Is What You See What You Get?
A school's website is usually the first glimpse a student gets of their potential alma mater, so even the oldest, most traditional schools have had to jump to the forefront of web technology in order to keep up with computer-savvy students. Regardless of a website's content, a sleek, Flash-enhanced homepage exudes a certain aesthetic that says that if a school has devoted such time and resources to its online presentation, then the campus itself must be equally well-kept. In a similar vein, the quality of organization and ease of navigation can be indicative of what you would see if you were to attend that school. Problems such as outdated statistics, buried information, and broken links that aren't repaired within twenty-four hours speak of an inattention to details; cluttered, shoddy pages and poor navigation show just how well a school understands its prospective students.

And even if a site is well presented, be aware of those practicalities while you're browsing. How easy is it to find program descriptions of majors you're considering? How long does it take to unearth staff or faculty biographies? What about tuition costs? The ease with which users navigate through a school's website may be indicative of the layers of red tape wrapped around a school's administration.

So What Can You Get?
One of the greatest things about having access to a school's website is that you're able to see the kinds of services available to students, both current and future. More technologically-advanced or business-oriented schools tend to have a stronger online presence and offer such facilities as online blackboards and forums for classes, online bill payment and class registration, web hosting for personal and student-activity homepages, and web-mail access for when a student wants to access their e-mail remotely (such as over winter vacation or from a friend's dorm room). The school should also offer a special-events calendar--college application and visiting season can get extremely busy, and it helps to be able to plan ahead for visiting students weekends, orientation, and finals.

Another thing to take into account is what the website and school will have to offer you as an alumna, as far away as that may seem. An online network that allows you to contact other alumni in your area for jobs and advice is an incredibly valuable (and enviable) tool. As a current student, career networks can also help you set up internships, post resumes, and set up interviews for your summer vacations.

Many schools offer an online application process, a far cry from the typewritten pages of yesterday. Having this instant access is handy; you can tell a lot about a school by its application and application policy. Some schools (particularly vocational and specialty schools) can be after your money rather than concerned with your education, so pay special attention to the focus that the application places on your income, your parents' income, your expected loans, and your current assets. If the website says that the application process is "need-blind," then you can be sure that these questions are just for bookkeeping purposes and won't be used to determine your admission.

A school should also provide links to companies, sites, and organizations that acquaint you with the town and what is has to offer--a lack of attention to the surrounding area might mean poor town-gown relations and inattention to the school's public mission. Even if this isn't necessarily true, knowing the local culture and the available amenities is a crucial decision-making factor when deciding where to go, and the school should be well aware of this. If you're considering a school in a city, or one with limited housing, look for housing message boards and websites that can help bring you together with other people in need of a place to live, as well as houses and apartments in need of people to live in them.

All the Benefits (Minus the Jet Lag)
A school's website should be designed as if it were the only available means of seeing the campus, so that a student who paid the campus an in-person visit has only a slight advantage over a student who was only able to cyber-visit--some schools even offer virtual tours. Many of the pages you visit as a prospective will be revisited as a student through different eyes, so keep track of the location of things that you find helpful. A virtual campus may not look as pretty when the leaves fall, but it's not a bad day trip!