College Preparation
Colorado Admissions Planning
Visit the Colorado Department of Higher Education to understand more about College Admissions in Colorado. Middle and early high school students will benefit from exploraing and planning with their high school counselor. Upperclassmen can compare their high school resume to college expectations to assess their competitiveness at selective schools.
For out-of-state colleges and universities, please refer to the school's website for admissions information.
Common Application
The Common App is used for undergraduate admissions by nearly 900 colleges and universities. The Common App covers several areas: personal data, educational data, standardized test information, family information, academic honors, extracurricular activities, work experience, a personal essay, and criminal history.
Choosing the Right College
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a college. To get you started, think about the following factors and select five that are important to you.
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Location - distance from home
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Environment - 2 or 4 year, urban or suburban, religious affiliation, co-ed vs men's and women's college
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Size of campus and enrollment
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Admission Requirements - average GPA, test scores used, special requirements (interview, portfolio, etc)
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Academics - majors offered, accreditation, student to faculty ratio, average class size
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College Expenses - cost of tuition, room and board
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Financial Aid - deadlines, required fees, scholarships offered, work study opportunities
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Housing - residence hall requirements, types of housing available, food plans
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Facilities - academic, recreational, other
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Activities - Clubs and organizations, Greek life (sororities and fraternities), athletics, intramurals
Now that you’ve made your list, it’s time to search! The following links will provide you with recommendations based on your search criteria.
For general search of all colleges based on your selected criteria, visit SuperMatch™ college search in Naviance.
Appily is a great site for comparing schools, calculating admissions chances, calculating financial aid, and figuring out if a school is a good match for you in general. Plus you can read student reviews.
Campus Visits
Campus visits are an excellent opportunity to really get a feel for campus life. College Board and Princeton Review are great resources and offer suggestions for visiting campus.
It is not always possible to visit in person. CampusTours is a wonderful website to take you on a virtual tour of college campuses.