College-Bound Freshmen and Parents Have Easier Transition; CD ROM and Website Makes Transition from Home to Campus Easier.

Business/Entertainment Editors & High-Tech/Education Writers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 12, 2002

College-bound freshmen have it far easier than their predecessors in the awkward transition from living at home to campus life -- with the assistance of DORMtours-- a CD-ROM sent to incoming freshmen by the colleges.

The CD-ROM contains:

- Virtual tours of dorms used by students to select housing;

- Merchant catalogs and shopping options for college necessities;

and

- Features to ease the transition to campus life.

Students accepted to participating colleges receive the free CD-ROM from their college. Another half million students use the website, http://www.DORMtours.net each year. Colleges can hyper-link their own web sites to DORMtours.net.

"I like this. I can now talk to kids that go to my college and see what they think of it before I go. Sweet." - Unsolicited email from Shawn, a college bound freshman and DORMtours customer.

The popular DORMtours website (http://www.dormtours.net) features include:

- Search for and e-mail other kids accepted to the same college

- Transition Tips by "expert" counselors

- Customized "Brag Cards" used to announce college acceptance to

family and friends

- Contests for win college necessities

- Custom "Time for College" count down clock

- Customized Change of Address postcards so everyone will have the

new dorm address

- DORMstore, stocked with college necessities from leading

national merchants

- Campus Job Board

- High School Graduation Gift Wish List to print or attach and

emailed with "Brag Cards" or change of address cards

"Until now, incoming freshmen got a short written description of each dorm from the college. That's pretty much all they knew about their new living conditions until they arrived on campus. It made the transition extremely stressful," said Shari B. Olefson, President of DORMtours. "We provide them with a fun, interactive checklist of everything they need to do from acceptance to arrival on campus and let them know what other kids are doing, as well as equip them with the resources to do it. From announcing their acceptance, picking a dorm, finding a roomie, booking flights, shipping their stuff to college and telling everyone their new address, DORMtours demystifies the process and helps kids connect to their future surroundings and peers before having to leave home," said Olefson.

Colleges invest millions in maid service, cable TV, on-site gyms and decor to tip the highly competitive student recruitment scales in their favor. Professionally filmed DORMtours showcase their dorms in the best possible light, securing a return on their significant investments. "I had a group of students here last week," said Jarrett Roke, Assistant Director of Admissions at the Teikyo Post University. "They commented on how our dorms look exactly as they did on the DORMtours CD we sent. It's definitely a great tool. Having students choose our college over others makes a huge difference. DORMtours definitely works."

Three million college bound freshmen spend 9 billion annually preparing for college. College students in general spend over 100 billion annually. This group represents THE single largest opportunity secure lifetime sales. DORMtours is a cost-effective way to reach this desirable target audience while providing the audience with much-needed information, products and services.

"DORMtours helps students and their parents ease the transition to campus life, helps colleges increase yield and it guarantees merchants low cost reach to this highly sough after demographic," comments Olefson. "That makes it a win/win scenario for everyone."