Finding The Right College (NAPSA)—Finding a college, comparing colleges, applying to college...what’s a busy family to do? Many are logging on to the Web where, often, a fast solution is just a click away. Increasingly, college and university Web sites are often proving to be a gold mine of information for time-pressed families who cannotvisit each and every school. Web-based descriptions of current course offerings, academic environment, social environment and photographs of the school all help to paint a portrait of the institution. Some Websites even offer an interactive space where prospec- tive students can interview current students and glean insights into which dorm is the coolest for freshman and whereto get a good pizza on campus. Other Websites serve as interactive guides to help students choose from among manycolleges. Collegeboard.com, a Website affiliated with The College Board, is oneof the leadingsites in this area. It provides a free and uniqueinteractive tool that allows students to quickly locate colleges with similar characteristics to schools students are already considering. For example, a student inter- GETTING HIGH GRADES among students whoare getting ready to apply to college, col- legeboard.comis a site that does everything from locating and comparing colleges to where to find the best pizza on campus. ested in attending a four year public university with a strong engineering school can input criteria into LikeFinder on the college board.com Website, and get back from the site a list of similar schools. Students can also use this tool to narrow down choices and to find in-state schools with similar characteristics to schools that are far from home. Then, with list in hand, families can plan campus visits to a few institutions that best meet the student’s personal choices. For more information on plan- ning, finding, applying, testing and paying for college, visit www.collegeboard.com.
