‘PLANNING — The more you learn about a college before deciding to go there, the more you may beableto learn after you getthere. (NAPSA)—Withthe ever-rising cost of higher education, visiting colleges that interest you grows more and more important. “College is one of the biggest expenditures a family will make,” says Zola Dincin Sea & Schneider.“It’s right Nh Re up there after buying : a home.” ese Dincin Schneider RONG: is the author of Campus Visits & College MSS 7erviews: A Com- ail plete Guide for College-Bound Students and Their Families. She has put all her two decades’ worth of experience into this completely up-to-date volume. Dincin Schneider reminds students and their families that colleges spend a lot of time and energy finding out all they can about students. So, she advises, it is wise for a youngsterto learn all he or she can abouta college. “You can find basic information about a college on the Internet,” advises Dincin Schneider. “But you won't learn anything about thevitality of campuslife, how the faculty and students interact, or how you'll fit in without paying visit to the campus.” Spring is a good time for juniors to visit along with their parents, she says. “But fall, between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, is the best time for seniors to take a tour,” Dincin Schneidersays. “Go alone,” she adds, “and make sure to spend a night. Many college admissions offices can arrange accommodations for you andset up a guided tour.” For more advice from Zola Dincin Schneider, pick up a copy of Campus Visits & College Interviews: A Complete Guide for College-Bound Students and Their Families ($12.95, from the College Board) at a local bookstore. For thousands of facts about = colleges and univer: sities nationwide, get HAN nO Oo K a copy of the College Coll oe Board’s 2003 College Handbook ($26.95). The College Hand- filled with hundreds of up-to-date facts about 3,600 two- and four- year colleges and universities from coast to coast. What’s more, the College Handbook spells out how students and their families can best approach the collegechoice process. Both Campus Visits & College Interviews and the 2003 College Handbook are available at bookstores everywhere or online at www.collegeboard.com.
