.org. This account gives you free access to viewing your ACT scores online and establishes an email address to receive direct communication and reminders from ACT. Some of the other features on the site include:

• ACT test prep. This section of the site gives you tips on preparing for the ACT. From tips about calculators to test day procedures, you will find all you need to know to be fully prepared to take the ACT.
• College and career planning podcasts. Get advice from recent students about college and career planning by downloading featured podcasts. These podcasts include topics such as "What I’ve Learned Since High School" and "ACT Test Day."
• World-of-Work Map. The World-of-Work Map graphically shows how occupations relate to each other based on work functions. When you receive scores from one of ACT's assessments, you receive a personalized report that suggests career areas for you to explore.

For more information about planning for college, please contact your high school counselor or an expert, like me.

Helpful Website for Your College Planning 1 of 5

Planning for college can be overwhelming. Where do you even begin? Here are some helpful websites that should make planning for college a little easier.

eCampusTours.com

Obviously you are somewhat familiar with eCampusTours.com since you are reading this article, but you may not know about all the resources this site has to offer. All of our services are completely free of charge, and we don't distribute your information to any companies or schools unless requested by you. Just register for an account to enjoy the full benefits of this site:

• Virtual tours. eCampusTours features 360° x 360° virtual tours of over 1,300 college campuses. From dorm rooms to classrooms, these tours allow you to see what college life is really like. If you like what you see in the virtual campus tour, you can search the college website, contact the college's admission office, or save the virtual college tour in your eCampusTours portfolio.
• Book-It-Now. You can schedule actual campus visits online with participating schools via Book-It-Now. Just search for the school to see if it has the option for online scheduling.
• Edadvisor. A monthly college planning e-newsletter, Edadvisor features articles about choosing a college, student financial aid, campus life, career exploration, student loans, scholarships, and more. It also provides monthly reminders for high school and college students.
• Scholarship opportunities. eCampusTours offers a free scholarship search to help you find money for college. You can also register for our $1,000 scholarship giveaway.

College funding guide. You can download a copy of "How to Get Money for College" and get updated financial aid information about Federal Pell Grants, amounts of aid, state aid, veteran affairs, vocational rehabilitation, student loan deductibility, and more.

For more information about planning for college, please contact your high school counselor or an expert, like me.