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It started with the viewbooks. Then came the applications, catalogues, and videos. Today, colleges and universities pay hundreds of dollars every year just to get you to notice them. Every envelope you receive is sent for one purpose -- to get you to move in next fall.

Although we'd all like to think of colleges and universities solely as academic institutions, the harsh reality is they are also businesses. Just like any other business, schools need income to survive. Unfortunately for students, that income is your tuition, so a school needs to make sure those dollars keep rolling in. Many private schools carry a price tag of about $30,000 per year. Multiply that by four years, then by the number of incoming freshmen, and you don't have to be an accounting major to know it all adds up to big bucks! Now you see why colleges and universities are wooing you with all those slick viewbooks!

As a result, schools are trying their hardest to not only get you, but keep you, too. Most schools have orientations that last several days during the summer, but the University of Dayton (UD, Dayton, OH), found a place where they could create an orientation to last for months -- the Internet.

Along with their welcome letter, students accepted to UD receive a username and password for logging into Dayton's Virtual Orientation. The orientation takes the shape of a Web community where students can interact with their soon-to-be classmates, as well as access resources regarding housing, placement tests, class registration, and student life. Parents can also browse the site for information on financing their child's education.

"We wanted to build a system that could get information to [the students] in a personal way," says Marcus Robinson, director of Internet development and strategy at UD's College of Arts and Sciences. The virtual orientation was implemented for the first time in 2001 and had a whopping 99 percent of incoming freshmen logged on.

The look and feel of the site changes varies for every student that accesses it. For example, if a student is looking to major in education, the Web site will streamline itself to include everything an education major would need to know, whereas an undecided student will have access to all academic departments. The option is always there to browse all departments, but by logging in, Virtual Orientation recognizes students' preferences and saves them from having to surf additional Web pages.

Students can also chat with their future roommates to decide who is bringing what for their dorm room. Last year's incoming freshmen came to know each other well; over 17,000 messages were logged in over the April-August period. Friendships blossomed, and when the actual move-in day arrived, freshmen were eager to finally meet their friends face-to-face.

"The thing that really puts the students at ease is that they are able to communicate with others who have the same concerns and want to talk about the same things," Robinson says. He also notes that this prior connection makes the transition to college easier, since friendships have already been made. There is also a lower risk of students changing their minds about enrolling, says Robinson, because they don't want to disappoint their new friends if they don't show up for classes in the fall.

Ball State University (Muncie, IN) is another school that gives an early welcome to incoming freshmen.Admitted students receive the Next Step Guide, which details the process of confirming their spot at Ball State and provides a timeline of scholarship and financial aid deadlines. Students also learn about academic advising, including important facts about choosing a major.

"Ball State includes family members at each step of the [admission] process, but perhaps even more as students prepare to begin as first-year students," says Brandon Lagana, senior assistant director of admissions. An advisory council meets during the spring with both students and their families in order to address questions and concerns about the fall.

Ball State understands how important the campus visit can be, and Lagana notes that some of the freshmen visit three and even four times before they officially become students in September. On-campus auditions and portfolio reviews are held for those accepted students who are also seeking admission to visual and performing arts programs. Cardinal Success Seminars also help by hooking up accepted students with current students in their desired majors. The Student for a Day program allows admitted students the chance to stay overnight in a dorm and observe a class or two. But who said the admission staff has to do all the work? The men's basketball team pitches in, too, by inviting students to home games for a head start on their school spirit!

Boston college (Chestnut Hill, MA) also likes to keep in touch with its new freshmen. Just ask political science major, George Esposito, Jr. During the summer he received mail once a week from the college, keeping him and his family abreast of what to expect in September. Like the students at UD, George was also given log-in access to a Web community, where he was able to tap into the resources his new school had to offer. "I was never left in the dark about anything," George says. A weekend orientation during the summer "reassured" him about his choice and acquainted him with many of his fellow freshmen, including his new roommate. He and his newfound friends even requested to be placed on the same floor in their dorm.

Enrollment numbers don't lie: By contacting students early and often, colleges and universities are succeeding in their efforts to enroll students. The students are no worse for wear -- instead they are happier, better informed, and more relaxed about starting school in the fall.

"It's exactly what I needed at the time," George says of his pre-September contact with Boston College. "It made me feel at home."

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