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Business
The Digital Daily p, s www.irs.gov The Web incarnation of the IRS isdare we saya hip, witty site loaded with tax dos and don'ts. Get the scoop on electronic filing, take an interactive quiz to see if you qualify for certain deductions, and download all the tax forms you wish you didn't need.
Quicken.com p s www.quicken.com Quicken.com starts with the tools you'd expect in a top-flight financial hub: news, portfolio tracking, and online bill paying. It then adds a bunch of extras, such as a small-business center with advice and services for entrepreneurs. The users of Quicken software also benefit: You can input a transaction on the site, then download it later to your home PC.
Bigstep.com p s www.bigstep.com Free hosting lets you break ground on your own Web-based store.
Elite.com p s www.elite.com Make project management a snap, track your time, and bill clients with Elite.com's elegant solutions.
eRoom.net p s www.eroom.net eRoom's great collaboration spaces include e-mail, calendaring, workflow management, customizable databases, and more.
FreeMerchant.com p s www.freemerchant.com Size doesn't matter: Build as big a storefront as you want, free. Get a full storefront - complete with business hosting, merchant gateway, secure shopping cart, auction tools, traffic logs, package tracker, member discount program, technical support, and e-mail.
MindSpring Biz www.mindspring.net Webhosting - Take a shot at setting up an on-line store by going through the proces of site creation, site publishing, traffic building, and performance evaluation with tools that are easy to use.
MoneyCentral p s www.moneycentral.com If you didn't get rich from Microsoft stock, you can still get rich with its finance management tools.
NetLedger p s www.netledger.com Accounting without a CPA or any software. Just bring your balance sheets and your browser.
Register.com p s www.register.com Find out whether the domain name you ant is registered or trademarked, and if it's not, you can register here and even set up a simple page.
salesforce.com p s www.salesforce.com Access, manage, and share sales information with the rest of your team.
Xdrive p S www.xdrive.com Go here for personal and enterprise solutions for online data storage and collaboration.
Note: Xdrive is no longer a free service.
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If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Finance
*Hoover's Online p u www.hooversonline.com For a site that pitches a $29.95-per-month subscription, Hoover's gives you plenty for free. The company's capsules link you to news, SEC filings, and key financial data for more than 14,000 companies. The IPO section and dot-com Deathwatch List let you track the winners and losers of the new economy.
*The Motley Fool p u www.fool.com A Motley Fool and his money are not so soon parted. At this great site you'll find all the market news, quotes, and commentary you need, but the real draw is the extensive, elaborate, and extremely active message boards (50,000 posts about Microsoft alone). Terrific tools let you see the latest postings by people you trust and ignore postings by genuine fools.
*SmartMoney.com p u www.smartmoney.com If you are expecting to find nothing more than reprinted magazine articles on SmartMoney's site, you're in for a thoroughly pleasant surprise. Sure, the articles are here, but there are also some of the Web's best financial calculators and first-rate primers for novice investors.
Bloomberg.com p u www.bloomberg.com Yes, we like free business news. But we also like Bloomberg's television feeds, which are searchable by transcripts.
Charles Schwab p u www.schwab.com Its fees are higher than Datek's and E*Trade's, but the service, research, and analysis receive top marks from users.
Datek Online p u www.datek.com Daytraders love this broker, and little wonder: Its fees rank among the Web's lowest ($9.99 for trades of up to 5,000 shares).
Dow Jones Interactive p u www.djinteractive.com For $69 you get access to The Wall Street Journal's site (a $59 value), plus browsing rights to some of the world's top business magazines.
E*Trade p u www.etrade.com E*Trade's tutorials cater to novice investors, but its after-hours transactions and wireless access keep hard-core traders logging on.
TheStreet.com p u www.thestreet.com Irreverent reporting from Wall Street. Always a fun readand a wise one, too.
*Dohmencapital.com www.dohmencapital.com/links/links.html All the links you'll ever need as an investor - check it out - click this one.
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Computing
The LangaList www.langa.com/newsletter.htm FREE, Award-Winning, Spam-Proof and Easy! Make the most of your hardware, software, and time online with the LangaList--- a free and lively, award winning, twice-a-week e-newsletter from noted computer author and editor Fred Langa. Each issue is packed with tips, tricks, and other useful and interesting information!
*Apps.com d u www.apps.com The big draw of Web-based applicationse-mail, calendars, Internet hard drives, and so onis that they're accessible from any browser on any computer. Apps.com is a comprehensive directory of these services. Although the reviews and ratings here are skimpy, the sheer volume and diversity of the listings make the site invaluable.
*Expertcity.com d U www.expertcity.com Don't have a help desk at home? Post your glitch here and tech whizzes bid for your business almost instantly. Typically you'll pay $5 to $20, but before hiring anyone, check his or her profile and user ratings. A handy plug-in lets the expert view your screen and take control of your PC to work on the problem.
*PalmGear.com d u www.palmgear.com You'll wish you had opted for the extra memory on your Palm or Handspring Visor PDA. The thousands of downloadable applicationsfrom medical dictionaries to a New York Rangers scheduleare nicely organized by cate-gory, and there's plenty of news, tips, and tricks to help you get the most out of your hand-held.
*Webmonkey d u www.webmonkey.com Webmonkey isn't just a site; it's a vocational school for Web designers. Tutorials start with the fundamentals of HTML and help you create your own Web site through forms, style sheets, and programming languages such as Java and Perl. And kudos for the innovative section for kids.
*ZDNet GameSpot d u www.gamespot.com If you can master Age of Empires and Quake without help, we congratulate (and envy) you. For the rest of us, GameSpot's hints and guides will be a godsend. Whether you are into the console scene or strictly a PC gamer, you'll find enough news, reviews, and bug patches to keep you busy when you're not blasting, racing, or building a new world.
CNET d u www.cnet.com This great gateway to technologynews, reviews, games, MP3salso boasts some of the best downloads on the Web.
CNET Builder.com d u www.builder.com Web designers come to learn, discuss, and get the scoop on new products.
WUGNET www.wugnet.com Your Complete Resource Center for "The Best" in Shareware, Computing Tips and Support, Windows Industry News... and much more! Click to learn more...
TUCOWS www.tucows.com "The Ultimate Collection Of Windows Software..."
CompletelyFreeSoftware.com www.completelyfreesoftware.com This site was born from frustration - frustration that many of the
so-called ‘free software’ sites were not offering freeware but shareware, time-limited, or demo software which cost money to use or are not really functional.
EarthWeb d U www.earthweb.com With so much literature to keep IT professionals busy here, they might never get around to fixing your PC.
Homestead D u www.homestead.com Build your own site with the superb drag-and-drop interface, and add images, sound, and special effects with ease.
Hotmail d u www.hotmail.com Access-anywhere e-mail is only the beginning; multilanguage capability, photo pages, and community features make this site a winner.
Java Lobby d U www.javalobby.com For those who speak the language (Java, ntch), there is a bountiful selection of news, discussion groups, and links.
McAffee.com www.mcafee.com Protect yourself - Now you can subscribe to the McAfee clinic, a collection of Web-based apps to keep your PC tuned-up and virus-free.
Symantec.com http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html A long, long list of "hoaxes," as compiled by Symantec.
Pricelessware http://home.att.net/~willowbrookemill/pricelesswarealphabetized.html PRICELESSWARE - Lots of FREE Windows Freeware.
MyHelpDesk.com www.myhelpdesk.com Computer Help Portal - Link to the resources related to the applications and peripherals you may be using. The site covers 1500 products, with chat rooms and message boards, plus instant access to the latest tips, updates, and news about your apps.
PCsupport.com d u www.pcsupport.com Skip the membership plan and you'll still get plenty of help: software updates, disk maintenance, and more.
Windows Support Center www.aumha.org Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about WINDOWS, and more, by James A. Eshelman.
Microsoft's On-line Support Center support.microsoft.com/search The Knowledge Base has more than 250,000 articles, created by thousands of support professionals who have resolved issues for customers. It is constantly updated, expanded, and refined to ensure that you have access to the very latest information.
Windows Plug-ins http://browserwatch.internet.com/plug-in/plug-in-win.html Extensive list of Plug-ins for Windows from INTERNET.COM. On this page, all of the Viewer plug-ins for the Windows platform are listed. These are the plug-ins used to view special files found on the Internet.
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Careers
*HotJobs.com S u www.hotjobs.com HotJobs.com may not boast quite as many jobs as Monster.com, but its privacy is unsurpassed. You can block up to 20 companies from viewing your résumé, and headhunters can't search the database, so you won't get cold calls at the office.
*WetFeet.com s u www.wetfeet.com Other career sites steer you to jobs, but WetFeet tackles a more fundamental issue: What do you want to be when you grow up? Or do you want to do something new? Industry guides and salary wizards give you the facts on hundreds of careers, and advice, articles, and discussion boards ease the transition.
ComputerJobs.com s U www.computerjobs.com The over 55,000 listings pale in comparison with Dice.com's offering (below), but the elegant interface lets you zero in on potential dream jobs.
Dice.com s u www.dice.com Stop by for over 132,000 tech jobs as well as contract and consultant work.
FreeAgent.com s u www.freeagent.com This site steers freelancers to gigs as well as services to manage their books, benefits, and office needs.
Monster.com s u www.monster.com Jobs, tutorials, interview assistance, and an outstanding relocation center.
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Search & Reference
SEWWUG Search Engines Page www.sewwug.org/search_engines.html Our own list of search engines links - ONE CLICK, YOU'RE THERE! - e-mail the webmaster to add your favorite to this list...
TREA Senior Citizens League www.tscl.org Social Security, Medicare, and Senior Citizen Information. The Actionable Online Library & Guide recommended by Ray at the Sept. meeting. CLICK HERE for the FREE e-mailed newsletter subscription.
Consumer.gov www.consumer.gov A "one-stop" link to a broad range of federal information resources available online. It is designed so that you can locate information by category -- such as Food, Health, Product Safety, Your Money, Identity Theft, and Transportation. Each category has subcategories to direct you to areas within individual federal web sites containing related information.
*Britannica.com d p www.britannica.com Using your old Encyclopædia Britannica volumes as doorstops may seem disrespectful, but you won't be needing the books anymore. All the content is online, nicely organized so that searching on Charles Lindbergh also brings up an entry on Bruno Hauptmann (his son's kidnapper). You'll also get links to related articles from more than 70 journals and magazines.
*CBSHealthWatch d p cbs.medscape.com HealthWatch's 46 channels tell you everything you need to know about asthma, cancer, diabetes, and health care for senior citizens. But there's more than first-rate content on this site (a joint venture between CBS and Medscape). The medical test handbook, drug directory, self-care handbook, and guide to managed care help you understand procedures, treatments, and options.
*Google D p www.google.comBR>The search for a decent search engine is over. Google has an uncanny knack for locating the exact sites that fit your query. Many of the 1 billion-plus URLs in its index are cached, which is handy if a site is temporarily down. You can search from your Web-enabled phone, too, or download a toolbar that lets you Google from any Web site.
*Tellme d p www.tellme.comBR>Dial up and get movie listings, traffic reports, restaurant reviews, or, if you need a ride, a connection to a local cab company. Voice portals let you access Web contenttypically weather reports and stock quotesfrom any phone. Tellme is the most promising of the lot, with impressive voice recognition and personalization capabilities.
BBC Online d p www.bbc.com Part portal, part encyclopedia, part broadcasting network all jolly goodfrom across the pond.
Encarta d p encarta.msn.com Free Web-based version of Microsoft's popular multimedia reference CD.
HowStuffWorks.com d p www.howstuffworks.com Illustrated guides take you on tours of engines, ATMs, allergies, and more.
Nolo.com D p www.nolo.com The prerequisite for using this primer on the legal system is a browser, not a law degree.
Northern Light d p www.northernlight.com This search engine boasts an online business library 7,100 publications strong, many of which are hard to find elsewhere.
TechEncyclopedia d p www.techencyclopedia.com Learn the difference between DRAM and SRAM, then decipher 14,000 other computer terms.
WebMD D p www.webmd.com Standout features such as clinical-trial listings and self-care guides make this site a winning prescription.
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Portals & Start Pages
*AvantGo p u www.avantgo.com Take a bit of the Web with you: AvantGo lets you download a wealth of content to your hand-held. Pick your favorite channels (from The New York Times to Expedia); then sync your Palm (or Windows CE or Pocket PC) device with your desktop and Web pages are transferred for off-line viewing. Text is nicely formatted to fit small screens.
*Yahoo! p u www.yahoo.com Yahoo!'s excellent directory will guide you to other siteswhen you get around to leaving Yahoo!, that is. New and notable services include online photo albums and an Experts channel (for quick answers to questions on a host of topics). And we still love old faves like Full Coverage news.
About p u www.about.com When search engines fail, About's human guides steer you in the right direction.
AOL p u www.aol.com A personalized Web site means you've got mail no matter where you are.
iVillage.com p u www.ivillage.com Advice, support, and terrific tools such as the Interactive Pregnancy Calendar.
My Netscape p U www.netscape.com All your favorite Netscape .com features (mail, stocks, bookmarks) on one easy-to-customize page.
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Shopping
*A Common Thread www.acommonthread.com Fine Art Travel Photography by Christine Dellosso - "A Common Thread ...runs throughout the world." A passion for world travel eventually led me to a love of photography. Over the last 20 years, my journeys have taken me to more than 35 countries.
Photographs communicate far more than words. They can capture a spirit, tell a person's story, show the splendor of ancient mountains or the beauty of a simple flower. I especially enjoy taking photographs in authentic surroundings where cultural celebrations, people's faces and wildife in its natural habitat touch and move me.
After years of being an observant traveler, I realize that even with our differences, there still exists "...A Common Thread." I hope you enjoy my photographs.
*Amazon.com u s www.amazon.com The small, upstart bookseller is now the Web's premier Über-store, selling cameras, wireless phones, and even patio furniture. And there are still terrific extras, such as recommendations, one-click ordering, and first-rate customer service.
*CarsDirect.com U s www.carsdirect.com Sure, you'll buy books and CDs on the Internet, but a car? We were skeptical too, but CarsDirect is a tempting proposition: Choose a car, load it up with options, and get a competitive, no haggle-price, right on the site. CarsDirect then locates your car from its network of 2,500 dealers and handles the paperwork.
*DealTime.com u s www.dealtime.com You know what you want to buy; the trick is finding it for the best price. DealTime.com makes that a snap. Tell the site what you're looking for and DealTime.com scans its huge network of e-tailers. You'll see which sites offer gift wrapping or free shippingand the best deals.
*EthnicGrocer.com u s www.ethnicgrocer.com If a well-balanced meal means some Polish cucumbers, a helping of Bavarian potato dumplings, and a side of Israeli toasted pasta couscous, EthnicGrocer.com can serve it up in a few clicks, along with recipes and cookbooks to expand your multicultural palate.
*Lands' End u s www.landsend.com Long the most innovative apparel site, Lands' End just keeps getting better. Virtual models3-D representations based on your own measurementsare now available for men as well as for women, handy for "trying on" outfits. Thumbs-up too for the Shop with a Friend feature, which lets two people chat as they drop items in a shared cart.
Andale u s www.andale.com Find auction tools that turbocharge your listings on eBay and other sitesand goodies for bidders, too.
Buy.com U s www.buy.com Burgeoning selection and improved customer service make this a strong competitor to Amazon.
Chumbo.com www.chumbo.com Software Super Store - This site is arranged into six easy-to-browse main categories, and the posted reviews from users give it a very appealing sense of community. There's an excellent software section with sophisticated applications you can download.
Dell U s www.dell.com Configure, buy, and troubleshoot your PC without having to talk to a human.
The Others www.acer.com | www.ibm.com | www.compaq.com | www.gateway.com | www.quantex.com | www.microexpress.net | www.hp.com | www.winbook.com
eBay u S www.ebay.com With new tools and categories (homes and cars), the auction king reigns strong.
eToys u s www.etoys.com With terrific design and product selections, this site's a winner, although it hasn't been able to compete in the grinding e-commerce environment.
Gomez.com u s www.gomez.com Read what analystsand now, usershave to say about major e-commerce sites.
Hifi.com u s www.hifi.com To hear the systems in action, try a showroom; for everything else, try Hifi.com.
mySimon www.mysimon.com World Class Shopping Bot - mySimon queries so many sites (more than 1500) that it does a better job of finding the best deal than any other shopping agent. You can also search auctions and classified ads.
Onvia.com u s www.onvia.com Whether you need a lawyer or a photocopier, tell Onvia and it will solicit bids from companies.
PayPal u s www.paypal.com Here's the no-hassle way to send and receive money online.
PriceWatch.com www.pricewatch.com Here's the site to find the going prices for all your needs. Categorized.
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If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Travel
*Fodors D s www.fodors.com Book flights via Expedia, buy theater tickets from CultureFinder.com, and get travelers' takes on restaurants, hotels, and more. Fodor's top-notch guides now cover almost 200 destinations.
*Travelocity d S www.travelocity.com Travelocity's slick interface, savvy tools, and integration with the Sabre computerized reservation system have made it a favorite. The site's been beefing up, too: Itineraries can be e-mailed to other travelers, who can add comments or book a trip themselves; you can even reserve flights from a phone.
Biztravel.com d S www.biztravel.com Mileage program tracking and automatic upgrades cater to frequent travelers. Features an automatic upgrade system to help travelers fly first-class more often, flight-status updates that can be sent to pagers, exclusive travel deals, and a system that searches for the lowest fare right up until dparture.
Expedia d S www.expedia.com Travel resources galore hereand don't skip the money-saving Fare Calendar. Features a fare compare section, a family travel section, seat pinpointers to help you get the perfect seat, a place to save your previous search, queries, vacation and cruise wizards, and express service for frequent flyers.
iExplore d s www.iexplore.com Base camp for adventurers: Find and book your next safari or rafting trip here.
Lonely Planet d s www.lonelyplanet.com Message boards tell you where to go and where not to go. Check out the travel advisories, too.
MapBlast! d s www.mapblast.com Create a map, get directions, and download it all to a hand-held. Check traffic here, too.
Site59.com d s www.site59.com Book last-minute travel without spending your last dollar. Or get recommendations for local, often offbeat activities.
Smarter Living d s www.smarterliving.com Savvy travelers fly right (and cheap) thanks to weekly e-mail specials.
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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News & Entertainment
*CNN D P www.cnn.com This superb site gives a wealth of multimedia content without stinting on the written word. Other sites can challenge it in terms of North American news, but for global news it's hard to beat. And CNN's sports offering in conjunction with Sports Illustrated (www.cnnsi.com) is like no other in content, organization, and ease of navigation.
*Epicurious Food d p www.epicurious.com Epicurious Food does more than post features from BON APPETIT and Gourmet magazines. It caters to fledging chefs, culinary artists, and folks who just like to eat. Streaming videos teach cooking techniques, 11,000 recipes help you branch out, and a wine section steers you to the best vino.
*Internet Movie Database d p www.imdb.com Want to see the résumé of every bit actor from Star Wars? Or check how much Waterworld grossed in Guam? IMDb can't make the films any better, but it can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about them and then some: cast, crew, gaffes, release dates, and producerseven memorable quotes.
*MightyBigTV D p www.mightybigtv.com The couch potatoes at MightyBigTV are a hilarious, sarcastic, call-'em-as-they-see-'em bunch. Week after week, they post the Web's best recaps of television shows such as "Ally McBeal," "ER," and "The West Wing," which are often more entertaining than the shows themselves.
*Time Out Group d p www.timeout.com Time Out's site guides you through 33 of the most bustling cities in the world, so we weren't surprised that it cuts right to the chase. You won't find a comprehensive directory of every attraction or accommodation in San Francisco or Shanghai. Instead, recommendations direct you to the hippest happenings, hotels, and hot spots around town.
E! Online d p www.eonline.com Entertainment coverageand gossip. With news updated throughout the day, Hollywood junkies can get frequent fixes.
ESPN d p www.espn.com And you thought the Olympics covered a lot of sports! From baseball to snowboarding, ESPN scores with stats, interviews, and videos.
Gracenote d p www.gracenote.com Gracenote has info on over 800,000 albums. Play a CD or MP3 and download title, artist bios, links, and more.
MyPalm d p www.palm.net Visit this site for top-flight calendar tools and PIM/PDA synchronization.
PayMyBills.com D p www.paymybills.com Pay anyone, and even get a year-end CD-ROM record of transactions.
Salon.com d p www.salon.com Many sites can give you commentary on politics, technology, the arts, or business, but Salon.com tackles all these subjects and more in its inimitable, quirky style. If you miss a day, no problem: A new directory guides you through the 10,000-article archive.
Shutterfly D p www.shutterfly.com Point and shoot, then send in your film. Once images are processed and scanned, you can crop, touch up, and order prints.
Slate d p www.slate.com The site has an opinion on everything, and it welcomes yours. It includes some of the wittiest, most entertaining commentary on the Web.
Television Food Network d p www.foodtv.com You've seen the shows; now cook the food. The site's recipe database is very searchableeven by main ingredient.
Twin Cities Public Television www.rightonthemoney.org Twin Cities Public Television - Resources for your tax dollar...
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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Lifestyle & Fun
*Discovery Kids d u kids.discovery.com Nothing grabs a child's attention faster than body sounds and smells. Discovery Kids covers topics such as the digestive system and sweat glands in a playful yet highly informative style that lets kids have fun as they learn. After exploring the human body, move on to entertaining zoo cams and dinosaur guides.
*Smithsonian Institution d U www.si.edu Touring the Smithsonian could take you the better part of a weeknot to mention a trip to Washington, D.C. Luckily, this first-rate Web site provides a portal to the institution's magnificent collections, many of which have been tailored for online display.
Disney d u www.disney.com Kids play games featuring the Dalmations and Aladdin; parents plan a trip to Epcot.
eGroups d u www.egroups.com Join or create e-mail distribution lists. Send newsletters to customers, and share news with a group.
Embark D u www.embark.com Prospective students can research schools and apply for admission and even loans online.
EXP.com d u www.exp.com Get an expert to answer your questions. Profiles and customer feedback let you vet your pro.
IPEDS College Opportunities On-Line d u nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool Find colleges (and vocational schools) and get enrollment, cost, and aid information.
National Geographic Society d u www.nationalgeographic.com Interactive features take you on climbs, digs, and shark hunts. Maps guide you around our world and the stars.
Key | * | = | A favorite site | | d | = | Design | | p | = | Performance | | s | = | Security | | u | = | Usability |
If the letter appears in lowercase in the review head, the site performed at an average level in that category. Uppercase letter indicate above-average performance.
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