CollegeVine Celebrates Record Year and Looks Toward 2018
The leader in virtual guidance continues to exceed industry standards in college admissions success
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CollegeVine, the leading national online provider of student mentoring, test prep, and college admissions guidance for high schoolers and their families, today reported company achievements for 2017 and previewed their goals for 2018.
"It's vital in today's complex world that high schoolers be better planners and more discerning around their life trajectories at an earlier age," said Jon Carson, CollegeVine CEO. "Gone are the days when you could just wing it. CollegeVine has become the trusted resource for high school families who are serious about their education and how that sets them up for life."
By using its innovative data-driven, near peer mentorship model to support high school families via virtual guidance, CollegeVine achieved the following milestones in 2017:
- Recognized as a top startup to watch: The company's momentum was featured in key media outlets including WBUR, Business Insider, Boston Business Journal, and Inc. CollegeVine was also recognized by Built in Boston as one of the top 50 startups to watch, slated to make a significant impact in tech over the next 12 months. Additionally, CollegeVine founders Vinay Bhaskara, Zack Perkins, and Johan Zhang were named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 2018 list as innovators in the Education category.
- Maintained impressive admissions results: 70 percent of CollegeVine clients achieved an acceptance to at least one of their top three choice colleges. Additionally, 73 percent of CollegeVine applicants to Ivy League or equivalent schools were accepted in the 2016-2017 admissions cycle, a rate of almost four times the market average.
- Netted record scholarship funding for clients: CollegeVine clients received an average scholarship award of roughly $68,000 during the 2016-2017 admissions season.
- Achieved record top line growth: In 2017, CollegeVine continued to outpace the competition, providing assistance to more than 3,500 high school students through mentorship, test prep, and college applications advising.
- Expanded progressive pro bono program: CollegeVine's pro bono program for disadvantaged students has always been a priority. In the 2016-2017 admissions season, students in the pro bono program earned a 90 percent acceptance rate to top 50 schools, as well as a 71 percent acceptance rate to Ivy League or equivalent schools. In addition, CollegeVine piloted a pro bono partnership with Jefferson Parish Public Schools in Louisiana to offer mentorship and college advising to select students throughout the district's high schools.
- Furthered international expansion: In 2017 CollegeVine launched a partnership with India-based Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) with an eye to providing education guidance to the roughly 186,000 Indian students who look to study at colleges and universities in the United States each year.
- Upgraded free college essay support: In line with its mission to help families more easily navigate the complex college admissions process, CollegeVine developed a free comprehensive database of essay prompts for more than 500 colleges and universities around the United States. The database allows students to quickly and conveniently find all the essay prompts for schools they are interested in applying to, facilitating efficient planning in an otherwise frustrating process.
- Expanded HQ staff and consultant base: CollegeVine doubled its headquarter staff in 2017, including Kara O'Toole (former COO, Grand Circle Travel) as VP of Operations and Stephen Thompson (former VP of Business Development, PlumChoice) as VP of Business Development and Partnerships. CollegeVine also grew its network of near-peer mentors and admissions counselors to more than 600 mentors.
- Added Stephen Smith and Dr. Anne Bryant to Advisory Board: CollegeVine welcomed Stephen Smith, co-founder of Naviance, and Dr. Anne Bryant, Executive Director Emerita of the National School Boards Association, to its Advisory Board. Smith and Bryant lend their decades of experience in edtech entrepreneurship and K-12 education as CollegeVine maps its trajectory for 2018 and beyond.
Above all, CollegeVine is proud of its continued commitment to helping students and families navigate the path to the best colleges and universities for them. "One of the most important things CollegeVine was able to provide for my family and my teenager was a sense of regaining control over a stressful process," said Denise Hoffner, parent of a CollegeVine student from the 2017 admissions class. "Navigating the college admissions process is tough when you have little to no guidance from the high school, but CollegeVine helped my son stay organized and created a path to help him get admitted to some of his top choice schools. Having stellar, incisive assistance took pressure off of us individually and collectively."
As CollegeVine looks toward 2018, the team will continue to improve its products and services, using innovative solutions to further grow its significant advantage over the market acceptance rate to colleges and universities. In addition, says Carson, "In 2018 we will be expanding our broad suite of software tools that leverage our fast-growing proprietary data on college admissions that will enable our near peer mentors to deliver an even higher level of value to our clients."
About CollegeVine
CollegeVine is a leading provider of one-on-one mentorship, test prep tutoring, and college applications guidance. The company features an expansive network of near-peer advisors at the nation's top universities—their experience representing more than 20 different majors, substantial extracurricular activities and far-ranging success. For more information, visit www.collegevine.com.
SOURCE CollegeVine
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