Day and night the locals chatter. They counsel and console, bicker and rant. Their questions are endless. Though often hopeful, they never stop pounding the drums of worry. This is College Confidential, a vast virtual realm where visitors can find the best and worst of human nature. Here, in moderated discussion forums, people help strangers. They…

This article reports on the studies of Caroline M. Hoxby, a professor of economics at Stanford University; and Sarah E. Turner, a professor of economics and education at the University of Virginia, who examine why bright students from low-income families do not apply to select colleges. After analyzing millions of records from the College Board,…

The high-school seniors drifting in and out of the office in New York should be weighing financial-aid offers and deciding where to go to college. But some of them have yet to begin the process of applying for student aid. This article describes a nonprofit group in Harlem which gives last-minute help to students uncertain about applying for…

Erica A. Seldin finished in the top 5 percent of her class at Cherry Creek High School in suburban Denver, while taking a demanding curriculum that included 10 Advanced Placement courses. She received the highest score possible--five--on most of her AP tests. Seldin was also president of the school's Thespian Society, acting in and directing a…

For-profit college-admissions counseling and college-preparation companies are expanding, and existing test-preparation centers are planning to begin offering admissions-counseling services. One company envisions a national chain. Some educators welcome the trend, while others feel the commercial enterprises may take an inappropriate approach to…