Can I Trust Online College Info?
Monday, October 20th, 2008Dear Babs,
My parents keep buying college guidebooks for me, which are about as interesting as reading a phone book. I really want to use the Internet to find colleges that are right for me. I’ve come across some awesome sites, including CampusCompare, but can I really trust them as much as the Princeton Review and College Board?
Confused College Searcher
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Dear Confused,
I’m glad to hear that your parents are taking an active role in your college search, but I think it’s time to bring them into the 21st century. An online college search is definitely the way to go, provided that you find sites that are reputable.
How can you determine if a college information website is legit? Here’s a few things to look for:
–Is the site updated often? Check whether the site’s blogs are updated on a regular basis—that proves that there are live humans working to keep you updated on every phase of your college search. No blogs on the site? That’s a whole other problem. At the very least, scroll to the bottom of the page and make sure it’s copyrighted for the current year!
–What kind of college information is on the site? You want to make sure that there is a mixture of information that includes facts from the school itself, such as tuition rate, app deadlines, and academic majors, but you also want the scoop from the students themselves. CampusCompare gives you a healthy mixture of campus facts and student reviews that discuss everything from sports teams and social activities to dorms and classes.
–What kind of ads are on the site? Some sites are so riddled with advertising they’re hard to read. That’s annoying, but not necessarily bad. On the other hand I definitely smell a rat when a site seems biased or to have ulterior motives. Ever notice that they’re all for financial aid? That site’s just trying to sign you up to a hefty loan. Are all the ads for College X and it “just so happens” that every review is glowing? Yeah, right. CampusCompare does not run any ads on its site—we just don’t want anything to get between you and the college information you’re looking for.
One last thing—make sure there’s a way to contact someone at the site, like me! I’m always available to answer questions directly, and if I think your question can help others, I’ll post it on my blog.
