Did you know:

• 31% of college students drop out
• 51% of college students transfer to another college
• only 35% of college students graduate in 4 years

We find that the better managed a family's expectations are (both academic and financial) in selecting a college, the less likely the student will drop out, transfer, or take longer than four years to graduate. We have been successful in helping the student and parents manage their expectations, thereby finding the right match for the student based on their individual needs, talents and finances.

The better fit a college is for the student at the get-go, the less likely that student will be unhappy or unsuccessful.

All too often a student applies to certain colleges based on what they hear from their friends and family members. Or maybe the student limits themselves to only the lesser expensive ones because of family finances. Most of the time, we hear the same school names over and over again from the students because those are the more popular and well-known colleges.

But there are many colleges out there with excellent programs that are willing to give aid to attract your student. Sometimes these schools are passed over simply because the student hadn't heard of them or from a first glance they look too expensive. In actuality, these schools may tend to give more aid in scholarships and grants than others, making them more affordable than the state schools.

We have tools that help identify a list of appropriate colleges based upon the student's and parents' preferences. These tools not only identify the colleges but also give a good indication as to the probability of acceptance and the amount of financial aid to be expected.

We find it is imperative that the student visits the colleges of interest before making their decision (preferably while the college is in session). There's no better way to get the feeling of the school than by visiting it in person. This is another reason why it's important to start the college search early!

However, if time and money don't allow visiting all the campuses of interest, there are a couple of good websites that offer virtual tours of the colleges. See the links on the left for Virtual Tours and University TV Tours. Also, many colleges offer an online tour on their own websites.