It's a challenge to get past all the smoke and mirrors thrown out by colleges to figure out is the college a good fit for your child.

Some tips:

1. Google!  I found this site about UC Santa Barbara that had a different view than presented on the college tour, for example.  The Dark Side Of UCSB

2. Make your tour interactive!While your listening to a college presentation, and if you have an internet connection using a smart phone (go iPhone), check out the claims.  One college tour guide would make a claim, such as on graduation, and I would google it.  Hmm...  90% vs. 70%.

3. Look at the bulletin boards on campus!  The flyers can be very revealing about campus tours.

4. Go to a college tour during a weekday!  Look at the students on campus.

5. Check out the real college graduation rates!   http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

6. Go to the career center online for the campus.

7. Investigate the job titles and salaries of recent graduates for your school.

8. Go to the web page for the major your child is applying for.

Labels: college admissions