Where Can I Get More Information on College?

Books and Other Resources on Occupations and Careers

1. The Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1998-99 Edition. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998.

2. Careers for the '90s: Everything You Need To Know to Find the Right Career. Research and Education Association, 1994.

3. The College Board Guide to Jobs and Career Planning, Second Edition, Joyce Slaton Mitchell. The College Board, 1994.

4. What Color Is Your Parachute? Richard Nelson Bolles. Ten Speed Press, annual.

5. ACT (American College Testing) and the National Career Development Association have developed a career exploration and guidance kit called Realizing the Dream. Many schools around the country are using this kit to help students identify careers of interest. Ask your child's guidance counselor if Realizing the Dream is being used in your child's school or district. To find out more about the kit, you can call 319-337-1000 or write to the following address:

   Heidi Hallberg Program Coordinator ACT 2201 North Dodge Street P.O. Box 168 Iowa City, IA 52243-0168 E-mail: cps@act.org

6. Internet Guide for the College-Bound Students, Kenneth E. Hartman. The College Board, 1998.

Books About Choosing a College

1. The College Guide for Parents, Third Edition, Charles Shields. The College Board, 1994.

2. The College Handbook, 1999. The College Board, 1998.

3. Peterson's Guide to Four-Year Colleges, 1998, Twenty-Eighth Edition. Peterson's Guides, 1997.

4. Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, Twenty-third Edition. Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1998.

5. Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges, Sixteenth Edition. Rugg's Recommendations, 1999.

6. The Multicultural Student's Guide to the Colleges, Robert Mitchell. Noonday Press, 1996.

Information About Advanced Placement (AP) Courses and Exams

For more information, write or call:

AP Services P.O. Box 6671 Princeton, NJ 08541-6671 Phone: 609-771-7300 (TTY) 609-882-4118 Fax: 609-530-0482 http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/ E-mail: apexams@ets.org

Information About "Tech-Prep" Programs

For information about Tech-Prep and Two-Plus-Two programs, write or call:

National Tech Prep Network P.O. Box 21689 Waco, TX 76702-1689 Phone: 800-518-1410 Fax: 254-776-2306

Or:

Center for Occupational Research and Development P.O. Box 21689 Waco, TX 76702-1689 Phone: 800-972-2766 Fax: 254-772-8972 www.cord.org E-mail: info@cord.org

Information About Taking Standardized Tests

1. The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the SAT subject tests. Write or call:

   SAT Program P.O. Box 6200 Princeton, NJ 08541-6200 Phone: 609-771-7600 800-728-7267 (automated registration and scores) www.collegeboard.org

2. The ACT. Write or call:

   ACT Registration 2201 North Dodge Street P.O. Box 168 Iowa City, IA 52243 Phone: 319-337-1000 Fax: 319-339-3021 www.act.org

3. "The Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Write or call:

   PSAT/NMSQT P.O. Box 6720 Princeton, NJ 08541-6720 Phone: 609-771-7070 888-477-7728 www.collegeboard.org

Books About Preparing for Standardized Tests

Note: One of the best ways to prepare for standardized tests is to practice with actual tests. The first two books in the following list focus on copies of previously administered tests.

1. 10 Real SATs. The College Board, 1997.

2. Official Guide to the ACT Assessment: Getting Into the ACT, Second Edition. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1997.

3. Barron's Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test: How to Prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT, Ninth Edition, Samuel Brownstein, Mitchel Weiner, and Sharon Weiner Green. Barron's Educational Series, 1997.

4. Barron's How to Prepare for the SAT I, 20th Edition, Sharon Weiner Green and Ira K. Wolf. Barron's Educational Series, 1998.

5. Barron's How to Prepare for the ACT, 11th Edition, George Ehrenhaft, Robert Lehrman, Fred Obrecht, and Allan Mundsack. Barron's Educational Series, 1998.

6. ARCO Preparation for the SAT and PSAT, 17th Edition, Edward Deptula (ed.). Arco Publishers, 1996.

7. Cracking the SAT and PSAT, 1999, Adam Robinson and John Katzman. Princeton Review, 1998.

8. Cracking the ACT, 1999-2000, Geoff Martz, Kim Magloire, and Theodore Silver. Princeton Review, 1999.

9. Word Smart: Building an Educated Vocabulary, 2nd edition, Adam Robinson. Princeton Review, 1993.

Books About Financing Your Child's Education

1. The Parents' Guide to Paying for College, Gerald Krefetz. The College Board, 1998.

2. College Financial Aid, Fifth Edition. College Research Group of Concord, Massachusetts. Macmillan General Reference, 1993.

3. College Costs and Financial Aid Handbook, 1999, 19th Edition. The College Board, 1998.

4. Peterson's Paying Less for College, 1996, Thirteenth Edition. Peterson's Guides, 1995.

5. Barron's Best Buys in College Education, 5th Edition, Lucia Solorzano. Barron's Educational Series, 1998.

6. College Scholarships & Financial Aid, 7th Edition, John Schwartz (ed.). Arco Publishers, 1997.

7. Don't Miss Out: The Ambitious Student's Guide to Financial Aid, 23rd Edition, Anna Leider and Robert Leider. Octameron Associates, 1998.

Information About U.S. Savings Bonds

Write to:

Bureau of the Public Debt U.S. Savings Bonds Division P.O. Box 1328 Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328 Phone: 304-480-6112 http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/products/products.htm

Information About Federal Student Financial Aid

Request The Student Guide by writing to:

Federal Student Aid Information Center P.O. Box 84 Washington, DC 20044

Call the Federal Student Financial Aid Information Center toll-free at

1-800-4FED-AID

Books About Private Sources of Financial Aid

1. Foundation Grants to Individuals, 11th Edition, L. Victoria Hall (ed.). The Foundation Center, 1999.

2. The A's and B's of Academic Scholarships, 20th Edition, Anne Schimke (ed.) and Anna Leider. Octameron Associates, 1998.

3. The Scholarship Book, 1998/1999 Edition, Daniel Cassidy and Tom Powea. Prentice Hall, Inc., 1998.

4. The Complete Grants Sourcebook for Higher Education, Third Edition, David Bauer and David Bower. Oryx Press, 1996.

Information About Educational Standards

You can contact your child's school, the school district, or the State department of education to find out about the setting of educational standards in your community and State. The following are other sources of information:

1. Council of Chief State School Officers 1 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20001-1431 Phone: 202-408-5505 Fax: 202-408-8072 www.ccsso.org

2. Council for Basic Education 1319 F Street NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20004 Phone: 202-347-4171 Fax: 202-347-5047 www.c-b-e.org

The following associations and organizations are coordinating the development of voluntary standards:

3. Math: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 1906 Association Drive Reston, VA 22091 Phone: 1-800-235-7566 Fax: 703-476-2970 www.nctm.org

4. Arts: Music Educators National Conference 1806 Robert Fulton Drive Reston, VA 20191-4348 Phone: 1-800-828-0229 Fax:: 703-860-1531 www.menc.org

5. Civics and Government: Center for Civic Education 5146 Douglas Fir Road Calabasas, CA 91302 Phone: 1-800-350-4223 Fax: 818-591-9330 www.civiced.org

6. Foreign Language: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages 6 Executive Plaza Yonkers, NY 10701-6801 Phone: 914-963-8830 Fax: 914-963-1275 www.actfl.org

7. Geography: National Geographic Society P.O. Box 10597 Des Moines, IA 50340 Phone: 1-800-368-2728 Fax: 515-362-3366 www.nationalgeographic.org

8. Science: National Research Council National Science Education Standards Project 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20418 Phone: 202-334-1399

Publications on Educational Standards

1. Making Standards Matter: A Fifty-State Progress Report on Efforts to Raise Academic Standards. American Federation of Teachers, Educational Issues Department, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001, 1998. Available for $10 prepaid from the AFT order department (item #263) or find at www.aft.org/edissues/standards99/index.htm

2. Continuing the Commitment: Essential Components of a Successful Education System. The Business Roundtable. Education Public Policy Agenda. Washington, DC, May 1995.

Information About AmeriCorps

For information about AmeriCorps, call: 1-800-94-ACORPS (1-800-942-2677) or TDD 1-800-833-3722. Visit www.americorps.org on the World Wide Web.

Information About Opportunities in the Armed Forces

1. The U.S. Army: Call 1-800-USA-ARMY

2. The U.S. Air Force: Call 1-800-423-USAF

3. The U.S. Navy: Call 1-800-USA-NAVY

4. The U.S. Marines: Call 1-800-MARINES

5. The U.S. Coast Guard: Call 1-800-424-8883

6. The U.S. Army Reserve: Call 1-800-USA-ARMY

7. The U.S. Navy Reserve: Call 1-800-USA-USNR

8. The U.S. Air Force Reserve: Call 1-800-257-1212

9. The U.S. Army National Guard: Call 1-800-638-7600

10. The ROTC: Call 1-800-USA-ROTC

Information Available Through the Internet About Planning for College

In addition to this publication and other printed materials, a host of information about preparing for college is available through the Internet. Many families have access to the Internet through their schools or public libraries; some families have a connection to the Internet from a home computer.

Below you will find a short discussion of several sources of information, along with their "addresses" on the Internet. In the event that the "address" of a source changes, you should be able to locate information about preparing for college by searching with the use of phrases such as "college planning" or "preparing for college," or by searching with the name of the source instead of the Internet address.

Sources of Information

1. The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TGSLC):

   The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TGSLC) makes a great deal of information available to help prospective college students prepare for college. Its information includes career planning and college selection information. The name of its Internet site is Adventures in Education.

   Address: http://www.tgslc.org

2. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC):

   The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) also provides information over the Internet about preparing and paying for college.

   Address: http://www.isac1.org

3. The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid:

   The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid provides links to sources of information about student financial aid.

   Address: http://www.finaid.org

4. The College Board:

   The College Board is a national membership association of schools and colleges whose aim is to help students attend college. Use the address below to access information offered by the College Board.

   Address: http://www.collegeboard.org

5. The Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae):

   The Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae) is a provider of financial services and operational support for higher education. Use the address below to access information offered by Sallie Mae on planning for college.

   Address: http://www.salliemae.com

6. The U.S. Department of Education:

   The U.S. Department of Education and its Office of Postsecondary Education have information that may be of use to you. The Student Guide is available over the Internet from the Education Department.

   U.S. Department of Education (ED) Address: http://www.ed.gov

   ED's Office of Postsecondary Education Address: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/index.html

   The Student Guide Address: http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide

   Think College Early Address: http://www.ed.gov/thinkcollege

7. The Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, Colo.:

   This volume, Preparing Your Child for College, is available through the Internet from the electronic arm of the Government Document Distribution Center in Pueblo, Colorado.

   Address: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/prepare.htm

   You can also see this booklet by using the following address at the Department of Education's World Wide Web and gopher sites:

   World Wide Web:

   Address: /pubs/Prepare/

   Gopher:

   Address: gopher.ed.gov

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