CollegeXpress (62/100)

CollegeXpress is another platform that primarily functions as a search engine, albeit one with access to a scholarship database purportedly worth $7 billion. 

In order to view the database, users are required to register and fill in information about their graduation year, age, and home address. CollegeXpress is upfront in admitting that users’ information with be shared with colleges and third parties for marketing purposes, explaining that this is what allows students to use the site for free. 

However, there is an “opt-out” button that permits users to partially limit how much communication they will receive and how their data will be shared. Registering for CollegeXpress also gives users access to detailed information about colleges and universities, rankings, and blogs, and it automatically enters students in the site’s annual $10,000 scholarship contest. In order to get to the scholarship database, students have to click through several additional pages about colleges and universities, including some sponsored messages. 

The site itself is modern, frequently updated, and easy to use, although it does contain frequent ads and links to related scholarship databases such as Niche, Cappex, and ScholarshipPoints. There are some other useful resources on CollegeXpress, including tips about standardized tests, writing admissions essays, SAT prep games, and countless articles about summer programs, campus life, the international student experience, performing arts, and many more topics. 

Although the list of scholarships on CollegeXpress is certainly not unique, it is very comprehensive and easy to navigate, and some prospective students may appreciate the detailed information about colleges and universities (including graduate schools) that is available on the CollegeXpress site.