With 4100 universities in the United States.
​Which one do you choose?

Whether you're looking for a small, private college with a strong video-game design program or a large engineering university with a great marching band program, ForWord Consulting can help you find that hidden gem. 

Our College Search and 
​Selection Process

Student Preferences
Each student's needs are unique. So, we meet with the student and family and ask a series of questions, not just about what you want to study and where but also about what sort of life you want to lead. After all, you might want to consider your options if you're looking to study computer science but want to work outside. 

The Application Process
We hand-hold your student and family through the entire admissions process including

• ​Securing strong letters of recommendation
• Creating an academic resume
• Understanding the transcript process
• Working with Naviance
• Understanding the different deadlines
• Giving tricks for successful campus tours
• Completing and submitting applications
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Grades, Rankings, and Test Scores
Of course, no college planning would be complete without talking about GPAs, class rankings, and test scores.  ForWord Consulting looks at your data, recommends a course of action, and finds those hidden gems that work for your abilities and desires. 

Great grades but low test scores? What about a test-optional university?  Love to learn but hate grades? What about universities that don't grade students at all? Great grades but hate writing essays? What about schools that don't require an essay or allow you to upload a video essay? 

We know the schools that you didn't know you wanted!

Finances
We take finances seriously. What families can afford for college is a crucial part of the planning process. We work through your plans and use that information to help inform college selections. 

​What are colleges looking for? 

This is one of the questions college counselors get asked.  The answer is this: the right college for you is looking for you. 

However, if you're looking for some deeper insight, here are some resources you can work through to get a better handle on what goes on inside an admissions office:
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• Stanford Admissions tells what they are looking for. 
• The Atlantic: 10 Things You should know about colleges
• High Schools Grades Matter Most by NACAC
• Report of the Commission on the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission by NACAC
• Inside the admissions process at George Washington University
• Should Colleges Consider Legacies in the Admissions Process?
• 10 Myths About Legacy Preferences in College Admissions: This piece leans HEAVILY against legacy preferences in college admissions, but it's an interesting read.
• Colleges Want all Kinds of Students [video] by author of Colleges that Change Lives ​​

College Searches

Online Searches

College Data: This site, which can be accessed with and without registering, is a terrific resource for students and parents searching for colleges by program, location, size, or price. 

Big Future: Run by the College Board, the same people who bring you the SATs, APs, SAT subject tests, this site gives students robust options for selecting a college.
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SuperMatch: This is the same search engine that you get through Naviance and runs through College Confidential.

Vista College Search: Fun, interactive way of searching for colleges. 

Book Searches

Admission Matters: ​A thoughtful overview of how students should consider the college process and how admissions departments view applications. Insightful and instructive. 

The Fiske Guide to Colleges: Detailed narratives and facts about hundreds of US colleges and universities. 

Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Another book by Loren Pope that helps you find great schools that rival Ivies. 

College Finder: As Amazon says, "Essentially a book of lists, this is the way to identify colleges where students will get in and fit in. Hundreds of lists are presented, including best schools in fields like pre-med and business, hidden gems, best dorm food, great low-cost colleges, best places to study abroad, and activist campuses."
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Colleges That Change Lives: Loren Pope focuses on colleges that are a little less known but promote change in students' lives. 

The College Finder: Helps you find colleges by unusual attributes.

Cool Colleges: Fully revised since the first edition, COOL COLLEGES covers the most exciting schools in the U.S. and Canada, with a new chapter on eco schools, an update on tuition-free schools, and the total low-down on the so-called top-ranked schools. Are you hyper-intelligent? Self-directed? A late-bloomer? Or just different?

The Best 360 Colleges: From the Princeton Review, this book promises to help you with everything you need to make great choices. 

Getting Financial Aid and Paying for College are two books full of tips for finding money.