skip navigation links

Teens > College planning

College planning

Admissions

ACT Assessment
http://www.act.org/aap/
FAQs, sample questions and strategies, and how to register.
Adult Basic Education (ABE) at PCC
http://www.pcc.edu/prepare/basic/
Includes information about free GED prep classes.
College Board Online
http://www.collegeboard.com/
Register online, send your scores to schools.
Common Application Online
http://www.commonapp.org/
Apply simultaneously for colleges that use the common application form. You must register to use the site.
Educational Testing Service
http://www.ets.org/
Practice questions for AP, SAT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and LSATs. Info about financial aid, colleges and universities, careers.
General Educational Development (GED)
http://www.oregon.gov/CCWD/GED/
Answers to frequently asked questions about the test, from the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD).
Learning Express Library
http://www.learnatest.com/library/
Take practice tests including the GED, civil service, cosmetology, real estate, several Advanced Placement exams, the ACT, the SAT, and many others. You'll need to set up a user name and password. Use your library card number as your user name.
Scholarship Help
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/
"...Read our website and get the facts about scholarships as well as the best advice we can offer about how to succeed in winning scholarships."
Youth Employment Institute
http://www.yei.org/
Job readiness training and supervised work experiences, plus computer training, GED preparation, and more. GED tests are offered here weekly.

Guides

College Navigator
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
"Search by programs offered, degrees offered, institution type, price, selectivity, distance from home, school size, institutional mission (historically black colleges and universities, single-sex), extended learning opportunities for adults (weekend and evening degree programs), and intercollegiate athletics programs offered."
Students.gov
http://www.students.gov/
"Answers to your questions on education, career, government and more."
College Profiles
http://www.collegeprofiles.com
"Our website features in-depth college profiles with information about academic programs, athletics, campus life, facilities, expenses, financial aid and much more."
College and University Rankings
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm
The kind of rankings that really matter: the top activist colleges, the most wired campuses, the most accessible campuses for people with disabilities, the colleges with the best value, et cetera.
CollegeView Search
http://www.collegeview.com/
Search for colleges that meet your requirements: costs, majors, services, computing resources, types of residence, city size, etc.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
http://www.sdbp.com/education_hbcu.html
Black college and university homepages.
Peterson's College Search
http://www.petersons.com/ugrad/
Search by location, major, size, GPA, sports.
Regional Colleges and Universities
http://www.cascadelink.org/ear/colleges.html
Colleges, universities and trade schools in and around Portland.
United Negro College Fund
http://www.uncf.org/members/index.asp
Historically black colleges and universities that are members of UNCF.
US News and World Report College and Career Center
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.htm
College rankings, financial aid, college life, worksheets to calculate costs, career info, and more.
Worldwide Directory of Residential Colleges
http://collegiateway.org/colleges/
Don't know what a residential college is or why you'd want to attend one? This is where to find out.

Financial Aid

FAFSA: Free Application for Student Aid
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Apply for Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, and work-study, among other programs.
FastWeb
http://www.fastweb.com
Use their college directory, read articles about preparing for college, or register for free for customized scholarship information.
FinAid: the Financial Aid Information Page
http://www.finaid.org/
"A free, comprehensive, independent, and objective guide to student financial aid."
FinAid: Aid for Minority Students
http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/minority.phtml
"...information about scholarships and fellowships for minority students." Part of FinAid.org.
Get College Funds: Oregon Student Assistance Commission
http://www.getcollegefunds.org/
Scholarships for Oregon students.
Scholarships for Students Without Social Security Numbers
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/casa/myweb4/noSSNscholarships.htm
From Oregon State University's CASA Educacional Office, which "seeks to increase Latino/Latina and Chicano/Chicana success at Oregon State University."
Student Guide to Financial Aid
http://studentaid.ed.gov/
From the US Department of Education. Comprehensive information about grants, loans, and work-study programs.

Study Abroad

CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange
http://www.ciee.org/
Study, work, and volunteer abroad. Choose from 60 study abroad programs in 30 host countries.
StudyAbroad.com
http://www.studyabroad.com/
"...Thousands of study abroad programs in more than 100 countries throughout the world."
Transitions Abroad
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/
Study, travel, work, and live abroad.
WorldWide Classroom
http://www.worldwide.edu/
Find schools by country or type of program. Read what students say about their experiences.