Finding the Right College or Grad School

By Marty Nemko

Massive searchable databases of degree programs are at Petersons.com, gradschools.com, and USNews. To assess a program's quality, talk with students. How? If the college is far away, try e-mailing students through the college's website. If it's nearby, sit in on an advanced class--its students will have almost completed the program. At the end of class, go up to a group of students and ask, "Do you like the program?" and "What are the best and worst things about it?" Ask the program secretary for graduates' e-mail addresses or phone numbers.