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Wiredscholar is the premier "go-to-college" Internet destination. It is the most comprehensive online resource that allows for preparing, evaluating, selecting, applying for, and financing an education entirely online. 2. What exactly does Wiredscholar offer? Wiredscholar provides: assistance in preparing for college entrance tests; access to self-assessment tools to help students explore potential career opportunities; guidance on choosing the college or university that best meets a student's academic and financial needs; access to a detailed database of information on 4,000 undergraduate colleges and universities in the U.S.; tips on writing admissions essays and understanding the admissions process, including managing deadlines; detailed information on financial planning, locating scholarships and understanding award letters and funding options; interactive tools and calculators to help families estimate the costs of college; access to the largest scholarship database available to students and families today; tools to help compare and evaluate college acceptance and financial aid award letters; information on how to compare student loan lenders and borrow responsibly; and the nation's premier online student loan application and fulfillment system, in which students can choose from more than 500 loan lenders. 3. Why was Wiredscholar created? Aren't there already dozens of other college-related Internet sites? Data indicated that more than nine out of 10 American teenagers, 12 to 17 years old, used the Internet (TEEN CARAVAN survey, Jan. 2000). Wiredscholar meets the needs of these college-bound students by providing a comprehensive online resource for information about going to college that they can access with their families. Other education Web sites do not provide the full spectrum of features offered by Wiredscholar. Some focus on just one component of the education lifecycle, such as a financial aid, forcing consumers to search multiple sites to fill their needs. Wiredscholar is the most comprehensive Internet destination that provides an extensive overview-from test preparation to college selection to meeting tuition expenses. 4. What are the advantages of using Wiredscholar's college-prep services versus using the traditional offline services? The advantage is that students, families and guidance counselors have access to all the college-preparation information they need in one location. Most often, students and families researching test preparation are also researching other aspects of the preparing for college process, such as selecting a school or gathering admissions information. By centralizing the critical details in one area, guidance counselors, students and their families need to visit only one Internet resource to find answers to their questions. Traditional offline sources become outdated quickly. Wiredscholar will be continually updated to meet the ever-changing and evolving "Go-to-College" process. 5. How much research was put into the development of Wiredscholar? The Wiredscholar team conducted focus groups and one-on-one interviews with high school and college students, high school guidance counselors and parents of college-bound students. We also worked closely with guidance counselors throughout the development process. The most interesting findings were those cited by students in relation to test preparation, college admissions and financial aid:Regarding test preparation, students cited a need for more practice tests and test-taking tips, help in managing testing dates and times, help in managing stress (test-taking pressures, understanding results), guidance in determining which tests are necessary to take, and a need for convenient methods for test preparation. Regarding college admissions, students cited a need for a better understanding of the school selection process, a more organized, personalized way to compare schools, and a better means for contacting and communicating with the school and current students. Students also requested a more thorough understanding of admissions criteria, guidance and advice from trusted sources, guidance in essay writing, and help in managing the application process.