Hi Everyone -- My name is Ron Lieber, and I write a personal finance column for the New York Times. I'm hoping to speak with people (undergrads, grad students or parent co-signers) who checked their scores before and after shopping around and making multiple applications for private student loans. I'm trying to determine how often, if ever, scores can be negatively impacted by multiple inquiries that might come from student lenders to whom you have applied for private loans. As you may know, the FICO formula allows for multiple applications for mortgage and auto loans without score damage but doesn't have such an exception for student loan applications. If you fall into this category, please send me a note to lieber@nytimes.com. Thanks, Ron Lieber
