College Search : A Research Guide

A number of excellent books and Web sites provide information for college-bound students and their parents. Listed here are some starting points for gathering information on testing, the college application process, sources of financial aid, school rankings, and contact information. Prospective students may also want to review some of the career materials to explore various occupations and their educational requirements. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward B. Fiske, et al. New York: Times Books, 1989– . Annual. ISSN: 10427368. Previous title: Selective Guide to Colleges , 1983–1988.
In addition to the usual statistical information, this annual guide provides median test scores, number of applicants and percent accepted, as well as ratings on quality of academics and quality of life.

Gourman Report by Jack Gourman. Los Angeles: National Education Standards, 1980– . Biennial. ISSN: 10497188.
Ratings of undergraduate programs in American and international universities. Assigns a precise, numerical score to each school and undergraduate program listed.

Index of Majors and Graduate Degrees. New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1980– . Annual. ISSN: 15416828.
Helps students determine which of the six hundred majors is right for them and which colleges offer that major.

Peterson's Guide to Four Year Colleges. Lawrenceville, NJ: Peterson's, 1984– . Annual. ISSN: 15442330.
Data profiles for more than 2,100 institutions—listed alphabetically by state, followed by other countries.

Peterson's Guide to Two Year Colleges. Lawrenceville, NJ: Peterson's. Annual. ISSN: 08949328.
Information on accredited two-year undergraduate institutions in the U.S. Includes detailed two-page descriptions written by admissions personnel for nearly 70 colleges.

Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges by Frederick E. Rugg. East Longmeadow, MA: Celecom, 1980– . Annual. ISBN: 1883062489.
Identifies recommended undergraduate programs in various fields at 660 colleges. Includes profiles of these schools.

College Board College Cost and Financial Aid Handbook . New York: College Entrance Examination Board. Annual. ISBN: 0874476976.
Provides the facts and figures needed to calculate the true costs at over 2,700 four-and two-year colleges. It includes itemized tuition and fee information; itemized charts of all student expenses; payment plan information; indexes of colleges offering merit, academic, and athletic scholarships.

The following biennial directories list scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships open primarily to a specific audience.

• Directory of Financial Aid for Women. ISSN: 07325215.
• Financial Aid for African Americans. ISSN: 1099906X.
• Financial Aid for Asian Americans. ISSN: 10999124.
• Financial Aid for Hispanic Americans. ISSN: 10999078.
• Financial Aid for Native Americans. ISSN: 10999116.

Peterson's College Money Handbook, 21st ed. Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson/Peterson's, 1984– . Annual. ISBN: 0768912342.
Annually updated reference guide to more than 1,600 individual colleges' student financial aid appropriations. Contains a chart that shows actual, average costs of specific colleges.

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Loans by S. Norman Feingold and Marie Feingold. Boston: Bellman, 1949– . Annual. ISBN: 0787634751.
Provides more than 3,700 sources of education-related financial aid and awards at all levels of study.

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2004 Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid Page
www.college-scholarships.com
A directory of college and university admission office e-mail addresses, arranged by state, plus supplemental links to financial aid offices, and information on tests such as GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and homepages of more than a thousand colleges and universities.

CollegeBoard
www.collegeboard.com
Preparing for and taking the SATs, registration dates and applications, general tips on getting ready for college.

College Calculators, CollegeBoard.com
www.collegeboard.com/article/0,1120,6-29-0-401,00.html
Use these calculators to estimate college costs, family contribution, and monthly repayment obligation for varying loan amounts.

Education, U.S. News & World Report
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.htm
Sponsored by U.S. News Online, this Web site offers college and graduate school rankings and additional features such as searching for scholarships by category, listings of internships, and “hot job tracks.”

FAFSA and Title IV School Code List, Federal Student Aid
http://studentaid.ed.gov
Obtain either the electronic or the print version of the “Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” and the “Title IV School Code List” from the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site.

IPEDS College Opportunities online, National Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/cool/index.asp
A U.S. Department of Education site designed to help you obtain information about colleges. Schools are searchable by location, program of study, size, or a combination of factors.