1 Million Students Applying To College “Alone” This Year

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Every year, high school seniors around the country must face the same existential question… What should I do with my life? Go to college? Enlist in the military? Take a gap year? Attend trade school? 

The decision to pursue higher education has been accelerating. This year more than ever, college applications are expected to be on the rise. According to the Common Application, the number of college applicants has risen 6% since last year, with a 10% increase in the number of minority applications since the 2023 cycle. First-generation applicants have more than doubled since the 2014-2015 cycle.

What does this mean for high school seniors planning to submit an application this year?

It’s going to be more competitive than ever before. 

Unfortunately for the majority of parents, postsecondary counseling options are extremely limited. 20% of US public schools do not have a dedicated guidance counselor, and for the schools that do have counselors, students only get 10 minutes a year with them. Many parents seek the external guidance of a private IEC (college counselor)… until they see the cost.

Private college counselors typically charge steep rates between $250/300 per hour, essentially selling “insurance” packages to the top 1% of earners. For 75% of families with college-bound students, their seniors end up applying alone at the kitchen table. 

Many companies have entered the college advising industry to remedy this problem but have fallen short in a number of key areas. For one, the majority of virtual solutions remain at an inequitable price point. Parents are still paying upwards of $300 per hour, and sometimes even dishing out thousands of dollars for a comprehensive package. Cheaper options fall short in the quality of their services. Many startups in the space pursue AI admissions and self-study assistance, which can be extremely risky considering admissions departments are cognizant of AI-assisted applications. 

One interesting company that has emerged in the space is College Contact, a near-peer advising model that has caught fire for its innovative, affordable, technology-enabled approach. Their model is designed to help the 75% of applicants who can’t afford IECs but aren’t getting adequate support at their school. 

In 2019, College Contact was founded in a UVA dorm room after a TikTok video went viral, reaching hundreds of thousands of students overnight. The message? Matching high school students with trained college undergraduates for affordable college advising. The solution went viral. Hundreds of college students applied to be mentors. College Contact served over 2,500 high school seniors who all received college acceptance letters – 86% of them landing a spot at their preferred college. 

One parent claimed, “College Contact has taken 80% of the stress off our household. This is the best thing we have offered our son.” 

Another noted, “Zach was hesitant when I signed him up for College Contact, but he came downstairs afterward and LOVED it! He said it was very helpful and the mentor was super nice and easy to talk to. And better yet – I don’t have to help him!” 

Families who sign up for College Contact get instantly matched to a vetted & trained undergraduate in their network. Students can book 1:1 virtual advising meetings, chat with their mentors, send in admissions essays for review, and more for just $60/month – a fraction of typical private college counselor fees.

Leah Guesman, COO at College Contact, noted, “Parents often ask us if undergraduates are qualified to help their students through the admissions process. Our mentors go through a rigorous application process and onboarding course that includes content review and exams. All mentors must pass our writing evaluation, emotional intelligence test, and our college counseling standards check. We have a very low acceptance rate onto the platform to maintain our high quality standards. 

Parents keep sharing that our mentors are more effective than the traditional private college counselors they’ve previously engaged with. The admissions game is constantly changing, with each school’s culture evolving with the new cohorts of students they bring in every year. Since our mentors are current undergraduates on campuses across the country, they are naturally the most tuned into the current culture on campus, which positively impacts how we help student’s craft relevant essay responses. Not to mention, working with an undergraduate gives students a sneak peek into what’s to come, and motivates them to persevere through the undeniably stressful admissions process.” 

Today, College Contact has become a fully comprehensive college and career readiness platform, offering an affordable solution for the thousands of parents who are looking for another solution. The added beauty in their near-peer model is that students make a friend along the way before they ever set foot on campus.

CEO, Sophie Smith, stated, “Each year, more students are not only gaining acceptance into their top-choice universities but also thriving once they arrive on campus. Many continue to foster relationships with their college mentors, who often attend the same university. Students who go through our program arrive at school with greater confidence, already having a strong connection with their mentor. This connection helps them feel prepared to join clubs, participate in activities, and choose the right major with valuable insider knowledge.”

Recently, College Contact announced that it would start selling their solution into school districts to provide scalable support to overburdened guidance counselors. Since opening the opportunity in January of 2024, the company has generated unprecedented interest from major school districts in California and Texas, and even has a virtual school signing on their students. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas witnessed the significant impact College Contact’s program had on their mentees. Perseis, one of the students enrolled in the pilot program, shared, “Participating in this program feels really good. It has removed the stress of wondering what I need to do. It’s also given me more confidence to continue in school and to continue on this path towards college. I don’t think I’d have been this far along if I hadn’t participated in this program. You have to take advantage of the opportunities you are given.

I come from poverty, and I’ve seen the struggle,” she said. “So, I’m trying my best to avoid it. To take advantage of programs like this and take control of my future.”

As the college admissions landscape continues to evolve, College Contact remains committed to democratizing access to higher education by providing an effective, affordable alternative to traditional college counseling.

For more information, visit yourcollegecontact.com. Parents and students can text or call 857-256-0283. Interested school districts can email [email protected]. 

About College Contact

College Contact is a Texas-based, female-founded college and career readiness platform that connects high school students with near-peer mentors. With a historical 100% university acceptance rate and an 86% placement rate into students’ first-choice universities, College Contact has helped over 2,500 students nationwide. The platform’s innovative model, combined with comprehensive resources and personalized support, empowers students to achieve their academic and career goals, while simultaneously helping school districts scale 1:1, personalized postsecondary advising.

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SOURCE College Contact