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BusinessWeek
Technology & You
November 11, 1999
Edited by Stephen H. Wildstrom
Web Destinations
Millions of American families with high school seniors are facing one of the
most traumatic rites of passage: choosing and applying to colleges. The Web
can't reduce the angst involved, but it can definitely make the logistics a lot
easier.
Many sites offer similar information: General data on schools, comparison
tools, advice on picking the right college, and guides to financial aid. Many
also let you complete an application online. One site, www.embark.com,
goes further. Its parent company, Embark.com, supplies application
management software to a number of universities. Applying to one of these
"partner schools" from the Embark sites automatically ties the applicant into
the school's back-office system. That makes it easier for the college to
communicate with the applicant and for the student to check on the progress
of the application. Embark currently offers electronic applications for about
50 undergraduate schools, with more signing up regularly.
Peterson's, the publisher of popular college guides, operates one of the most
comprehensive application Web sites at www.collegequest.com.
CollegeQuest features very good tools to help choose a college, plus online
forums with experts to get personalized advice on the process.
Unfortunately, as of mid-October, an attempt to fill out an application
produced a page saying "We are busy readying our college applications"--a
real problem for students facing Nov. 1 early-admission deadlines.
Most students find the admissions essay the most grueling part of the
application. www.myessay.com offers a unique service that promises to
ease the pain. Students can submit a draft essay, and for $99.95 (or $299.95
for a bundle of four essays) myEssay's panel of experts, including former
admissions officers, will review the essay "the same way your top-choice
school will." For those who find the price steep, or who have ethical qualms
about a professional review of student essays, the Web site does offer free
advices on how to write a successful essay.
Some old standbys continue to offer useful advice on admissions. It's too late
for most students to get help on the SAT or ACT exams, but
www.kaplan.com and The Princeton Review's www.review.com offer a lot
of useful information beyond promotion of their cram courses. The College
Board offers help on preparing for next spring's advanced placement exams
at www.collegeboard.org/ap/. And for those who consider numerical ranking
of colleges important, U.S. News & World Report offers the most popular
set at www.usnews.com.
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