The internet has been a great blessing for college-bound students. Instead of sending out a request and waiting for paper information packets to arrive, students can now find out most anything with the click of a button. But, unfortunately, that can bring out possible problems, as well.
Colleges work hard to have their internet pages be informative and interactive; prospective students can ask for more information with just a click of a button. And they can be sure that they are contacting a reputable website. Big name companies, such as College Board, College Navigator, and US News and World Reports college ranking (as useless as I think most of the rankings are), will probably be no problem, as well. But there are many websites that appear, claiming to provide information about colleges and other college related topics, and how does the student know this is legitimate? I recently read an article that made me wonder: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/01/13/for-those-trying-to-sort-through-the-maze-of-college-options-a-web-site-offers-answers-and-college-officials-shudder/
This article looked at a website claiming to be a "one-stop" website for all college information, but is apparently using logos and other proprietary information without permission. Colleges are concerned that requests for information coming through this site may never reach them. And there are concerns that the information that the site collects about students may be going out to secondary sources that the student is not interested in. Keep in mind that if you provide name, address, email address or other personal information to a site you cannot be sure of, that information may be used in ways that are not in your best interest.
I am not sure why a student would even want a "one-stop" college info site--part of the college search process is finding various sources and comparing their information. Colleges are obviously trying to attract students to apply, but comparing their information against other reputable sources can add more dimension. And, of course, visiting a college is an important step in the application process. Unless it is absolutely impossible, visiting a college is vital to really get a feel for a campus's atmosphere. If you test drive a car that only will cost you $20,000, shouldn't you test out a college you will spend 4 years and much more than $20,000 on?
So be cautious where you give out your information, and don't expect the college search to an easy, one-stop process. It is worth the time and energy to be sure of your choice before signing that acceptance of admission.
