Making It Easier To Apply To College

Making It Easier To Apply To College by Wendy Mitchell

There's good news for parents and students facing the college admissions puzzle. A new one-stop Web site has been created to help them navigate what can seem like an overwhelming process.

As colleges have become increasingly selective, some studies show the number of students who apply to 12 or more institutions has more than doubled in the past 10 years. Parents want to help, but often get caught up in a maze of scholarship and financial aid forms and lengthy applications.

Some say technology, usually credited with making things easier, has actually made the process more complicated. While universities now make their applications available online in PDF format, virtually phasing out the typewriter, students still have to manually fill out redundant biographical information and college essays one application at a time.

Despite the fact that there are over 4,000 higher education choices in the United States, 80 percent of students apply to just 20 percent of schools, which makes the process even more competitive.

Cecil Foster, the former assistant vice president of enrollment services at the University of South Dakota, says, "Families need a one-stop, trusted resource where they can efficiently plan, prepare and execute on the entire college admissions process. And students need a faster and more effective method of filling out multiple applications and keeping everything on track."

Embark has processed over a million college and university applications, and now through Embark.com, students can access hundreds of applications in one place. After filling out just one user profile, students can apply to as many schools as they choose, saving valuable time and preventing costly clerical errors. In addition, the site can gather important data from prospective students and help guide them toward schools that best fit their needs and capabilities.

Unlike other college advocacy Web sites, this one does not make recommendations of colleges based on paid sponsorships.

Said Foster, "Having all of the information in one convenient place, with expert advice and trusted recommendations, will be one less worry families will have as they prepare their student for the life-altering event of going on to college."

To learn more, visit the Web site at www.embark.com. Foster is also executive vice president and COO at Embark, which hosts www.Embark.com. Some say the college application process has become more complicated than ever-for both students and parents.

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