Anyone who has had the experience of searching college websites for information knows that the ease of navigating those websites can vary tremendously. Add in unfamiliarity with higher education jargon or vocabulary and you have the potential for a terribly frustrating experience for a student who is venturing onto college websites for the first time.
In an attempt to help simplify the process, below you will find the seven places on a college website where students will usually find most of the information they are looking for, as well as get some insights into the school itself. Besides just looking for specific info here, all college bound students should make it a practice to spend time exploring all these pages for every school they are considering.
About: This page may not answer your most pressing questions, but it can give you vital information to consider as you decide which schools to apply to. Here you will often find the school’s mission and philosophy, history, and profile of recently admitted students, as well as important news and press releases. This is an important place to check out when you’re trying to get a feel for a school.
Academics: Look here to find the majors offered at a college, as well as information about specific departments, requirements, faculty, classes, and special programs that may be offered. Don’t be confused when clicking on “Academics” takes you to “schools” or “colleges”. The departments and majors are within those schools/colleges. Reading the names of the schools/colleges should help you figure out which one you’re looking for. If nothing seems to fit, click on “Arts & Sciences”
Admissions: Here you will find the info you need about the requirements for admission including the courses you must have taken and testing requirements. You will also find application deadlines, a link to the schools’ online application and, in most cases, a link to a PDF copy of the application that can be printed out. Some schools also have general instructions for the application here. This page often has links to the other pages mentioned in this article.
Financial Aid: Maybe you think only your parents need to spend time here, but it’s important for you to go here, too. This page will provide you with information about the cost of attending the school including: tuition, fees, and room and board. It may also give you an estimate of what the total cost will be when you figure in books, computer, etc. It is very important to check this page for financial aid deadlines. Some financial aid sites also offer a “calculator” to help determine what your aid package might be or how much merit aid you might be eligible for. In most cases, you will also find a list of the scholarships that are available to freshmen.
Student/Campus Life: This is where you will find info about housing, organizations and clubs on campus, and upcoming campus events. In many schools, this is also where you find information about career counseling, internship opportunities, and study abroad programs.
Contact Us: Want to how to get on the school’s email list? Set up an interview? Who your regional admissions rep is? Usually, most of this info is on the admissions page, but if it’s not there, you can scroll down to the very bottom of the page where the “Contact Us” button is often hiding. Just be careful not to overuse this. Be sure to search the admissions site first before you start calling or emailing with questions.
Prospective/Freshmen/Future Students: If a schools’ website offers this as an option, start here. You will usually find links to all the information listed above, as well as important info about visiting the school, tours, and special events for prospective students.
While the places I just mentioned will probably lead you to the information you are looking for, they are by no means the only places you should be familiar with. It all depends on what else is important to you. For example, if you are an athlete, you should explore the Athletics page. Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Try typing what you are looking for into the search bar – usually at the top of the page.
Other articles you may find helpful:
"Why have you chosen to apply to this college?"
Visiting campuses: You’ve got to see it for yourself
Beginning the college search
Comments
Great article! I'd also like to say that sometimes a school has a really poor website, but the people on campus are actually awesome, so if the website is extremely annoying to navigate or you just can't find the info you need, call! You'll be surprised how often the secretary for the department you're interested in ends up being extremely nice and helpful. Don't judge the department based on a poor website, because often the faculty have little to do with what is up on the site--and they certainly can't control the navigation of the site.
Such a great post! It seems like a simple thing to do, but it's not.
I am an educational consultant and completely agree that some of the websites are very frustrating and difficult to navigate. I always tell my students to thoroughly check websites before e-mailing an admissions officer with a question. Your post is very helpful!
My own rule of thumb.....if I spend 10-15 minutes looking for info and can't find it I call the appropriate dept. at the college. I always tell them, "I just spent 15 minutes looking for blah, blah and was unable to find it. Perhaps you can give me that information....". Feedback on the ability to find info should be useful to the colleges as well.
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