Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Project Title
For the development and piloting of an interactive college search support tool to help students and parents navigate the college admissions process.
Date
Sep. 08, 2016
Duration
12 months
Description
In schools across the country, students are failing to receive the individualized counseling services that are necessary to guide them through the daunting process of college admissions and matriculation. This problem is particularly pronounced in low-income communities, leading many high-achieving, low-income students to “under-match”—they apply to and attend schools that are not commensurate with their academic needs and abilities, thereby widening the achievement gap at the postsecondary level. To set these students up for postsecondary success, they need access to information and personalized, comprehensive advising. In partnership with IBM’s Watson and the College Board, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will address this need through the development of an interactive college search support tool and website that will help students and their parents navigate the college admissions process from inquiry through matriculation. This grant will support the first phase of this project, focusing on the development and piloting of the interactive college advisory tool: Chatbot.