CollegeWeekLive is a unique experiment in providing on-line, real-time, college information resources for students and  parents. It’s a “virtual college fair” designed to replicate the look and feel of attending a college fair in a fancy exhibition center.

The program is an intensive, live,  two-day event which started yesterday and concludes today.  It features some of the superstars of the college admissions world giving video keynote presentations; video chats with current college students providing an insiders perspective on their school and the admissions process; virtual booths for colleges, featuring electronic brochures, videos, webinars, podcasts and real-time IM and video chat between admissions counselors and students and parents. And it runs from noon to 11:00pm (EST) each day. Wow! 22 hours of college admissions frenzy - for free. More than anyone can absorb in one sitting. So, what’s it actually like?

Experiencing CollegeWeekLive

Once logged in to the web site you’re welcomed into a “Second Life style” hall where photo-realistic figures wander the Lobby area and signs point the way to expert presentations, student chat sessions, a resource center and career panels. Navigating the site is easy. Obviously this is not for the techo-phobic, but for teenagers and parents accustomed to video games and chat rooms it will seem very familiar. The technology behind the scenes is provided by a company called PlatformQ - an high-tech company based in Needham, Mass.

Yesterday we enjoyed a presentation by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross, the author of What High Schools Don’t Tell You and What Colleges Don’t Tell You discussing summer activities for college-bound students. We also checked out the virtual chat areas for a couple of the colleges where students answered questions people posted.

Today, we hope to check in on more of the exciting Agenda.

CollegeWeekLive is an interesting experiment in “virtual reality” that allows parents and students access to a wide variety of resources without leaving the comfort of their own homes. It’s a great place to check out colleges and hear students.

Two suggestions to improve the experience:

1. How about archives of the presentations for anyone who missed the live event?

2. How about going the whole way and hosting a future CollegeWeekLive on Second Life?

Meanwhile, if you read this blog posting before 11:00pm EST on Wednesday March 26th, check it out!