Germantown startup assists senior citizens look for college by employing the assistance of other students

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/germantown-startup-helps-seniors-search-for-college-by-enlisting-the-help-of-other-students/2011/09/21/gIQA7ygqwK_story.html
Germantown startup assists senior citizens look for college by employing the assistance of other students
When Neil Soni, that graduated a few years back from a secondary school in Germantown, tried to assist his younger sibling apply to college in 2013, he found he just understood a great deal regarding one college-- the one he went to.

"I recognized I could provide him general advice, however I truly couldn't provide him" specialized advice for every school, stated Soni, that is now a student at Carnegie Mellon University.

So when his sibling expressed interest in the University of Michigan-- a school Soni understood little about-- he looked for friends that went there. He discovered a student at Michigan, however he likewise discovered a company concept.

"I believed, if I have no idea anyone at one school, why isn't there a location I could go online and also discover someone?" he stated.

The College Individuals was born.

Soni's new business aims to match secondary school students with students at the colleges they are applying to, to provide them with customized advice and also assistance in editing the essays on the application, for a charge.

Begun last July, The College Individuals ran a rudimentary service last application period for 10 students at Northwest Secondary school in Germantown. The business is preparing to run a wider pilot this year, and also has partnerships with schools in Maryland, Virginia, and also Pennsylvania.

The services range from $75 to $150, based on the kind of application, and also the business is shooting for 100 paying clients this time around around.

There are obstacles to business plan. The application period has the tendency to be short and also the clients and also advisors are perpetually turning over.

"I believe it is a cool concept, however it is an execution problem," stated Luke Skurman, that runs College Prowler, a prominent Website where college students provide candid reviews and also grade their schools. Skurman has an offer in location with The College Individuals to provide the site with a few of his content.

The College Individuals hires college students with personal networks and also with task websites such as barefootstudent.com. It puts them with a series of examinations and also a training program, and also pays them around $20 per hour, Soni stated.