College search net widens

The recession may have put a crimp in college savings plans, but it has actually heightened interest among parents and students in a greater variety of colleges, according to one industry observer. “Typically, we get requests for about four colleges,” said Cliff Kramon, vice president of Collegiate Choice Inc., a Tenafly, N.J.-based service that provides video tours of college campuses. “That has now doubled, and in some cases, we get orders for as many as 15 videos.” The recession clearly has made parents and students more cost-conscious, Mr. Kramon said. “Airfare alone for two can cost over $400 for a campus visit, in addition to lodging, meals and renting a car,” he noted. “It adds up and makes a $15 video a more attractive alternative.” In addition, the economic downturn has forced parents to consider a wider range of schools that may offer scholarships or have lower tuition. “Families are now considering more schools farther away from home,” Mr. Kramon said. “And colleges in Canada, like McGill University [in Montreal] and the University of Toronto, which are less expensive, have become more popular.”