When choosing a college, the student must (1) know his own strengths, limitations, resources, and interests, (2) be able to find a college compatible with his various needs and wishes, and (3) know how to compare the likely ones. Since all three problems are difficult to solve, many poor choices are made by both the students and the colleges. To get the right students and colleges together, an automated information system was considered. It led to the development of the College Suggestor, defined as a data retrieval device for use as a guide to college choice. The system used 1931 institutions and 213 characteristics (in 12 categories: location, size, control, prerequisites, admission information, costs, financial aid, program, student body, faculty, degree majors, occupational programs), giving a total array of 460,000 information pieces and representing American higher education as of 1966. The characteristics were defined by a panel of experts (who included in their definitions opinions solicited from students and prospective students); descriptive data came from Office of Education files and from the colleges themselves. Combined use of computers, graphics, and printing made it possible to produce the device at low cost. Prototypes were manufactures in 1967 for controlled field trial in 1967-68. (Reports on the field trials are forthcoming.) An example of student use of the Suggestor is given. (HH)