College-bound students across the country, and in some cases around the world, are experiencing the same mix of euphoria and frustration. Many rave about how the Web is making the search for a college easier than ever. Using online software, students looking for a college can highlight preferences like location, cost or size on an online questionnaire and instantaneously receive lists of colleges tailored to their criteria. On their Web sites, colleges often provide an in-depth look at academic departments and student clubs. Many offer e-mail chats with professors and students.
College newspapers maintain their own Web sites with archives of stories about life on campus.
Articles, rankings and virtual tours abound and all are free. No longer are they dependent on their parents and guidance counselors to point them to a particular university. But in coursing through the online terrain, students are also finding its pitfalls. In many cases, the Web sites are free because they are supported by advertising and e- commerce partners, companies that provide commissions to Web sites that help them sell products to students. In most cases, the registration forms allow students to opt out of such marketing instead of allowing them to request only the material they are interested in.