Help for parents of the college-bound

Searching for the right college or university is not just daunting for teens, of course. In "2,200 Colleges, So Little Time (and Money) to Visit," New York Times "online shopper" Michelle Slatalla recalls how her daughter hated college No. 1 and then writes, "Last week, as Zoe and I made plans to visit more colleges, I looked back on our previous trip and wondered if there was a better way. Although we had been lucky in the Midwest — she liked two of the three schools we saw — there are about 2,200 four-year colleges and universities to visit nationwide, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. We needed to eliminate the duds without wasting travel money." Michelle then links to what she's found to be the best sites providing virtual tours of schools – a very helpful screening tool.