Students can learn how to use social media to their advantage in the college admissions process by following these tips, including googling yourself, thinking before you post, and making connections with colleges and other students. …

These questions can help students as they begin the college search, including what are my post-secondary goals, what academic opportunities are important to me, what careers interest me, what learning environment fits me best, and what off-campus, extracurricular, and social opportunities am I interested in pursuing?…

Andrew Carter encourages parents to begin the college search process by thinking about the qualities and skills they want their son or daughter to have in order to be successful when they begin their college career and laying out these goals in a list.…

Learn the difference between financial need-based and merit aid and how to optimize your chances at receiving them, and consider schools with a low sticker price.…

Use the College Scorecard to learn about a school's student body, cost, financial aid, student debt figures, average annual cost, graduation rate, and salary of alumni.…

Learn how to use the Match Me and Search Colleges features in MEFA Pathway to help students build their college lists. …

Get involved by letting your child know you care, reminding them that it is their search process, helping them see past the marketing, and researching financing options and post-graduation outcomes. …

Tips for the college search include be willing to be clueless at the start, make as many visits as possible, ask lots of questions, keep an open mind, and more. …

Place college costs in the context of your other important financial life decisions, determine your parameters of college affordability by compiling key financial information, and understand how financial aid works differently at various colleges. …

Learn about College Navigator, a college search tool that provides statistics and information on practically every U.S. college and university, including admissions requirements, academic programs, enrollment numbers, and student services. …