Students deciding where to apply to college next fall might have an easier time compiling a list, thanks to AdmissionSplash -- a new Facebook application that tells students how likely they are to gain admission at their school of choice.
AdmissionSplash asks students to submit a short or long personal profile including quantitative and qualitative characteristics, such as test scores, grades and extra-curricular activities, which colleges consider when making admissions decisions. The program then uses this information, along with public admissions statistics, to predict the student's chance of getting into any of the 1,500 colleges currently included. The algorithm also takes into account overall acceptance rates per admission cycle.
And the formula works, according to tests conducted at UCLA and NYU. AdmissionSplash founders looked at three sets of students -- 88 and 73 from UCLA and 75 from NYU -- and found that they were able to accurately predict admissions decisions for 85, 91 and 97 percent from each group, respectively.
AdmissionSplash co-founder Allen Gannett says that his own difficulties with the college admissions process prompted him to develop the software. He views AdmissionSplash as a more-personalized college guide book, calling it "a really good tool for narrowing down your choices." Although he does not recommend relying on it as a sole indicator, Gannett thinks it can certainly help students navigate through the often stressful application process.
Gannett said that he chose to debut AdmissionSplash on Facebook because students are already comfortable with the site, adding that students who use the app can keep their results private or share with friends.
Next, AdmissionSplash hopes to develop a program that will predict admission chances for law, medical business and grad school applicants.
Would you use AdmissionSplash to help with your college application process? Share your thoughts in the comments section.