RESTON, Va., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- A full 86 percent of parents say
they will visit college campuses with their college-bound students this
summer, according to a new poll on Sallie Mae's Web site. It may be
tempting to spend summer time-off lounging on the beach, but remember that
the summer months are the perfect time for rising high school juniors and
seniors -- and their parents -- to take a first-hand look at their top
school choices and get a feel for life on those campuses.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030617/SLMLOGO-a )
Before students invest in a four-year higher education, families should
sit down, talk about their options and plan their campus visits. The best
way to get to know the personality of each campus is by experiencing
everyday life: eating in the dining hall, reading the student newspaper,
using school transportation and spending a night in the dorm. These things
will help make the college choice a whole lot easier.
"Selecting a college is one of the most important decisions you will
make, so families should prepare in advance to take full advantage of their
campus visits," said Martha Holler, spokesperson, Sallie Mae. "Before you
leave, put together a list of key questions to ask during each visit. Don't
be afraid to ask current students what they like about the school and the
dorm life. It can also be helpful to sit in on a class in session and meet
with a professor who teaches in your area of interest."
To help students and families make the most of their summer college
visits, Sallie Mae's comprehensive online "going-to-college" Web site,
CollegeAnswer.com, offers a number of tools and resources to help narrow
down college choices and make the most of a college visit. College Answer's
School Search Tool allows college-bound students to search a database of
nearly 4,000 colleges and universities and evaluate which schools will be
the best fit. The site also provides college-visit checklists to help
students and families make the most of their campus visits.
For more information and tips on visiting college campuses this summer,
visit http://www.CollegeAnswer.com.
SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the
nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The
company manages $150 billion in education loans and serves nearly 10
million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the
company also manages $17 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and over 7.5
million members have joined Upromise to help save for college with rewards
on purchases at nearly 70,000 places. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer
debt management services as well as business and technical products to a
range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student
loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is
available at http://www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries
are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
SOURCE Sallie Mae
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