STEP 1: DETERMINE YOUR PRIORITIES
Think about what you want in a college. What are your dealbreakers, or non-negotiables?
You want to figure out what is important to you and, once you do, you can start narrowing down your search!
STEP 2: LOOK THROUGH COLLEGE SEARCH WEBSITES
You can use college search websites to help you find colleges that fit your priorities. Or, if you already have specific colleges in mind, you can use these websites to compare your options!
These are a few websites you can use:
Think about what you want in a college. What are your dealbreakers, or non-negotiables?
- Do you want a college that's close to or far from home?
- What environment do you want to live in (big city, small town, etc.)?
- How big of a college do you want to attend? How big do you want class sizes to be?
- Is there a specific major you want the college to offer?
- How much money are you willing to spend on college?
- What extracurricular opportunities (sports, clubs, Greek life, etc.) do you want to participate in?
- Are there specific resources that you want/need (counseling, tutoring, etc.)?
- Does the reputation of the school matter to you?
You want to figure out what is important to you and, once you do, you can start narrowing down your search!
STEP 2: LOOK THROUGH COLLEGE SEARCH WEBSITES
You can use college search websites to help you find colleges that fit your priorities. Or, if you already have specific colleges in mind, you can use these websites to compare your options!
These are a few websites you can use:
Once you start to narrow your search, it's also always a good idea to explore the college's official websites too!
STEP 3: ATTEND COLLEGE REP VISITS & COLLEGE FAIRS
We are lucky to host college representatives most Wednesdays throughout the year, during advisory. These are typically admissions counselors, who will be the individuals helping you through the college admissions process and sometimes make admissions and scholarships decisions! Make sure you are checking with the Guidance Office to see who is visiting Hancock!
In addition, there are many college fairs that happen throughout the year in the St. Louis area. Hancock takes a field trip in the Fall to a college fair, but you can certainly attend any other fairs in the area. MOACAC has a great calendar that you can refer to if you want to attend any local college fairs:
STEP 4: VISIT COLLEGE CAMPUSES
It can be difficult to get a true understanding of what it would be like to attend a specific college - that's why it's always a good idea to visit college campuses, if you are able. Call with the college's admissions office or check their website to find what weekday and weekend visit opportunities they have!
If you can't visit the college, most colleges do have virtual tours that you can attend! You can check college admissions websites for these virtual tours, or look on these websites: