IQ Interactive Special Report: IQ Data – Study Hall

IQ Data: Study Hall
A look at the college-aged Web consumer.
What’s top of mind for today’s college-aged Web consumer? Money. Finding money for tuition, saving money on rent and spending those few extra dollars on leisure activities are primary goals for those in the prime higher-education sector, aged 18-24.
Two government sites attract students: the Federal Student Financial Assistance site (fafsa.ed.gov), which provides college scholarship information, and the Department of Education site (ed.gov), which provides similar information as well as news on the state of education in the United States. FastWeb (fastweb.com) is a site with 6 million registered users that matches students in need with available resources. Portal Collegeclub.com provides links to finding out how to get loans and financial aid.
Also important for college students: Finding a place to live. Rent.net and Apartments.com allow students to search for an apartment without wearing out the shoe leather. If there’s any money left over after the security deposit, they’re spending it at apparel company J.Crew (jcrew.com).
And if there is an opportunity for free entertainment, count this demographic in. Among the most popular sites: maximonline.com, the Web counterpart of the wildly successful young men’s magazine, and scour.com, a music site that searches for downloadable music.-Allen Weiner, vice president, Analytical Services, NetRatings, Inc.