College & Career

Careers

Our mission is to help students … understand what it takes to land their perfect career, from picking the right school all the way to climbing the company ladder.

Career Girls

CareerGirls.org is a comprehensive video-based career exploration and readiness tool … We provide inspirational and educational videos of real women from diverse backgrounds who have made it in their chosen fields — and pair those videos with other useful tools ….

CareerOneStop

Information about careers and career planning, including a wide range of tools from a certification finder to a financial aid advisor to a skills profiler.

Career Quizzes – Find Your Skills / Interests

CareerZone

A free, career exploration and planning system designed especially for New York State students. Includes information on hundreds of careers, college and financial aid options, creating resumes, finding jobs, and much more.

Free Work Tutorials at GCFGlobal

Looking to advance in your career? Embarking on a new one? Use these lessons to plan your career, apply for jobs, balance work life, and get the training needed to succeed in today’s marketplace.

Job Shadow

Here at Job Shadow you can read real interviews from people as they talk about the jobs they do and the careers they have.

Mapping Your Future

A national collaborative, public-service organization of the financial aid industry … to provide free college, career, financial aid, and financial literacy services for students, families, and schools.

Monster: Career Advice

Information about various fields, making resumes, applying for jobs, etc.

My Next Move

An interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options. My Next Move has tasks, skills, salary information, and more for over 900 different careers.

National Career Development Association: Internet Sites for Career Planning

Offers a listing of free, current, and credible resources. Designed for career counselors but with useful information for anyone interested in the topic.

New York State Department of Labor

We help New Yorkers find the careers they will love by connecting them to employment, training, and up-skilling opportunities. Includes sections on Jobs and Careers and for Youth.

NY State Dept. of Labor: JobZone

Create your free account to: Build and store resumes, Explore occupations, Identify your strengths, skills and talents, Search education and training databases.

NextStepU

Helping you with your next step in college, career and life planning.

O*NET Online

Fast-loading, easy-to-use guide to occupations, and finding which one is for you.

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Find facts about wages, occupations, the economy, and more. The K12 section has games and quizzes, resources, and information specifically for students in elementary and high school.

U.S. News: Careers

Information on job searching, career outlooks, internships, applying for jobs, interviewing, and related topics.

College Selection

Best Colleges.com: College and career resources, with an emphasis on college rankings by type and online college programs.
Best Value Schools: Our rankings explore multiple categories to help you find the most valuable college experience. Compare the best schools by the attributes that matter to you.
Campus Explorer: Whether it’s a two- or four-year school, a career college or an online program, we have figured out everything from tuition to average temperature. We also have a personalized search function that allows you to set your wish list and explore from there.
College Scorecard: Search and compare colleges: their fields of study, costs, admissions, results, and more.
Forbes America’s Top Colleges: Forbes looks at which schools give the best return on investment as well as what kind of students they educate and whether they make themselves accessible to those who can’t afford high sticker prices.
Peterson’s College Search Tool: Search or broswe for schools matching your interests.
Princeton Review: Best Colleges: Our latest edition brings together survey results from over 160,000 students across the country to find out what they love the most about these schools in everything from financial aid and career services to sustainability and quality of life.
Trade Schools, Colleges, and Universities: Trade-Schools.net are experts at helping you find an academic or vocational program designed to prepare you for the career you’ve been dreaming about. You can even locate one that helps you advance in your existing career.
University HQ: This site offers information about degrees, colleges, college rankings, Catholic colleges, financial aid, and other related information.
US News: Education: Articles, advice, rankings, and tools for students looking at for the best colleges, community colleges, best value schools, and other related information.

College Admissions, College Life

College Basics: Topics from choosing a college through the application process and financial aid.
The College Board: This site offers services from the College Board involving admissions, placement, financial aid (scholarship search), and college and career searches.
College Confidential: Here you’ll find hundreds of pages of articles about choosing a college, getting into the college you want, how to pay for it, and much more. You’ll also find the Web’s busiest discussion community related to college admissions, and our CampusVibe section!
The Common Application: Hundreds of schools accept this common application; many allow online filing of the forms as well.
Crash Course: How to College (videos): This 15 episode series …. breaks down how to apply for, succeed at, and graduate from college. Crash Course also offers other videos in their Study Hall series with Playlists aimed at helping you with resources to navigate college and your education path.
How to Apply to College: The Ultimate Guide: There are many factors to consider when heading to college. This guide details how to apply to college step by step, including tips for college application essays, completing the Common App, finding financial aid, and college interview success.
How To Make A Budget For College: College can often be more expensive than just tuition costs. Here, we list our top budgeting tips for college students.
Khan Academy – College Admissions: Get tips on how to prep for your admissions interview, help brainstorming for your college essay, and advice on asking your teachers for letters of recommendation. Whatever stage of the application process you’re in, we’ve got you covered.
Many college students with credit cards have debt, survey says: This article discusses the causes of credit card debt among college students and how to deal with it. It also emphasizes that [w]ith proper knowledge, student credit cards can be a helpful tool to build credit
Transitioning to College: This guide provides information about the changes you will face during the transition from high school to college. You will find general information about college and how college differs from high school, but the focus of this guide is on college libraries as an academic support service, college level research expectations, and the research process.
What is College Like?: No matter how prepared you think you are for college life, you may feel anxious when you arrive on campus—even flat-out panicked. But not to worry. Here’s some advice from those who have ‘gone before’.
What Is College Like? An Honest Guide to College Life: In this article, we’ll demystify the core components of a college education for you, including academics, extracurriculars, college social life, time management, working while in school, and living arrangements. We’ll also give you five tips for getting the most out of your college experience.

Catholic Colleges

College Consensus: Best Catholic Colleges & Universities: The College Consensus ranking of the Best Catholic Colleges & Universities is comprehensive by design, bringing the results of the most trusted ranking publishers together with the most reputable student review sites.
The National Catholic College Admission Association: Lists Catholic colleges in the United States with searching by various criteria, and information about preparing for college, financial aid, college search tips, etc.
Niche: Best Catholic Colleges in America: Based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The top-ranked Catholic colleges are leading academic institutions that offer students an education and college experience rooted in Catholic traditions and faith.
US News: Explore the Highest-Ranked Catholic Universities: From U.S. News, based on their annual round-up of college rankings. (2021)

Local / NY Colleges

Broome County schools

Binghamton University (SUNY Binghamton)
Broome Community College (SUNY Broome)

Other nearby schools

New York State

Online Colleges

Affordable Colleges Online: Explore the most affordable education, program rankings, and financial resources…
Best Colleges.com: College and career resources, with an emphasis on college rankings by type and online college programs.
Best Online Colleges: OnlineColleges.org connects prospective students directly to online colleges and universities.
OEDb: Open Education Database: We offer up-to-date, detailed program information from accredited online colleges, along with a categorized list of over 8,000 free online college courses from well-known universities.

Financial Aid

Avoiding Scams

Check these sites out *before* looking at scholarship information anywhere else! They have valuable information about fraudulent scholarship search services and how to avoid them.

Federal Student Aid: Avoiding Student Aid Scams: You never have to pay for help with your federal student aid (including federal student loans). Make sure you understand which companies and claims are legitimate.
Finaid.org: Scholarship Scams: This section provides advice on how to identify such scholarship scams, how to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent organizations, how to protect yourself from scholarship scams; and what to do if you are scammed.
FTC: How to Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams: Companies like to promote seminars where you can learn about how to get scholarships and financial aid. Some are legit, but some are scams…. high-pressure sales pitches where they tell you to pay immediately or risk losing out on the so-called “opportunity.” If you go to a financial aid or scholarship seminar, follow these steps:
U.S. News: How to Avoid Scholarship Scams: Experts say it’s imperative that students and families use discernment when vetting scholarships and providing personal information. Scholarship scams are often a ploy to gain someone’s personal information and relentlessly market to them or potentially sell their information to other companies. … Here are ways to spot and avoid potential scholarship scams.

Federal Student Aid

Federal Student Aid: The office of Federal Student Aid provides publications, fact sheets, online tools, and other resources to help you prepare and pay for college or career school.
Federal Student Aid: Complete the FAFSA® Form: This is the section of the Federal Student Aid site where you apply for a federal student aid. You can complete the form online or download a PDF copy to mail in.
Federal Student Aid Estimator: Before you complete the FAFSA form, the Federal Student Aid Estimator can help you understand your options to pay for college or career school by providing an early estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and eligibility for federal student aid.
Federal Student Aid – Resources: This page offers a list of links to fact sheets, videos, and other informational documents.
10 Common FAFSA Mistakes To Avoid: You’ll have a better chance at receiving money for college if you avoid several common mistakes when filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. Such mistakes include not completing the form on time, not filling it out correctly, or forgetting to sign and submit.

Other Student Aid Services & Scholarship Information

Affordable Colleges Online: Resources & Scholarships for Catholic College Students: This page introduces scholarships and grants for Catholic students and offers religious student resources and information about resource centers for Catholic students. There is also more general information in a Resource Center for all students.
Best Colleges: Student Finance: Information on budgeting, saving, Financial Aid, Loans, aid for Students of Color and Students with Disabilities, and related topics.
Bold.org: Bold.org hosts targeted scholarships, fellowships, and grants, to bring donors and applicants together.
CareerOneStop: Scholarship Finder: Search more than 9,500 scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid award opportunities. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
College Board: Big Future: Calculate Your College Costs: Information from the College Board about financial aid, scholarships, loans, and so on. Check the Search for Scholarships page for scholarships and other financial aid from more than 24,000 programs.
College Board: CSS Profile: The CSS Profile is an online application that collects information used by nearly 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal aid. Only certain colleges require that students complete the CSS Profile.
FastWeb: Fastweb is a free scholarship search platform that connects students to college scholarships, trade school scholarships, and financial aid tools. Includes sections for Top Scholarships for High School Seniors and Full Tuition Scholarships, as well as information on the FAFSA, loans, internships, a National Scholarship Directory, and more.
Finaid: Financial aid helps students and their families pay for college. It can cover a range of educational expenses, like tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. Includes FAQs, links to sites, calculators, FAFSA guide, and more.
Financial Aid Glossary: Terms You Need to Know: Here, you will find everything from very simple terms and concepts to the nitty gritty of the process.
NerdWallet: Guide to College Grants and Scholarships: Our guide begins by addressing the difference between grants and scholarships. We’ll then review the various types of college grants and how much of your overall financial aid package grants are likely to be. Finally, we’ll walk you through the application process.
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation: The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is New York State’s higher education student financial aid agency. A must-see site for New York students seeking loans or scholarships. The NY HESC sponsors the Excelsior Scholarship for New York State students.
Peterson’s Scholarship Search Engine: Peterson’s search tool lets you filter available scholarships by school type, ethnicity, gender, field of study, state of residence, award type, and more!
Sallie Mae: College Planning Tools: Use these tools and calculators to help you plan and pay for college.
Scholarship America: Scholarship information, planning, news, and tips.
Scholarship Resume: Template, Examples and How to List: A scholarship resume template that will get you the money. Prepare your resume for scholarship quickly and effortlessly. Follow expert hints. Learn from good vs. bad examples.
SUNY Scholarships: Links to pages for the overall NY State Excelsior and Carey Gabey scholarships, and links to the scholarships pages for all SUNY schools.
Time for Payback: This is a student finance site which uses a game-like format to walk you through going to college and dealing with finances and debt from the big school costs to meal plans and extras.
U.S. Department of Education: Funding: This page links to information on grants and loans available via the Department of Education.
U.S. News & World Report: Paying for College: Paying for college can be one of the toughest parts of earning your degree—but it doesn’t have to be. Use our tips, tools, and articles to stay up to date on the best ways to pay for college, including scholarships, savings, grants, loans, and more.

Religious Vocations

Catholic Online: Vocations: Articles, videos, news, prayers, and links to further resources for those interested in religious vocations.
A Guide to Religious Ministries: This site offers a directory of Catholic men’s and women’s communities in the United States. The Guide explains the nature of a religious vocation, the steps involved in entering the religious life and a description of the ministries engaged in by priests, brothers, sisters and lay people.
Syracuse Diocese: Office of Vocation Promotion: Information for young men considering entering the priesthood and on religious communities for men and women.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – Vocations: The USCCB is pleased to highlight various ways that vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life can be promoted by featuring resources that are currently used by archdioceses and dioceses throughout the United States, or available through various organizations. Visit our page for prayers and readings that the USCCB offers to assist you in the discernment process.
Vision Vocation Network: VISION Vocation guide is a print, online, and digital resource for those interested in entering religious life. Services available here include Vocation Match, articles on vocation discernment, and online access to the annual Vision Vocation Guide.
Vocation Ministry: Resources: Information on how to tell what sort of vocation you might be called to, with links and information for men and women on topics including the priesthood, religious orders, and married life.

Resumes

Become: Resume Guide: This guide explores the ins and outs of creating successful application materials for your field of employment, delving into how to format, sequence, organize, review, and submit resumes and cover letters that won’t end up on the bottom of a recruiter’s pile.
GotResumeBuilder: Build Resume Online in Minutes with Free Resume Builder.
HLoom: Free Microsoft Word Templates and Services: Templates, examples, and information on how to write resumes and cover letters.
Resume Trick: Free AI-assisted resume builder.
Visual CV: Build and manage a more engaging Internet based resume. Combine audio, video and a digital career portfolio – all on a single Web page.