Kickstart 2014 Update Now Available

A new update to College Kickstart is now available.  This release introduces a new MixFixer™ capability that allows you to easily strengthen your list within a single screen.

MixFixer also includes some nifty filters to help you quickly identify schools that:

• Offer non-binding early action
• Practice need-blind admission
• Offer and automatically consider you for merit scholarships
• Do not require additional Common App essays to be submitted 

What's New?

One of the neat features offered in College Kickstart is the ability to easily strengthen your list with additional safety, target or reach schools based on your academic profile and school admissions selectivity.

In the past, you've had to navigate multiple pop-up windows to add safeties, targets and reaches, then work your way back to the "Your Profile" tab to rerun College Kickstart.

This update eliminates all of the extraneous navigation and now allows you to take care of everything from a single screen.

In addition, we've introduced several neat filters that will help you locate schools with some special characteristics, including:

• Schools offering non-binding early action 
• Schools practicing need-blind admissions
• Schools that offer and automatically consider you for merit scholarships
• Schools that use the Common App and do not require additional essays or short answer responses for submission

How it Works

1. Activate MixFixer in the List Check tab

To activate MixFixer, click on the "Find Safeties", "Find Targets" or "Find Reaches" buttons in the list check tab.

This brings up the MixFixer popup and automatically populates the list of available schools with safeties, targets or reaches based on the button you clicked.

2. Select additional filters

You can also take advantage of some new filters we've introduced to help you narrow down the list of choices further:  

Currently, we offer four filters:

• Offers early action.  Check this box if you are looking for schools that offer non-binding early action.  Having a few of these in your list can help boost your odds and avoid unnecessary work and cost.

• Need-blind private schools.  Check this box if you are looking for private schools that practice need-blind admission.  These schools do not take financial aid into consideration when making admissions decisions for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.  Please note that not all of these schools are able to offer financial aid to cover 100% of demonstrated need.

• Automatic consideration for merit aid.  Check this box if you are looking for schools that automatically consider you for merit scholarships without the need for a separate application.  This should be of particular interest to applicants unlikely to receive need-based financial aid.  Please note that the application deadline to be considered for merit aid may be earlier than the regular admission deadline.

• No extra Common App essay required.  Check this box if you are looking for schools that do not require additional essays or short answer responses to be submitted.  This can be a timesaver if you are looking to add a school to your list without having to do a lot of "heavy lifting."

3. Add schools to your list

Once you've identified schools of interest, add them to your list in the ordered desired.  If you've added a safety and need to add a target school, simply click on the "Find target schools" radio button to show all target schools in the Available Schools list.

4. Run Kickstart

When you've completed all of your changes, click on "Run Kickstart" to re-run College Kickstart.  

After College Kickstart has completed it's analysis, you'll be taken to the Highlights tab to review your findings.