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College Search

Finding your fit!

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My perfect college...

Take 2 minutes to write down everything you hope for in a college or draw a picture of your perfect college.

  • What do you hope to gain? Friends, knowledge, a specific career?
  • What do classes look like? Discussions around a small table? A big lecture? Hands on labs?
  • What extracurriculars are needed? Great football team? Tailgating? Greek Life? Community service? Shark tagging?

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3700 colleges and universities...in the US alone!

So which one is right for you?

  • About 200 of them...that’s right there is no perfect fit!
  • At CatalyzED we focus on
    • Fit
    • Affordability
    • Admissibility

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BigFuture Search Engine

  • Test scores & Selectivity
  • Type of School
  • Location
  • Campus & Housing
  • Majors & Learning Environment
  • Sports & Activities
  • Academic Credit
  • Paying
  • Support Services
  • Diversity

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

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Big Small

  • Wide variety of majors and courses
  • Variety of housing opportunities
  • Well-funded sports programs
  • Wide range of academic choices and student activities
  • Distinguished or famous faculty
  • State-of-the-art research facilities

  • Small class sizes
  • Hands-on learning opportunities
  • Individually designed majors
  • Strong advising system; advisers know students well
  • Strong sense of community
  • Professors, not teaching assistants, teach most courses
  • Opportunity to get to know professors well

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Okay but really...what’s the difference?

Claremont McKenna College (Small, Private School)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whm8GmZzO5Y

Wake Forest University (Medium, Private School)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxgPyyMLeaA&feature=youtu.be

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What’s Right For You Questions

  • Which is Better?
    • Being part of something big and meeting new people all the time
    • Being part of a close-knit community and seeing familiar faces wherever I go
    • Being part of the crowd, but not getting lost in it
  • When I think of college, I see myself
    • At a big university that offers everything from televised sporting events to countless degree programs
    • Receiving personalized attention from professors and getting to know all of the students on campus
    • I want a mix of the two!
  • I learn best when the classroom is...
    • Discussion based and engaging
    • A place where I can sit back and absorb the information
    • A mixture of both discussion based learning and large lectures
  • If I am struggling in class, I usually...
    • Wait until my teacher recognizes that I need help and provides tutoring
    • Find resources on my own (like tutoring, teacher help, etc.)

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Okay but really...what’s the difference?

Reed College (Oregon, Small, Private, Suburban)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-rd69yZw_w&t=100s

Macalester College (Small, Private, Urban)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=korWMPhmtUk

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Paying Resources

  • Collegescorecard.gov.edu
    • General college cost for approximate income
    • Does not include Brightfutures
  • Net price calculator for private schools
    • Generally works for private schools but you need specific information from your parents
    • More accurate estimate of what your family will pay

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FSU

  • Cost of Attendance: $21,724
  • Cost for family making under $30,000? (does not include Brightfutures)
  • Cost for your family? Net Price calculator is inaccurate :(

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Clark Atlanta

  • Cost of Attendance: $33,342
  • Cost for family making under $30,000?
  • Cost for your family? https://cau.studentaidcalculator.com/survey.aspx

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Amherst College

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Results

  • Print results will give you a small, simple list and help you remember the criteria.
  • Try to narrow down your options in the beginning, if you have more than 80 results give more parameters to make it manageable or send Ms. L the list to review.
  • Go to the college site on CollegeBoard or the college websites!

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A Good College List

  • Colleges that fit you & you know about
  • Mainly colleges you can get in
  • College that your family can afford
  • REQUIRED: Do you have at least two Likely, More Affordable Florida Public Universities (or MDC) on your list? FIU, UNF, UCF or MDC
  • REQUIRED OUT OF STATE: Do you have 2-3 full-need schools on your list?
  • Under 18 colleges (Recommended 3-5 colleges for in-state; 5-12 colleges out of state)