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campustours.com has stats on more than 1,800 schools, with links directly to each school’s virtual tours and campus maps. Lum also says it really helped her get to know some of the schools when she met with representatives here in Hawai‘i, since talking to a real person was more important to her than the scenery. In the end, Lum chose UH Mānoa for a number of reasons, including saving money in case she wants to attend a Mainland university for grad school. And she’d been to Mānoa on multiple occasions, including field trips and a two-week summer program during which she got to live in a dorm, which inspired her to live on campus. “It’s definitely a good experience,” she says. “You get to know all the people around you.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I
HELPFUL WEBSITES
Come up with a big-picture plan at the nonprofit College Board’s website, bigfuture.collegeboard.org, or knowhow2go.org, which helps middle and high school students prep for the college route. College Navigator is a resource provided by the U.S. Department of Education. It has the scoop on every college in the country, with data on admissions, retention, graduation rates and financial aid. Narrow down choices, build a list of favorites for side-by-side comparisons and create your own interactive maps and spreadsheets. nces.ed.gov/ collegenavigator
U.S. News & World Report has a College Compass service ($39.95/year) that has profiles of more than 1,900 schools, including data on campus life, sports and financial aid. usnews.com/usnews/store/ college_compass.htm The forums on College Confidential are renowned for providing information on what’s really happening on U.S. campuses. collegeconfidential.com The National Association for College Admission Counseling has an extensive offering of resources for students and parents, including schedules of college fairs and plenty of resources in the Knowledge Center. nacacnet.org If obstacles feel insurmountable, visit youcango.collegeboard.org, with success stories for students who overcame challenges getting into college—and resources to help others to do the same. Additional reporting by Cassidy Keola, Ashley Mizuo and Shinae Lee
Use an app, like Scholly Scholarship Search, to sniff out opportunities. Scholly requires a $44.99/year account.
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