College Search Tips & Tricks from 3 Experts
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This app is listed in the SmartSocial.com Green Zone.
This app is not safe for students to use unsupervised, but a Green Zone app can serve a positive purpose to help a student to navigate social media and someday build an online brand. Read more below to find out why this app is in the Green Zone.
This app is listed in the SmartSocial.com Gray Zone.
Gray Zone apps often contain lots of private & disappearing messages, and strangers can use this to chat with students. Parents should participate in these apps with students to keep them safe. This zone can be a great place for family time since many of these apps can be entertaining, and let your students express themselves. Read more below to find out why this app is in the Gray Zone.
This app is listed in the SmartSocial.com Red Zone.
Red Zone apps often have lots of anonymous features, adult content, and easy contact with strangers. Supervision is strongly suggested on each of these apps or move your kids to a safer zone. All apps require parental supervision, these apps more than others. Read more below to find out why this app is in the Red Zone or view our list of 100+ Apps to find a safer app with your student.
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This trend is categorized as a Dangerous Social Media Challenge.
Viral challenges encourage students to do dangerous things to garner likes, views, attention, and subscribers. These challenges can be found across several social networks and may encourage students to perform dangerous activities. SmartSocial.com keeps parents updated on these social media challenges before an incident may occur in your community.
Table of Contents

If you’re a parent or educator of a college-bound teen then you understand the importance of the college search and making sure your teen has found the right school for them. The first step in the process is encouraging your teen to examine their own interests, goals and plans for the future.
But with more than 3,500 degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States, what’s the next step? We reached out to 3 college experts and advisors and asked them how families with college-bound teens can be effective with their college search. Here are their best tips for researching colleges online.
1. Find where students write honest reviews
- Sarah Lisovich, CIA Medical
If the college has a YouTube channel, this is an even better way to see what the students are like. -- Sarah Lisovich
- Exploring a college's website is a great place to start, as it should be a virtual representation of the college itself. As a former member of my college's communications and marketing department, I know well just how much time goes into creating and reflecting a college's values, aesthetic, and student body into its online presence. Another great place to look into is ratemyprofessors.com, where students are able to write reviews about their professors honestly and anonymously. This will give a better understanding for the way students and professors interact, and further insight into the voice of the student body. If the college has a YouTube channel, this is an even better way to see what the students are like, what they are most involved in, and some of the college's major documented events.
2. Don't use only the school's website for your college search
- Robert Schwartz, YourBestCollegeEssay.com
Online information is a great start but there is no substitute for the school visit. -- Robert Schwartz
- Don't use only the school website for research. What you will find there is really only information they want you to have. Their site should be your first stop into discovering what that school has to offer. There are many other resources online. CollegeConfidential.com is really helpful. You'll learn even more at unigo.com. There you'll find testimonials from students who attend school there, their thoughts on academics, and student life. And while online information is a great start, remember, there is no substitute for the school visit.
3. Take a “virtual tour” of colleges
- Sarah Seitz, The Enrichery
One of the toughest stages of the college search is when you’re trying to narrow down a long list of schools. -- Sarah Seitz
- One of the toughest stages of the college search is when you’re trying to narrow down a long list of schools. This becomes increasingly difficult when you’re looking at schools all over the country and don’t have the time or money to visit them all. Here's where YouVisit.com comes in. You can take a “virtual tour” of over 1,000 colleges, and get a decent feel of the campus. While it doesn’t totally replace a physical visit, it is probably the closest you can get.
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