ACT and Universal Algorithms Announce Major Alliance to Provide College Admissions Applications via the World Wide Web.

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 8, 1998--ACT Inc. and Universal Algorithms Inc. today announced a major new Web-based admissions service combining the strengths of ACT's years of experience facilitating students transitions from high school to college and CollegeNET's industry-leading World Wide Web admissions application service.

The new service is a result of the union of CollegeNET application services with ACT's computer-based college planning and admission application service, College Connector. The new completely Web-based service, named C3, will enhance the applications service provided by CollegeNET and extend ACT's educational expertise into the Web-based applications process.

Through its extensive connections, ACT will help educate the college-bound population regarding the advantages of applying to a college or university via the Web. Colleges that use the CollegeNET applications service will benefit from targeted outreach to feeder high schools and ACT's contacts with nearly two million secondary students.

According to Pat Summers, director of Internet marketing for CollegeNET, "the C3 alliance augments the proven CollegeNET Web applications service with the admissions expertise and presence of ACT. ACT's involvement means participating colleges will receive the most extensive and precisely focused outreach service of any Web-based admissions application initiative. Because C3 will be directly targeted to the key source of college applicants -- the high schools themselves -- participating colleges will gain important competitive advantages."

Among other benefits to students and guidance counselors, the C3 service will provide extensive crosslinks and integration between the Web sites of both ACT and CollegeNET. Both sites will provide an entry to C3 college planning and application features such as the new NetCounselor, CollegeNET applications and the heavily used CollegeNET search engine. Each site will also link to features of the other.

In the case of CollegeNET, this means new links to ACT's Online Registration and Score Reports. In the case of the ACT site, it means new pointers to the admissions applications of all C3 CollegeNET client institutions and to the new CollegeBOT education-related Web crawler.

Commenting on the benefits the college-admissions community can expect to gain from this new alliance, Richard L. Ferguson, president of ACT, said, "Improved service to students is our primary goal. Students will be able to retrieve information about any college or university in the nation, estimate their financial need, register for their ACT test and apply to any participating college or university. And all from the same location on the Web."

According to Jim Wolfston, president of CollegeNET: "The colleges and universities that have chosen our transparent, seamless Web admissions applications service have always been impressed with its reliability, scalability, and industry leading features. And our mature approach to marketing has always meant faithfully putting the college's name first, not ours. Now, in partnership with ACT -- one of the largest, most trusted education organizations -- we provide our clients with focused, powerful outreach. C3 puts the Web-based admissions application of each client college directly and credibly in front of the audience that counts -- high school students and counselors."

The CollegeNET Web address is http://www.collegenet.com and the ACT address is http://www.act.org. The address for CollegeBOT is www.collegebot.com.

About ACT:

ACT is an independent, nonprofit provider of services in education and career planning and workforce development. ACT serves students and their parents, schools and colleges, adult learners, government agencies, businesses and professional associations. Founded in 1959, ACT is perhaps best-known for its original program, the ACT Assessment, the college-entrance testing and placement program taken by over 1.7 million students annually and used by more than 3,000 colleges and universities. ACT's ASSET and COMPASS, serving over 1.2 million students each year, are the leading course-placement programs at the nation's community colleges.

About CollegeNET:

CollegeNET was launched in February 1995, and has built the most extensive network of fully Web-based, individually tailored college admissions applications. Not a download, diskette, CD-ROM or common application system, CollegeNET provides fully school-branded, customized, paperless forms that electronically transmit applicant information to college and university computers and securely process electronic payment of application fees over the Web. CollegeNET has contracted with over 190 colleges and universities to build and serve their official Web admissions applications. All of these forms are accessible through the CollegeNET Web site (www.collegenet.com) and will soon be available through the ACT Web site (www.act.org). Client institutions include Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Iowa State, and the SUNY system. CollegeNET's parent company, Universal Algorithms Inc., is a recognized leader in providing workflow enhancement solutions to colleges and universities, with over 500 college and university clients worldwide.