College admissions go on line

December 27, 1995
Web posted at: 3:00 p.m. EST

From Correspondent Anne Kellan

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- It was only a few years ago that you had to pay a hefty fee to have a college mail you school catalogs weighing more than you do. Now checking out -- and even applying to -- potential colleges can be as easy as a few clicks on a mouse. Schools are going on line, changing the face of college admissions.

Visiting a college campus used to be the best way to choose a school, but the high cost of traveling has made it difficult for many prospective students to get to colleges around the country. Now almost all colleges, both in the United States and internationally, are on line. To learn about a school, just look at its Web page.

Web sites range from high tech, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's offering, to basic, like the University of Arizona's.

Most home pages allow you to request information electronically, and some even allow you to apply over the Internet.

One MIT student compiled a directory of college Web sites that could be titled "Christina's Complete List of Schools." It provides direct links to more than 2,100 universities and colleges around the globe. The Yahoo service also provides an extensive list. If a school is not listed, it probably does not have a Web site. However, you can always try http://www.(your school's name).edu/, As in http://www.bradley.edu/.

For assistance in getting into the school you have your heart set on, test prep giant Stanley Kaplan also offers a Web site. It allows students to try their hands at test questions and find helpful hints that may help them get a step ahead on standardized admissions tests.

College information also can be found on CD-ROM. U.S. News and World Report has teamed up with Creative Media to produce "Getting into College," based on the magazine's popular college guide. It sorts and profiles 1,400 schools by location and majors, and even lists available athletic programs.

A congenial on-screen guide leads you through the database. The program narrows your choices by ranking schools according to your preferences. It also offers advice from school officials and students to help narrow your choices. (859K QuickTime movie)

A broad database-type program, such as the one by U.S. News, is a good jumping off point for those who have no idea where to apply. It also includes an Internet access program to allow access to schools' Web sites. The CD-ROM for Windows retails for $29.95. A Macintosh version will be available soon.

Once you decide where to apply, "College Link" is a good next step. It is an application program that files and organizes college applications electronically. You have to answer basic application questions only once, regardless of how many schools you apply to.

More than 800 colleges have filed specific questions with the program so you can complete applications for the schools you have selected. Once you download your information to a disk, you can mail it to "College Link" for processing.

Not all schools accept electronically filed applications. In those cases, "College Link" mails you a laser printed application to sign and submit by "snail-mail," as it is referred to in the Internet world.

"College Link" is available in DOS and Macintosh formats. Each application costs $5 to process, but the first one is free.

College admissions go on line

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