WiseChoice Provides Students and Parents with the Most Comprehensive College Search and Application Resource Available

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—October 28, 2009—According to a recent New York Times article, only half of students enrolled in college actually obtain a bachelor’s degree.* A new entrant in the college search and application process aims to dramatically improve that number by helping students and parents find the perfect college matches along with a rewarding college experience, culminating with a degree.

Launching today, WiseChoice is a new online advocate that uses proprietary matching technology to pair students with colleges that not only meet their academic, personal and lifestyle needs, but also fit their budgets and aim to leave both students and parents with as little debt as possible at graduation. WiseChoice is the most comprehensive college search resource currently available and features expert advice, scholarship information, personalized financial aid scenarios, school statistics, academic outlook and reviews by more than 70,000 surveyed college students.

“Our primary goal in developing WiseChoice is to replace confusion, worry and anxiety with knowledge, guidance and confidence, for both parents and students alike,” said WiseChoice President Richard Taylor. “With an overwhelming number of four-year accredited, residential colleges to choose from, WiseChoice helps match students with schools that meet their learning style, academic abilities, budget, social preferences, interests and lifestyles.”

A Wise Investment: Help with Financial Uncertainty

WiseChoice helps demystify financial aid by identifying and recommending a selection of payment options based on individual assessments, as well as providing how much financial aid a student might expect to receive from a given school. Users can also take advantage of the WiseChoice Scholarship Finder to find information on more than 2.4 million private scholarships worth more than $14 billion.

Unlike other college choice sites that offer limited resources, WiseChoice helps parents and students figure out how to pay for college, identify scholarships and financial aid, and develop a payment plan. WiseChoice can even calculate the true overall cost of college including tuition, room and board, fees, travel, personal expenses, books, etc. before students even apply to better prepare them for the four-year investment and to avoid any unwelcome surprises when making that first payment.

Taylor notes that WiseChoice has assembled a group of respected experts in the fields of college selection and preparation, student development and financial aid strategies to play an integral role in its development. “As tuition costs continue to escalate, families are increasingly dealing with financial insecurity and more students are competing for financial aid assistance. The last thing any family embarking on the college application process needs is more uncertainty,” he adds.

A Wise Guide: Help with Choosing the Right School

WiseChoice key features include:

• WiseChoice Matching: A patent-pending, individual analysis that matches a student’s academic abilities, learning style, goals, financial requirements, social preferences, geographic desire, interests, personality and lifestyle with a selection of colleges that are the best fit for them. WiseChoice’s matching process puts the student and parent in control by focusing on colleges that meet their requirements. Each analysis supplies up to 32 “best-fit schools” per student.
• Odds of Getting In: Users can see how compatible a school is to the student, including the likelihood of being accepted (target, reach, safety) and a percentage showing how the school matches the student’s preferences.
• Extensive Database: WiseChoice gives students and parents access to options they may never have considered or even known about with information on accredited, four-year residential schools in the U.S. that are attended by 99% of all incoming freshmen.
• Time and Project Management. WiseChoice is a management system for students and parents with organizational tools including a regularly updated task list, College Visit Planner and Application Organizer. The site also features e-mail reminders, suggestions and helpful tips so that deadlines are never missed during the application process.

WiseChoice is headquartered in Alexandria, VA. For more information, please visit www.wisechoice.com.

*Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates, New York Times, September 8, 2009

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6084339