RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Circuit City is offering last-minute shopping tips to help American families who are scrambling to prepare their students for college.

The U.S. Department of Education predicts almost 18.4 million students will be enrolled in the nation's colleges and universities this fall. A national survey commissioned by Circuit City shows most families with college-bound students have been engaged in back-to-school shopping for two months or more. But for families who are still working to prepare their students, there are strategies that can help get the job done.

College bound students are all about electronics ... they depend on their tech gear for work and for play.

-- Hands-down, students say the computer is the device they find most useful at college ... 79% of students told the Circuit City survey that the computer is THE most important tech tool they use (cell phones came in a distant second at 11%)

-- In our survey, six out of ten college students said their universities either require or recommend they bring their own computer to school

Do some homework ... it will save time later

-- Go to your student's college Web site and look for the technical requirements they've set for computers

-- Go online to look for bargains and determine which PCs meet your student's needs. You can even compare notes with other students and families at http://www.circuitcity.com/citycenter

-- Visit a store that carries leading brand-name computers ... so you can compare the models side by side

Save some money ...

-- This time of year is a great time for bargains on computers. Manufacturers are getting ready to introduce new models, so retailers are marking down existing inventory to make way for the new merchandise

    Don't forget accessories ...
    -- Printer, ink, paper
    -- Ethernet cables
    -- Web cam

-- Powered speakers (your student probably uses the computer to store and play music)

    -- Portable memory (such as thumb drives)

    Protect your investment ...
    -- Power strip with surge protector
    -- Cable lock to secure portable laptop computers

-- Security software -- all this month, Circuit City's firedog(SM) PC services unit is offering special back-to-school deals on installation of security software and computer optimization

In spite of all best efforts, you'll probably forget something ...

-- In our survey, HALF of students told us they had forgotten some important piece of tech gear once they got to school

-- Send your student to college with a gift card they can use for those last-minute needs. In fact, you can even e-mail a Circuit City gift card to your student, who can use it online or in one of our stores

More than 2,400 college students responded to the back to school survey, which was commissioned by Circuit City Stores, Inc. and conducted by independent research firm Decision Analyst, Inc. of Arlington, TX. The survey's margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points.

About Circuit City Stores, Inc.

Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE: CC) is a leading specialty retailer of consumer electronics and related services. The domestic segment operates through 701 Superstores and 9 outlet locations in 158 U.S. markets. The international segment operates through approximately 800 retail stores and dealer outlets in Canada. Circuit City also operates Web sites at http://www.circuitcity.com, http://www.thesource.ca, and http://www.firedog.com.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010709/CCLOGO )

SOURCE Circuit City Stores, Inc.