Glad you asked! The sample page below shows you what kind of information you get for each college in your report.
The top-line stats that help you put a college in per-
The top-line stats that help you put a college in perspective. We give you the obvious basics, like number of undergrads and grad students and the male/female ratio. But you'll also know at a glance how many students are Greek, how many live on campus, and what percentage of the freshman class you can expect to graduate within four years.
Wondering whether a college you're consider-
Wondering whether a college you're considering for international studies requires study abroad? Whether a school teaches the branch of engineering you want to study? If an art program offers B.A., B.F.A., or design options? This section includes a concise discussion of the academic field you specify, plus the student-faculty ratio, the average class size, and the number of majors available. Not sure what you'll be studying? Order the General option and get an overview of the college's academic programs, core curriculum and distribution requirements, and the admission criteria for any honors programs that may be available.
What could be more mundane than housing?
What could be more mundane than housing? You just plop your bags in the ivy-covered dorms and get on with things, right? Maybe. Many colleges do indeed offer the old-time collegiate houses, and several have jumped on the bandwagon with modern new implementations of the residential house system. But at others the options can be somewhat less quaint. (Think high-rises and frat houses.) Some schools require students to live on campus for one, two, or all four years, while others don't have enough rooms to meet student demand. We know which major research university has fewer than 3,000 on-campus beds for its 18,000+ undergrads, and which top private northeastern college guarantees housing all four years--except for some unlucky juniors. Get an overview of the on-campus housing situation, including special interest housing that groups students around themes of common interest.
How do your test scores and
How do your test scores and grades stack up against a college's averages? When should you apply? What are the admissions officers looking for? Are there any merit scholarships available? This section answers these questions and more, with median ACT and SAT scores, average high-school GPA (where available), and admission deadlines and requirements. We don't list every merit scholarship available, but where possible we point out the programs that are most widely applicable, plus the occasional outlier we can't resist. (Any Eagle Scouts out there? Chess champions? Female science-fair winners? Ministers' kids?)
How much is this going to cost? Tuition and
How much is this going to cost? Tuition and associated costs vary widely among colleges, from four-figure totals for in-state residents at some public universities to stratospheric price tags at some private colleges. But beyond the solemn reality of tuition, room, board, and fees, there's often a silver lining: Financial aid! We give you the average figures for both need- and merit-based aid, plus a listing of the college's overall endowment and how it fared in the latest reporting year.
What are you really looking forward to in
What are you really looking forward to in college? Sports? The arts? Outdoor adventure? Greek life? Pay attention to this section, because here colleges' strengths vary widely. Planning to bring your unique take on the music scene to college radio? Many colleges have powerful, over-the-air stations that blanket a large urban area, complete with news, sports, and promotions. Others operate on a different wavelength. One otherwise respectable college provides a web site for student podcasts and calls it "radio." Maybe you want to make music a different way--in a jazz combo, symphony orchestra, or vocal group. In any of these categories, our reports summarize your options. Thinking of marching band? We'll tell you which ones practice until they drop, which don't even care whether you can play an instrument--and which will send you out to perform in front of thousands of screaming fans in a kilt.
Frequently Asked Questions about CollegeConsole.com's Custom Reports
Why should I order a CollegeConsole.com report to find out about the colleges that interest me? Isn't there a lot of information already available?
There is, but it's often not as easily accessible as it ought to be. Our reports are specifically designed to summarize the most salient parts of the college experience. We know that motivated high-school juniors and seniors are up to their eyeballs in academic and extracurricular obligations--not to mention a stack of promotional materials from top schools. Our goal is to help you make quick, insightful comparisons between top colleges and decide which are worth further investigation.
How are your reports different from the other college references out there?
Other college resources are sometimes subjective and usually lacking in the kind of detailed information that tells you whether a college might be right for you. Generic testimonials from anonymous sources don't really help much. Neither do long lists of majors and campus clubs and organizations that may be years out of date.
Our reports stick to the most meaningful aspects of the college experience and minimize vapid musings. We don't cover campus politics, we don't try to figure out where the students are "hot," and we don't try to capture the entire personality of a campus by stringing together a lot of anonymous quotes. For each academic area and extracurricular activity, we dig out the details that really help you differentiate between colleges:
What's available
Who's eligible
What's required
These are core aspects of college that help determine whether your experience will be what you're looking for. Isn't it a good idea to know before you get there?
But really, a paper report? Shouldn't you be sending this to my iPhone?
Smart phones are a great way to get little bits of information quickly, but let's face it: Paper has its place. When it comes to organizing lots of essential information on several different schools, a consistent, easy-to-read format is key to a quick understanding of which colleges might be right for you.
Will you tell me everything I need to know about each college?
As much as we can fit on one page! We've analyzed, organized, and summarized key aspects of the college experience--from admission requirements to graduation rates--at over 225 top colleges! Our reports give you important information about admissions, financial aid, housing, academics, and extracurriculars. And we deal in specifics. Wondering how often the marching bands march? Our reports spell it out. Need to know which schools offer freshman accounting courses? We'll give you the bottom line.
But aren't all college programs pretty much the same?
No, they're pretty much not. Naturally, colleges like to think that they do everything brilliantly, but the reality is that different schools excel in different areas. Individual programs are simply more comprehensive and innovative in some colleges than in others. That's the point of our College Console and custom reports. We help you focus on colleges that come closest to matching the academics, extracurricular activities, and other factors that are important to you.
Isn't bigger usually better?
Not necessarily. An engineering department with 5,000 undergrads offers lots of opportunities, but it isn't for everyone. Several small colleges offer top-notch programs in accounting, architecture, business, engineering, and more--including special programs that sometimes aren't available at larger schools. If you're the type that thrives in a small-school environment, or think you would prefer a medium-sized school, our College Console will help you identify colleges with strengths in just about any area. And our custom reports distill key information about each school on a single page, helping you quickly get a feel whether a school might be right for you.
Do you guarantee satisfaction?
We do. We're pretty sure you'll agree that our information-packed reports are well worth the price. If not, just return your report within 10 days and we'll refund your money. (We don't refund express shipping and handling fees.) Limit of one refund per customer.
I ordered a report with Computer Science and Club Sports as my areas of interest, but now I've decided I'm more interested in Psychology and Cheerleading. What should I do?
Order another report! We won't stop you!