College Planning and Preparation
- The ACT: The ACT administers the other big college entrance exam, so they can also offer good advice on college applications and preparation more generally—not to mention ACT prep advice.
- The College Board: The College Board is a great source of information and advice about college readiness and a successful transition to college. They administer the SAT and AP exams.
- The College Board’s Big Future: This information and advice comes from the 6,000 members of educational institutions. There are checklists, interviews with admissions officers and students, articles, and more.
- College Navigator: Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, this tool lets you search for colleges by degree type, major, location, and more.
- College Wise: One of the nation’s largest college admissions counseling organization. College Wise offers college counseling services.
- The Common Application: The Common App is a universal application for almost 600 colleges, and it has tools for organizing your application process.
- Forbes: Forbes compiles a ranking of the best colleges in the country and includes a wealth of information to help you learn about your options.
- The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC): The main professional organization for counselors, this website also includes a database of college access programs, college fair information, and other resources of use to students and parents.
- The National Collegiate Athletic Association: The NCAA is the governing body for collegiate sports, and in addition to sports news, their website includes some information for those researching eligibility requirements.
- Peterson’s: Peterson’s is a reputable source of information for colleges, scholarships, test prep, and more.
- U.S. News and World Report: With annual rankings on colleges in a variety of categories, plus blogs and other information, the US News and World Report is a handy guide for those researching colleges.
Regional or State-Specific College Planning Organizations
The following state-specific organizations help students plan, apply, and pay for college in the states where most of TIP’s students live:
- Alabama: Alabama College & Career Readiness Standards & Support
- Georgia: GAcollege411
- Indiana:Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC)
- Iowa: Iowa Association for College Admission Counseling (Iowa ACAC)
- Kentucky: Kentucky Association for College Admission Counseling (KYACAC)
- Louisiana: Louisiana Believes
- Missouri: Journey to College
- Missouri: Missouri Association for College Admission Counseling (MOACAC)
- North Carolina: College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC)
- Tennessee: College for TN
- Texas: Texas Association for College Admission Counseling (TACAC)
- Most Southern states: Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC: includes AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN)
- Midwest: Great Plains Association for College Admission Counseling (GPACAC: includes KS, NE, and OK)
Scholarships and Financial Aid
- Career Info Net’s Scholarship Search: Sponsored by the US Department of Labor, this search allows you to find financial aid of all kinds.
- College Board Scholarship Search: College Board’s Big Future also includes a search for financial aid that includes over 2,200 programs.
- CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE: This tool from the College Board allows you to apply for nonfederal financial aid from hundreds of colleges with a single form.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): This is the official site for the Federal Government Student Aid office. Many colleges award their own aid based on the information you enter here.
- Fastweb: Fastweb is an online resource for colleges, scholarships, other forms of financial aid, and more.
- Types of Student Aid: The US Department of Education provides a lot of great information about different ways of paying for college.
- Federal Student Aid: This website is the official source of financial aid information from the US Department of Education.
- FinAid: Find scholarships, loans, information about saving for college, and military aid.
- Sallie Mae: Sallie Mae is one of the nation’s largest lenders, and their website includes information about private student loans.
- SmartScholar: This scholarship database includes over twenty-four thousand scholarships with rankings on competitiveness and effort level.
- State Financial Aid Resources: Explains how state-based financial aid works.
- Student Tax Information: This IRS page offers student-specific tax information.
Standardized Testing Preparation
- The ACT: Register for and find test prep materials for the ACT.
- The College Board: Register for and find test prep materials for the SAT and AP tests.
- ETS: ETS administers a number of standardized tests, including TOEFL, the English language test.
- Kaplan: Kaplan offers test prep materials for all of the major standardized tests.
- Khan Academy: This nonprofit offers free online courses on a number of different subjects.
- The National Center for Fair and Open Testing: Find research about standardized tests and a list of colleges that do not require standardized test scores (test-optional).
- The Princeton Review is an organization offering college preparation advice, as well as standardized test preparation classes and materials. Participants in the Duke TIP Talent Search are eligible for discounted ACT and SAT courses.
College Access Organizations
The following organizations provide information specifically for students from specific racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in college communities:
- American Indian College Fund
- Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute
- College Bound
- College Greenlight (primarily for first generation and underrepresented students)
- Get Schooled
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- I’m First (for first generation college students)
- United Negro College Fund
Research
- Gifted Today: TIP’s research into the needs of academically gifted students is collected in this online publication.
College Tours and Fairs
- Campus Tours: Take a virtual tour of the colleges you’re interested in at this website, which features interactive maps, video tours, and more.
- NACAC College Fairs: NACAC hosts college fairs around the country, including fairs for visual and performing arts schools. The information is in English and Spanish.
- You Visit: Offers virtual tours of college campuses.
Higher Education Journals
These resources provide in-depth research and commentary on developments within higher education:
- The American Indian Higher Education Consortium
- The Chronicle of Higher Education
- Inside Higher Education
Job and Career Planning Information
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a department of the federal government, includes some resources for career exploration for middle and high school students.
- PayScale: This website includes statistics about average income based on college attended and major.
- Tallo: Connects educators, employers and students with resources to help them succeed.