The Guidance Office has a wealth of information for students and parents alike when it comes to college and career information. Stay informed. Remember, the sooner you start preparing for the future, the easier the process will be. Help your Counselor to help you.
You have made the choice to pursue a higher education. Selecting a school can seem overwhelming. Your selection may depend on the specific educational requirement of your chosen career path. Some criteria you may use to help guide your selection of a school may be:
- Accreditation – Is the school accredited by a recognized national or regional accrediting body?
- Admission Criteria – Do you meet the minimum requirements for admission? If not, will the school help you meet those requirements? Are those requirements appropriate to the career path you want to study?
- Program Description – What are the objectives, length, and required courses associated with your chosen program? Consider the types of courses offered, (lectures or labs,) when the courses are offered (scheduling), and course availability (frequency).
- Location – City or rural, sprawling or compact, near or far from home? Is there public transportation available if needed? If far from home, is housing available?
- Campus Environment – What is the overall feel of the school? Is the
school spread out over a large geographic area or is it located in a few buildings?
Tour the facility and see where you will study, eat and live. Do the facilities
and equipment appear up-to-date and clean? Do faculty and staff seem available
and eager to help? Talk to other students too – what do they have to
say about the school or college
- Cost – What is the school’s cost of attendance
once tuition, books, room, board, travel, and fees are computed? Does the school
offer a
payment plan to help you pay these costs? What is the refund policy if you
do not complete course or term?
- Financial Aid – What types of grants and scholarships are offered? Does the school participate in federal Title IV loan programs or AlaskAdvantage™ alternative programs?
- Graduation and Retention Rates – Do students complete their programs on time and graduate? Does the school offer tutoring or other assistance programs to help students experiencing difficulties?
- Career Placement Assistance – Does the school help you find a job after you complete your program of study? What is the school’s success rate at helping its students find jobs in their field?
- Faculty – What are the instructors’ backgrounds and experience? What are their expectations? Do they teach the courses themselves or hire assistants to do most of the actual instruction? How available are they outside the classroom?
- Social Activities – What extracurricular activities are offered: clubs,
sports, music?
There are many possible choices that will meet your needs and help you achieve your educational and career goals. After you have established your goals and decided what characteristics are important to you,
- Make a list of schools that meet your needs.
- Gather specific information on costs, admission requirements, and financial aid.
- Visit the campuses.
- Shorten your list and apply!
While you are making that list, don’t forget to consider higher education right outside your front door. You can go to school right here in Alaska. (information provided by Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education)
AK Post High School Training Opportunities
Alaska Bible College (Glennallen)
Alaska Pacific University (Anchorage)
Career Academy (Anchorage)
Charter College (Anchorage)
Ilisagvik College (Barrow)
Sheldon Jackson College (Sitka)
Wayland Baptist University (Anchorage)
General College Search Tools
All About College - This Site Provides information for college-bound students including directories, financial aid information and more.
America's100 Most Wired College - Yahoo Magazine rates colleges each year based on the best computer networks (including access to the Internet) on thier Campuses.
Black Excel - Resources are provided about predominantly black colleges including help with college selection, admission, scholarships, and financial aid on this site.
The Campus Tours - This site offers access to the interactive tours of college campuses across the United States
College Admissions Office E-mail Address - A very complete listing of all e-mail addresses of colleges for requesting applications and other materials.
College Life Online - Check out links to a myriad of college newspapers.
College Link - This site enables students to apply to colleges online. The Common College Application is also included
Collegiate Choice Walking Tours - Actual student-guided campus tours are used to promote over 300 colleges and universities in the U.S. Canada, England, Ireland and Scotland.
Common Application (National Association of Secondary School Principals) - Nearly 200 selective, independent colleges and universities use the common Application for admission to their undergraduate programs. This application can be downloaded and photocopied or completed online.
Go College - A database of colleges and scholarships.
Greek Pages - A database of national and local chapters of fraternities and sororities.
Hillel - Use this directory to find information for Jewish students looking for Hillel chapters at various colleges. You can use the campus directories to request email from other Jewish students on campus.
Hispanic Online - This is an online magazine discussing and promoting careers and colleges for Hispanic students.
Minority Institution Information - A database of schools by state or alphabetically with minority programs. This listing includes Faculty profiles, academic programs, and other information.
University Links - This site is a great resource for college-bound students, teachers, parents, and counselors.
U.S. News Online - School Rankings - Look into the many factors that play a role in ranking colleges.
World Alumni Net - Get access to the names
of alumni and alumni organizations all over the world.