Revolutionizing College Applications: The All-in-One Planner
our
vision
Our mission is to democratize access to higher education by increasing accessibility to the tools, resources, and advice that high school students need to successfully navigate the ever-changing and increasingly complex college application process. Students will be organized and confident knowing can trust APPcepted to guide them every step of the way.
PROBLEM
THE
landscape problems
LANDSCAPE PROBLEMS
The demand for college admissions support services has surged due to heightened competition for college admissions, the complexity of application processes, and the necessity for personalized guidance.
CONFUSION PROBLEMS
It has become increasingly difficult for students to navigate the college admissions process and have an informed strategy. Each college has different evaluative formulas and requirements, which are ever-changing. From standardized testing policies to different decision types and deadlines to how each factor impacts another, it is nearly impossible to untangle it all, let alone be strategic, without professional assistance.
CURRENT SERVICES PROBLEMS
Products in the market are fragmented services including standardized test preparation, college search engines, essay editing services, and private counseling.
Many current services provide a cacophony of information without clarity, differentiation, or giving students tangible tools to make sense of the process and submit applications that reflect their greatest potential.
​The high cost associated with services that make a meaningful impact on admissions poses equity concerns by widening achievement and opportunity gaps.
THE
SOLUTION
An accessible and user friendly app that
easily guides the student through the college planning and application process.
Students will be our target users but a feature of our application is that we offer Parent and Counselor interfaces as well that connect to student accounts and allow them to stay updated on their student's progress.
Pop-ups like this one will help students understand the consequences of how they answer these questions and also how they approach and prepare for the application process.
We believe there is more to choosing a school than numbers. We want to students to consider where they will be happiest, most successful, and have a positive experience that will set them up for their futures.
Each time a user changes or adds content to the app, the recommendations will recompile based on these updates ensuring that student lists, recommendations, and applications are always on the same page as the student!
Users will scroll from closest match schools to least closely matched schools. We know this is an ever-changing process so users will also have the option to search for specific school profiles and update their questionnaire at any time.
Students answer basic questions that allow our algorithms to match them with schools. Students can go to settings and change their answers at any time. As students continue to use the app, the recommendations will become more refined.
Students will be asked questions that are fun to answer and get them to start thinking about academic and social fit! Their answers will allow us to support their journey with tailored recommendations and advice.
Our school profile pages highlight content that actually differentiates between colleges. Featuring each school's recent social media posts, top programs and our unique friends favorites which allows users to see how many of their contacts have added each school to their favorites list.
When a student "likes" a school it appears on the My Favorites page. If allowed, their friends can also see their favorites.
From here, students can easily navigate to school pages. They can also compare schools and officially add schools to their the My Schools page.
My Schools page takes the guess work out of all of the different deadlines and rules. As users choose application types, the app will turn off unavailable application types at other schools on their list. Pop ups will briefly explain why and direct users to further information.
School Application pages contain everything required to apply to that school and everything that school considers in admissions.
All information is updated each cycle. Users mark completion allowing the app to track progress.
Keeping track of everything needed to apply to college can be daunting - not any more! We provide students with clear requirements, templates, and directions every step of the way. The more they use features such as My Planner, the easier completion will become.
Students will have access to testing data that will allow them to understand what a competitive application will require. Here they can navigate to My Planner to add and review their own test scores. Their scores in relation to these stats will determine whether the school is a target, safety, or reach for them.
Based on school and application deadline, timelines and requirements are adjusted and easy to track. Repeated requirements across schools will populate once completed to reduce tedious work and potential confusion.
My Planner allows students to get more out of their subscription. Students are encouraged to start using this section as early a freshman year. Prompts and advice populate based on student information and progress.
Essay prompts and directions are all located in this easy to find section of the app and updated each cycle. Students can add these prompts to their My Essays page and also export them easily to Google Docs for drafting.
My Planner helps us help students better! As students use My Planner, not only are they filling in vital information that will be necessary for their applications, but they are getting support to improve the information that they will ultimately provide colleges, in real time- such as adding more rigorous classes or planning through course tracks.
Students keep track of their activities in My Planner. Our AI functions will build them resumes and activities lists for Common App, etc. from the details they provide in this section. This will be a GAME CHANGER- creating up to date documents in the correct format has never been easier!
Students keep track of their standardized test scores in My Planner. This information will be necessary for applications but it will also be used to calculate their super scores which will be part of our calculation for their likelihood of admission at each school and overall list balance.
Our Balanced List Checker will take student input data, like GPA and test scores, and compare it to school admission data; calculating whether schools are targets, safeties, or reaches. It is our goal that students apply to a list of schools that are balanced across these three and will clearly alert students of their odds of admission within and across schools.
Required essays and all prompts are updated and located in each college profile. This means no searching and no last-minute surprises for the student. Users can easily export prompts for drafting and, if inspiration comes on the go, can jot notes down in the essay notepad.
APPcepted tracks progress on multiple levels. Users can choose their preferred
cadence of reminders and
alerts, connect their profile with a parent or counselor account, and share progress rings with their friends for motivation.
APPcepted can be individualized to each students needs and preferences. By allowing access to contacts or sharing their school name, students can see the number of friends they have that share their interests in a school.
Students can upgrade their subscriptions to gain access to tutorial videos and submit questions about the process.
Our connected Portals allow parents and counselors to view their student's progress by school and by component, turn on alerts and reminders, and access their student's most recent Progress Report. These reports are documents emailed to parents regularly to show their student's progress and explain what needs to get done, why, and by when.
My Feed is a personalized and updated bank of information based on the student's profile and school list. Students can browse and revisit all popups, tips, videos, links, and reminders as needed. The school updates and breaking news sections includes information that might affect their application process or be of interest to them.
UNder the hood
Our Data:
We have partnered with Peterson's Data. Peterson's is widely regarded as the benchmark for higher education data. Containing institutional profiles on 2,633 four-year schools and 1,596 two-year schools, Peterson’s Undergraduate Data Set stands as the most complete and comprehensive database in higher education.
Shareable Application Tracker:
A centralized dashboard allows students to track their application progress, deadlines, and requirements for each college they're applying to and their overall completion. Push notifications, progress reports, and options to share with parent, counselor, and friend accounts ensure they never miss an important deadline, feel empowered through the process, and avoid the procrastination and stress that is usually associated with applying to college.
Connecting Students to Resources
​We are linking students to resources and important websites to make our app their one-stop college application destination:
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ACT
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College Board
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Quest Bridge
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Common App
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Big Future
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Campus Reel
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Snow Day
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Khan Academy
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Grammarly
Expert Advice + Tips:
We have partnered with college admissions experts and have compiled all the advice given to high-paying clients. Detailed guides, templates, and checklists simplify the application process, from filling out forms to gathering required documents. We walk students through each step providing priceless guidance on every aspect of the college application process.
Social Media Connection:
Our student ambassadors will lead videos that explain the hows, whys, and whats behind the app on social media. The social media accounts will explain best tips and practices to help current users get the most out of the app while promoting everything that we offer to potential new users.
Opportunities For Growth
We see so much opportunity for APPcepted.
We can change the game of college admissions support!
1
Partnerships
Affiliate Partnerships with companies in test prep, tutoring, and enrichment programs servicing similar students and families to build our brand reach and credibility, and provide our students with quality support to help them reach their goals.
2
Add Integrations
Data partnerships with the Fiske Guide and The College Finder will add insight, lists, and profiles from the leading guides.
3
Further AI assistance
to further assist our algorithms in our ability to customize recommendations, curriculum and application advice, and expand our services to international students with different variables.
4
Advanced Video Tutorials
Content that goes deeper into more specific and niche concerns and advice from sports recruiting to arts portfolios, we want to be able to walk every student through every step of their unique process.
5
Upgraded Services
Develop a team that can offer additional services including webinars, virtual workshops, application mark-ups, essay reviews, etc.
6
Multilingual Functionality
to reach beyond English speaking students and parents in the US and in foreign markets allowing us to tap into the global market for US college admissions support
Why APPcepted?
We have long worked in the exclusive college admissions counseling industry guiding students and families through the complex, sometimes daunting, often opaque, and ever changing process.
After many years of successfully helping clients ultimately gain admission to selective universities across the globe, we decided we wanted to bring our proven methods and focus on approachable mentorship to a broader demographic of students. It is important to us that all students and families have access to the data-driven strategies and school- specific policy information that inform admissions prospects.
It was this mission that led to the creation of our innovative app, APPcepted that support students throughout the college application process. There is nothing else on the market that will apply the knowledge and specialized expertise of a distinguished and experienced college consultant to individual student profiles and partner with them through the entire process from choosing a balanced best-fit school list (and helping them understand what that means) to filling out their Common Apps in a way that best demonstrates their greatest strengths. We have dedicated ourselves to providing the most up-to-date and comprehensive information in the most approachable and easily digestible way possible. We have built in factors that are proven to drive positive results- from accountability features to peer engagement. Our goal is to take the stress out of applying to college and bring back the fun!
APPcepted acts as a go-to advisor from start to finish of the entire process, setting students up for success by giving them individualized guidance.
We are driven by our passion to help students realize their greatest potential and achieve their goals. We believe there is a best fit school for every student and that every family should have the knowledge and support to confidently navigate college admissions.
Meet the Team
We are a female-founded and led company prioritizing our desire to impact individual lives and create large-scale positive change!
Business Model
Subscription Based
1
Basic
This service includes all features needed to successfully apply to college including our individualized planners, interactive college exploration, data-informed advice, expert-led videos on process and strategy, advanced algorithm suggestions for school list building, and application tracker.
2
Premium
For our customers who want that extra level of support, we plan to offer:
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Premium subscription: office hours, email advice, and upgraded seminars.​
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Billable Hourly 1:1 assistance
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Individualized counsel
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Essay support
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Application Review
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Strategy Sessions
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Join Us!
Contact us to learn more about partnering to make a difference in the lives of students across the country!