Having trouble finding the right college for you? Knee deep in applications but still feeling uncertain? Not sure which one will suit you best? Well now there is a 
solution, a website that will make this gruesome process a little easier.
Decisions are hard to make, especially when they involve commitment. The quest to discover the perfect college can be overwhelming to many people. There are so many colleges to choose from, and so many different things to consider. Do I have enough money for this University? Will I be eligible for financial aid? Do I want to live that far away from home for four years? Along with this, many students in high school have a guidance counselor to assist them with this process, but in most cases this is not enough. They still have many questions and have no idea where to look for answers. With the help of College Scorecard, all of these reoccurring questions can be addressed in one place.
President Obama fulfilled one of his promises that he made in his State of The Union address last week. He was true to his word as he released the administration’s new College Scorecard. 
The interactive tool is made to answer the questions that parents and prospective students may have as they determine which college will match up best with their lifestyle. It shows consumers how a school stacks up in terms of cost, graduation rates, student loan default rates, and median borrowing.
College Scorecard is a website with one main purpose: allow the user to leave with a sense of relief, and make this stressful process easier. This site was designed to ease high school students, adults, or anyone who is looking to get their degree as they make their final decisions. It permits them to narrow their choices down based on their income and interests. This website was created by the College Affordability and Transparency Center to help students learn about the cost of different schools and how much they will need to pay back in loans when they graduate. 
Many features encourage students to either search for a school or browse by major, school size, state, campus setting, etc. It is a beneficial instrument that allows each user to narrow their search when examining a specific school. After selecting a few options, the website will match students up with the criteria they provided. For example, after clicking on the major category on the home page, it brings the student to another page where they can click on any major that interests them. After this, all of their matches are listed on the left side of the screen, saved with everything that they are looking for in their future school. After filling out all of the search criteria the user can click “search school” on the left side of the screen and then it will pull up a list of each school that fits their needs. Then that specific school comes up and is available for easy viewing purposes. You can then sift through all of the financial facts about the school and other information as well. To test out College Scorecard click here and see what colleges will match up with you.
President Obama is passionate about this tool, but the discussion on its credibility has already begun. Some say it is a good starting point but lacks specific context. To get involved in the conversation or see what others had to say about it, review this article where you can leave a comment of your own!
Grey Matter 
Kim,
I was thoroughly interested in this article, especially since my younger sister is a senior in high school right now and is having difficulty deciding what college to attend. I also can relate to the guidance counselor situation, because I graduated from a high school where each guidance counselor had about 50 students, so she was hardly ever available to help me make me decisions. You discussed how many people are questioning the sites credibility, but overall, I consider this site a benefit to the educational world, even if it is just a rough draft of this type of particular site. By this I mean, if people are questioning the sites credibility, maybe a group will get together to work out the kinks, and a even more effective site will be created! Also I appreciated how you explained what the scorecard was, and explained how the students could navigate it, giving the reader full understanding. Very useful post!
Kim,
I loved your use of voice in this article! You addressed many of the fears and questions students have while trying to select the right college for them. I had no idea there was a website that could help students with this decision! What a great and stress-free way to sort through information for various colleges! I wish I had this tool when I was painstakingly trying to find the right college for me! I also like how you added the voice of the opposition for the site as well. I feel like this website will certainly benefit college-bound students and I’m glad you shed light on College scorecard.
Kim,
As soon as I read this, I sent your link to my 17 year old cousin! He too, like Erica’s sister, is a senior and having trouble deciding what school is right for him. After reading your article, I was intrigued by this “credibility” debate, so I clicked the link to read on. I think overall this is a great site, and am glad you choose to discuss College Scorecard. Of course, like any other developing website there are some set backs at first. However, I think this has some wonderful potential to really help students who are feeling a bit lost in this big decision. I was fortunate and had two different counselors guide me to make the right choice. I sincerely hope this is as effective as it seems! Thanks for writing about this.
Kim,
As current college students, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been there, and we know just how much it sucks. My sister is currently going through the decision making process, and I often feel for her. She is nervous, and unfortunately, her school is doing little to guide her through the process. With over 800 graduating students, and two workers in the college office, it would be unrealistic for them to provide the assistance necessary for such crucial decisions for every graduating student. This blog, then, presents an answer that will help us all breathe a little easier; me for my sister, Erica for her sister, Ella for her cousin. It is a relief to know that something is being done that should’ve been done, in my opinion, quite some time ago. I also think it is important you provided the flip side, and although I am sure they have understandable claims, I am just excited that something is in the works. With some time, I have confidence that this could be a potentially life-changing tool for many students. Thanks for sharing, I’ll be sure to pass it Jaime’s way. 🙂
Kim,
I wish I had known this when I was applying to college. Being the oldest of my siblings, I was the “trial and error” kid. My parents didn’t know what to do because the application process had changed. I continually got confused by the entire process, making me want to avoid it. I bet a lot of teenagers feel this way. College Scorecard sounds like a great idea. This would have been great for my parents to use with my brothers seeing as how next year, there will be three of us in college. I may have to keep this site in mind when I am looking at colleges for my Masters degree. Thank you so much for sharing this.