At Corsava, we help students discover, embrace, and communicate their emotional preferences in a gamified way as they explore 138 aspects of the college experience across six broader categories. Since September 1, 2019, we’ve collected over 1.7 million Corsava student college attribute preferences. This series explores how those preferences have changed over the course of time.

In this installment, we'll focus on movement in our Top 20 Must Have and Would Be Nice cards.

From devoted camp counselor to NACAC delegate, this truly creative and committed counselor knows that what worked to inspire campers can also be a great tool to motivate her students to think about their future…..scavenger hunts! We had the pleasure of talking with Emily Dobson last week and learning more about the games she develops to work in concert with Corsava, and what an inspiration it was! We always learn something new when connecting with our users, and this interview was no exception.

Lately, I have been reviewing a lot of reports regarding the rise of high school students’ level of stress and anxiety. College students too are experiencing similar levels of anxiety about their future and pivoting their academic and career plans. At Corsava, we have been able to quantify (in real-time) our students’ level of anxiety and frustration as they go through the process of building their college lists. Since September 1, 2019, we’ve collected over 1.7 million Corsava student college attribute preferences. By selecting what is important, students give more thought to their choices (often in partnership with their counselor), adding intentionality to the process.

When Sydney was eight, she was determined to convince her parents to foster a child so that she could have an older sibling. Rather than just push, she did the math...if just one-quarter of the country could foster one child, no child would be left without the support they deserve. She researched the options, laid out a plan, and learned what it would take to make fostering a reality for her family, framing her determination to become a family lawyer. Nothing Sydney does is halfway.

It’s hard to believe nine months have passed since Walter and I first met in person (remember in-person meetings?!) at NACAC 2019 in Louisville. Leading up to NACAC, we had calls discussing how to best integrate Corsava into his existing counseling tools, so it was great to meet face-to-face and have a chance to catch up on a broader range of topics - like how things were going for both his school counseling and his work as an independent educational consultant. I always enjoy catching up with Walter as he is always thinking of new ways to make the college admissions process more impactful for his students.

Getting a snapshot of the top Must Have and Would Be Nice preferences helps us focus on what’s important to our students as they explore their choices. The results are both fascinating and surprising.

It was a travel-filled week as the Amazon AWS EdStart Builders’ Workshop in Palo Alto kicked off just as the Super ACAC conference in Arizona wrapped up. After such a terrific few days with fellow counselors and college admissions teams, meeting such innovative members of the EdStart Program got me thinking about new creative solutions to help counselors and students through the college process. There is so much happening on the technical side that can support our planned Corsava features, I cannot wait! Discussing trends in admissions, meeting with potential partners, and learning about technical innovations to support our new applications combined to make the jump to summer and lead into fall all the more inspiring.

My Alaska flight just hit 10,000 feet, the throngs of people that constitute O’Hare on a late Friday afternoon are behind me, and I am excited to be heading for an 80-degree and sunny (surprise!) weekend back home in Seattle. The IECA conference was valuable, Chicago was at its best, and I am excited thinking about what’s ahead for Corsava after getting such great feedback from so many users. The cards made it into the College Essay Guy’s popular (and fast!) “60 College Application Tips in 60 Minutes” session, and it always makes my day to hear user stories about the impact the cards have had on so many students.

First and foremost, we are excited to share our new logo with you! It was fun to go through the design process, thinking about what makes our applications unique, while keeping in mind the cards that serve as the foundation of Corsava. I like the way it feels—very active and suggestive of a student making choices when considering their college options. We are looking forward to building new features for you and your students, and this logo has just the right positive attitude to help us do that.

The checker took the last few items out of my cart and pushed them towards the bagger, who carefully placed them in my bags and asked me if I wanted him to take my groceries to my car. Our local grocery store is one of the few remaining that offers that personal touch, and I always enjoy the time walking out to the car chatting with the high school students they hire. I was getting ready to ask my usual “where do you go to high school and how do you like it” question when the young man preempted me and asked what I had on tap for the rest of the day.

Doesn’t this image of my new puppy Petra just say it all!? A friend was walking down the hall and couldn’t resist taking this shot and sharing it with me. I just love the college counseling looming over Petra. Her attitude is contagious, and I try to channel her laid-back attitude on a daily basis. Besides making me laugh, it got me thinking about the whole college journey.

The counselor stories below, following on the heels of my previous Stories blog, have a common theme running through them–the power of personal connection. As life continues to speed up, f2f (as our team of developers likes to say) communication still has a valuable and powerful role in all of our lives, particularly those entering adulthood who have never experienced life without a smartphone.

As we approach the end of 2018, reflection comes naturally as we think about all that the past year has brought. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to a break from the hectic life of college admissions and all the accompanying stress it brings to our families. While our students race towards the finish line, we can take a breather as we reflect on how we supported our students in their goals, how we can make it even better, or in many cases, how we can avoid the subject entirely!

It is rankings season, and in typical fashion, those using a mix of variables to build an algorithm to compile an ordered list of colleges offer a popular way for students and families to evaluate and narrow their overwhelming choices. Following closely on the heels of these listings are press releases from colleges extolling the virtues of categories they excel in or moved up in, followed closely by articles bashing the rankings.

There is something about September. To me, it outshines New Year’s when it comes to new beginnings and fresh starts. Here in Seattle, our fire-impacted brown August skies have returned to crisp blue, kids are excited to get back to school, and parents are ready for some more structure in their lives. Maybe it’s memories of back-to-school excitement, blank notebooks, new books, and enthusiastic teachers that translate into more grown-up inspiration. September just exudes that “get into high gear” mode as I consider new possibilities and innovative ways to approach my work.

As we get ready to launch new features in the coming weeks, I can’t help but think back to my original intent in creating Corsava. My goal has always been to help students everywhere think in new and impactful ways as they consider their options after high school. I never want to lose sight of the fact that as counselors we are here for students—to help them discover what is important to them as they consider their options, and balance this with the other facets of the process that will play a part in their final decision.

Google's launch of its college search tool and University of Chicago's announcement that it was going test optional made for quite a week in college admissions. I found it ironic that Google placed scores front and center, yet Chicago decided they weren't that helpful. I laud Chicago's decision, but I'm also grateful that we can now quickly access this consistent data.

I have always been a map geek. As I pondered ways to make the Café data more visual and pull the curtain back on all the counselor and student impressions that are building, an interactive map just seemed like the perfect platform to help us all view and add impressions and shared notes.

With longer days and more sun, it seems like just the right time to refresh with some of our most popular tips and resources to help you make the most of your Corsava account. Our hope is to save you time so that you can do what you do best—impact your students—and maybe free up some time along the way.

How many times have your students tried to articulate the differences they perceive between colleges, while coming up short on details? They might say that some schools just stood out, others are off the list for some vague reason, and still more are left in that wasteland in between. Our latest release includes an innovative tool that allows students to hone in on the cards that matter most to them and organize their impressions about those items for each college on their list.

We are excited to announce that the Corsava Counselor Café is now live! We have also added features that allow your students to share impressions of those characteristics that matter most at each of the colleges on their list. “Browse Cards” also got an upgrade, so you will want to check out these features.

The countdown has begun—the Corsava Counselor Café, along with our student companion app, will soon go live! With the launch just around the corner, I thought it would be helpful to give you some tips to help you make the most out of the Café when it hits the Cloud.

Engage your students and families in the college process from the get-go by giving them access to Corsava either before, during, or after a college event. Help everyone start thinking about what matters most as students explore their college choices, while keeping it positive, innovative, and fun! Use these step below to get your students inspired and families moving forward as a team.

After years of thinking about ways to scale and make our work with students more meaningful, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Growing feedback from counselors in all settings has allowed our nimble team to add and upgrade features, as well as develop and test new ones. The collective knowledge and culture of support from counselors gives us the opportunity to make an impact in a big way.

A new year means hitting the refresh button! Just in time for the list-building season, we upgraded your Corsava account to include great ways to drill down quickly to students’ deeper preferences to find a good college fit. We are excited to bring you enhanced tools to help you in your work—increasing the fun factor, promoting engagement and access, and freeing up your time.

During this particularly busy time of year, the inspiring stories nestled among the ongoing requests for feedback remind us what a difference all of us can make if we personally connect with our students for just a few minutes. Cathy’s encouraging story highlights how our engagement with overwhelmed, stressed, and sometimes discouraged students can change life paths in such an important, positive way.

Let’s face it, College Fairs can be intimidating for students. We tell them that there is no better way to tackle that big convention center than going in with a plan. Easy to say, but more difficult when students are faced with countless rows of alphabetically laid-out booths and boatloads of students reminding them that, yes, there are a lot of other students applying to college.

Walking into the activity room filled with boisterous middle- and high-schoolers, I hear a greeting from across the room. “Hey, it’s Dr. B, and you’re here today!” More kids shout out their welcomes, and then I hear, “Did you bring snacks?” I love these kids; their priorities are in the right place. Give them food and they will be your friends for life!