The college application process is always stressful and difficult. This year with virtual learning, the application process is even more stressful for various reasons. Seniors can’t stop by the counselors office to ask questions; teachers can’t assist you with essays; and recommendation letters can be difficult this year since you have less one-on-one time with teachers. The following are resources for students to take advantage of when it comes to your application process. There are also a few scholarships that are mentioned that don’t require essays. 

1. Big Future by The College Board is a great website to access first because it allows students to search for colleges, see deadlines for admissions, financial aid, etc. Big Future also grants access to look at majors and the learning environment as well as the campus life. 
2. The next website that can help you in your application process is AdmitSee. This website lets you see undergraduate and graduate students’ applications and you can ask them for advice. You can also the schools the person got accepted into, scores for the ACT, SAT, sports and extracurricular activities. 
3. Niche lets students look up the academics colleges and universities offer. It also shows the diversity, athletics, professors that the school provides. It allows you to see the adminisons of each school, which explains the acceptance rate, application deadline and requirements to get accepted into a specific school. The site includes information on the cost to go to the school, majors, academics, etc. 
4. Although Campus Safety and Security doesn’t have much to do with your application process, it allows you to evaluate the campus from a safety perspective. The website shows security officers and fire safety officers a campus has. The site provides the amount of criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests, fire statistics and much more. Each category goes more into depth and it shows the criminal offenses for the last few years. 
5. The Nitro College Scholarship Application gives students the opportunity to win $2,000. It might not seem like a lot compared to other scholarships but you don’t have to submit an essay for the scholarship. All you have to do is complete their scholarship survey questions. The deadline is Oct. 31,2020 so if you haven’t heard of it make sure to check it out!
6. Create Real Impact Contest allows students from the ages of 14-22 to to show their solutions and strategies to stop reckless and distracted driving. Students choose one out of the four entries included, which are creative writing, video, graphic design or music. There are multiple ways one can win the contest. The first one is a $1,500 prize that is picked by the judges, you can vote online and the one with the most votes wins $500. 
7. The Discover Scholarship Award is a chance for seniors to win a $5,000 no essay scholarship once a month. All you have to do is sign up for emails to get tips and resources for college.