Now
that you have a general idea of what college characteristics
are important to you when choosing a college. You can start
your research and collect information on schools that meet
your educational/career goals and individual needs.
The
following options will help you research colleges:
•
Search
My AvScholars' Collegiate Directory
Register and search My
AvScholars’ Collegiate Directory to identify
schools that match your goals. This directory provides
detailed profiles on various colleges that offer aviation,
aerospace, space exploration, engineering, mathematics,
science, and other academic programs. The school profiles
include complete contact information, academic programs
offered, admission requirements, financial aid offered,
and more.
•
Talk
to Your High School Counselor
High school guidance counselors are good resources to
help you prepare and apply to colleges. They should
have a wide variety of college guidebooks and literature
on various post-secondary schools. Your counselor can
also tell you about academic
courses and standardized tests
you should take to prepare yourself for the college
admission process. In addition, your counselor can provide
you with some general information about applying
for college, financial aid,
and local scholarships.
•
Review
College Guidebooks
There are various college guidebooks profiling postsecondary
schools throughout the United States and other countries.
The school profiles often include complete contact information,
academic programs offered, admission requirements, financial
aid offered, and more. College guidebooks are available
at your local library, high school counselors’
office, and national/local bookstores. There are also
various web sites that have databases that you can search
for colleges.
•
Attend
College Fairs
During the school year, many high schools, school districts,
organizations, and colleges host college fairs for college-bound
students. At college fairs, students receive information
about many colleges during one large event. During the
fair, representatives from a variety of schools are
assigned tables where they place applications, school
catalogs, response cards, handbooks, and literature
for students to gather. The representatives are also
there to answer students and parents’ questions.
Your high school guidance counselors or teachers should
have some information about scheduled college fairs
in or around your city.
•
Ask
Family and Friends
Ask your family, friends, neighbors, and teachers about
their college experiences and recommendations. They
may have friends in the career field you are interested
in pursuing.
Request College Applications and literature
After you have identified colleges in which you would like
to learn more about their school and academic program(s),
you should contact the college and request a college catalog,
literature, application, and any other information about attending
their school. You can request this information by calling
or writing to the colleges’ admissions office. The most
common way of obtaining an application is to visit the colleges’
web sites. From their web site, students can usually download
a hard copy of an application (PDF file) or complete the online
application form.
Before you start downloading and printing an application from
any college’s web site, make sure the information and
application is current. If the web site specifies an application
deadline for the previous year, the application and/or eligibility
requirements may have changed. If you encounter this problem,
request a print application directly from the college’s
admissions office by writing, emailing, or calling.
Develop a Short List of Schools.
Once you receive the colleges’ applications and information,
you should carefully read through the information, take notes
on your likes and dislikes, and write down your questions
and comments. Don't base your choices on the information packets
alone! Some of the color brochures/catalogs can be misleading.
After reviewing each school’s information, you should
compare the colleges against one another and then against
your educational and career goals. Once you made your comparisons,
you should narrow your list of schools to your top five choices.
