Apartments.com Challenges The Class of 2008 to One Final Exam That Will Payoff in...

Apartments.com Challenges The Class of 2008 to One Final Exam That Will Payoff
in the Real World
First-ever What's Your FQ? Sweepstakes Gives College Graduates a Reality Check
and a New Lease on Life

CHICAGO, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Now that spring break has come to an
end, the notion that college life is almost over will sink in for many
soon-to-be graduates. However, before taking those final steps toward their
diploma on graduation day, Apartments.com today announces one final exam for
The Class of 2008 that will result in the ultimate payoff to give them a leg
up in the real world, especially during a time when the U.S. economy faces
some uncertainty.
To find out if The Class of 2008 has what it takes to make it after
graduation, Apartments.com(TM) -- working in conjunction with
CBcampus.com(TM), the collegiate job channel for CareerBuilder.com, and
FreeCreditReport.com(TM) -- will calculate the FQs or "Freedom Quotients" of
spring graduates this year by launching the "What's Your FQ?" Sweepstakes.
Offering the break of a lifetime, that pays the rent, catapults careers and
supplements first-year income, one lucky graduate will win a prize package
worth nearly $25,000 -- almost as much as an average entry-level salary.
Surveys show new graduates will turn their tassels before tackling
real-world challenges like finding a job and renting an apartment. Some of the
wake-up calls most 2008 graduates will face include an average student loan
debt of $21,000(1), an entry-level salary of $30,000(2) and moving back home
with mom and dad where sixty-five percent of college graduates find themselves
-- hoping for free room and board while searching for a job(3).
"Many soon-to-be graduates feel unprepared to enter the real world," said
Tammy Kotula, public relations and promotions manager, Apartments.com.
"Fortunately, life after college doesn't have to be a scary transition. With
the right tools and resources to educate young adults for the many 'firsts' to
be encountered, they will be poised to rent their first apartment, launch
their career and manage their finances with confidence."
IQ and EQ scores have become essential for measuring personal development,
and the "What's Your FQ?" Sweepstakes promises nothing less for pending
graduates by revealing if they have what it takes to make it after graduation.
How to Enter
College students graduating between March 31, 2008 and June 30, 2008, who
visit http://www.WhatsYourFQ.com can enter the Sweepstakes by taking the FQ
Quiz, nine humorous questions testing soon-to-be graduates' knowledge of
renting and apartment, searching for a job and managing credit and debt. Once
the quiz is completed, entrants will receive a tailored and fun analysis,
scoring their personal "Freedom Quotient" and readiness for the real world.
Additionally, each entrant will receive customized tips and articles based on
their FQ Quiz responses -- provided by experts at Apartments.com(TM),
CBcampus.com(TM) and FreeCreditReport.com(TM) -- to better prepare themselves
for life in the real world. The "What's Your FQ?" Sweepstakes will accept
entries between March 31, 2008 to May 4, 2008.
Win The Break Of A Lifetime
To spring one lucky college graduate to the head the 2008 class, the grand
prize winner of the "What's Your FQ?" Sweepstakes will receive a prize package
worth nearly $25,000 including free rent for a year from Apartments.com(TM), a
Career Fast-Track Pack from CBcampus.com(TM) and $10,000 in cold, hard cash.
Three runner-up winners will receive free rent for a month from Apartments.com
and Job Jumpstart Packs from CBcampus.com(TM). The grand prize winner and
three runner-up winners will be announced on or around May 15, 2008.
About Apartments.com
Apartments.com is the most visited national apartment Internet listing
subscription service with more than 50,000 unique addresses representing more
than three million rental units from managed properties, newspaper classifieds
and for-rent-by-owner properties. With personalized searches, highly visual
ads featuring 360-degree virtual tours, professional photography, and
comprehensive community listings, Apartments.com makes it possible for renters
to access apartment rental inventory from across town or across the country.
Leads from highly qualified ready-to-rent prospects are delivered to
Apartments.com customers, increasing closure rates and decreasing the average
cost of leasing an apartment. The site's foundation of solid partnerships
with the local newspaper and television station Web sites of more than
10,000 newspaper affiliate and strategic partners across the country include
Yahoo! Real Estate, AOL Real Estate, the Chicago Tribune
(http://www.chicagotribune.com), The Washington Post
(http://www.washingtonpost.com) and the Los Angeles Times
(http://www.latimes.com). Apartments.com is a division of Chicago-based
Classified Ventures, LLC.
About CBcampus.com
CBcampus.com is a division of CareerBuilder.com, the nation's largest job
site with more than 23 million unique visitors and over 1.6 million jobs.
College students and alumni can quickly target job and internship
opportunities for their experience-level from the nation's top employers. They
can also post resumes, get the latest news on companies and industries, sign
up for automatic job alerts, view local career fairs and tap into advice on
everything from writing resumes to on-the-job success. For more information,
visit CBcampus.com.
About FreeCreditReport.com(TM)
FreeCreditReport.com part of a family of online consumer credit reporting
sites belonging to ConsumerInfo.com, Inc., an Experian(R) company.
ConsumerInfo was founded in 1995 to give consumers quick, easy, and
inexpensive access to their credit histories. It is now the leading provider
of online consumer credit reports, credit scores, credit monitoring, and other
credit-related information. ConsumerInfo provides credit monitoring to its
more than 3.1 million members and has delivered more than 20 million credit
reports on the web. As part of the Experian family, it continues to grow its
membership base and develop innovative products to help consumers better
understand their credit.
Sources:
(1) Student Loan Debt -- How To Get Relief, CNN.com, March 5, 2008
(2) CareerBuilder.com 2007 College Hiring Forecast
(3) Boomerang Kids Keep Coming Home, CBS Evening News, January 9, 2004

SOURCE Apartments.com

Nicole Serr, nserr@lannoncom.com, or Megan Richards, mrichards@lannoncom.com,
both of Lannon Communications, +1-312-335-9955, for Apartments.com