All the Tips and Tools You Need for Your College Search

Always Be Proactive

If you do opt to stay on a wait list, write or call with any new info you think will help: a stellar final transcript, a special award or achievement. And let your college know you're not just toying with it.

Use Your Resources

UNCF offers a single application for most of the scholarships it lists; it also tracks internship opportunities and scholarship deadlines. Follow the link for students on its website.

Read What Other Students Say

Feedback from students at StudentsReview.com can alert you to things you won't get from a school's own site, like crime news or weak academic programs. But don't rely on it for admissions info.

Know the System

As troublesome and expensive as private loans are, they're not absolutely the worst way to raise cash for college, says Greg McBride of Bankrate.com. That would be paying high interest on credit cards.

Safety First

A federally maintained database allows you to check three years of reported crime data at every U.S. campus. You can also compare schools within the same city.

Sell Yourself Honestly

Be genuine. Every student knows an overambitious classmate who picked up an activity (or a musical instrument or a sport) to look good on paper. Colleges can spot that sort of thing a mile off.

Create Study Habits Early

Make a study pact with a pal, and alternate drudgery with sitcommery: Put in an hour's hard work, take a break to watch an episode of How I Met Your Mother on DVD, then get back to the grind.

Test Tips

Taking the ACT? Don't let the science section spook you. Its format is unusual, but that's because what it's really testing is your scientific reasoning skills. The real challenge: getting through all 40 questions.

Searching for a college? Get our America's Best Colleges 2010 complete rankings.