It always excites me when I find a tool that helps parents and students stay organized during the college admissions process. In the past, we have used filing drawers, wall calendars and to-do-lists to stay on top of all the admissions requirements. Then we moved on to usb storage drives, smartphone calendars and Evernote, which have worked seamlessly over the last few years. But today, there is a new tool for the digital age: The College Application Wizard.
College Application Wizard is the brainchild of Lynell Engelmyer and Kelly Herrington. Between Lynell and Kelly, they have over four decades of experience in college admissions, college counseling, and college financial aid. Lynell, a former Director of Financial Aid, owns a successful college counseling practice in upstate New York, and frequently writes and speaks to groups about all aspects of applying to and paying for college. Kelly is the Director of College Counseling at a high school in the Pacific Northwest and is the former Associate Dean of Admissions at Union College. Lynell and Kelly worked with a team of graphic designers, programmers and writers to create the first online personalized college organizer – The College Application Wizard.
Just to see how the program works, I signed up for a free account (one college) and walked through the process. It was simple, self-explanatory, and allowed you to tailor your list by setting your own deadlines on the tasks and adding any extra to-do lists for each task. The application gives you all the requirements for each individual college: transcripts you need to gather, recommendation letter requirements, forms required for financial aid, application and financial aid deadlines, and essay topics. Here’s a screenshot of the college that I set up–Bentley University.
The cost is free for one college and $9.95 for up to 15 colleges for one year of access (more than enough in a narrowed down list). The fee includes the customized online organizer tool and a host of other resources including the advice of professionals with almost a half-century of college admission and financial aid experience. The fee also allows the student to share their account with two people (parents, counselors, mentors, etc.) These mentors enjoy read-only access to the student’s file. In my opinion, this is a BARGAIN!
Why Do Students and Parents Need The College Application Wizard?
Gone are the days when every high school had enough college counselors with sufficient time to work with each student. Today, one counselor is often assigned to hundreds of students. At the same time, the process itself has become more complex and the competition increased. In the past, students applied to three or four colleges. Today, students often apply to 7 to 10 colleges or more. Students who used to take either the SAT or ACT now take both tests and may also need to take SAT Subject Tests as well. Arts majors may need to prepare a portfolio. Athletes must prepare an athletic resume and submit game film to schools. Students need to request teacher recommendations and follow-up to make sure they were submitted by the deadlines. Families applying for financial aid face another important set of requirements and deadlines with very high stakes attached. It’s the rare person who can seamlessly navigate and organize every step of this process. For many applicants, this process is a complex, confusing maze.
The College Application Wizard takes the confusion out of the process and straightens out the maze to organize, guide and support students along the path to college. It helps students understand the steps they need to take and take those steps in the right order and at the right time. It relieves anxiety and takes the stress out of the process for parents. In the words of a parent who saw the prototype of the College App Wizard, “This is a parent’s dream come true!”
The college application process can feel overwhelming. Successfully completing this task requires breaking big jobs down into small doable pieces, dealing with the fear, keeping your thoughts constructive, and staying focused on what is in front of you today.