New App Seeks To Make College Applications Easier

Friday, November 06, 2015

GoLocalPDX Lifestyle Team

A new Portland-based company is hoping to make the college application process easier for students, parents and counselors with an app called apply101.

“apply101 was born out of the idea that there needed to be a better way,” said Natalie Miller, the co-founder and CEO of apply101.com. “Students, parents and school counselors can track the application process, and submission deadlines all in one location. Future enhancements include providing a tool for colleges and universities to find prospective students and invite them to apply.”

The features in apply101 allow everyone involved in the process of of applying to college—including students, their parents and their high school counselors, to keep track of and manage everything that needs to be done to apply and pay for college. Users can track transcripts, essays financial aid and scholarship information and customizable tasks using the app.

Students can create a free account with apply101 and add schools they would like to apply to via the app’s “college wizard feature.” Then, students can click on the “task button” where the application requirements for each school are listed and an be sorted by due date, college, or task type. Text reminders can also be set up and shared with parents or counselors.

Parents and counselors are typically overwhelmed with trying to keep up with students’ applications as well as their day-to-day lives. With apply101, they can easily see where each student they are connected to is in the process and assign tasks to their students.

Miller launched the app this year after testing it last year. She said she hopes that apply101 will help close the economic gap in college admissions.

“Many times students from affluent families have more of an ‘edge’ in the application process because they work with tutors who advise them on the process, and help them with the paperwork and timelines,” Miller said. “apply101 can help level the playing field for those students who have the motivation — but perhaps not the resources.”

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