New Facebook app predicts chances of college acceptance

Wondering what your chances are for getting into the college of your dreams? Well, the makers of a new Facebook® app say their innovative tool can tally up your odds.

To get an individualized report on the potential interest a school may have in a student, the student must submit a form with information on their expected major; grade point average; SAT, ACT and PSAT standardized test scores; high school; name; and home address. Students also enter a list of the names of colleges and universities they would most like to attend. The app takes that information and tabulates a score from 1 to 100 reflecting the level of interest a school may have in the student. The students are then given a determination of their chances of being admitted to the school, which is either "good," ""fair" or "great." In true Facebook fashion, students can choose to display their chances on their Facebook page.

One can't help but wonder if the app can really determine how attractive individual students are to the schools in which they are most interested. One of the creators of the app, George Washington University student Alan Gannett, told Education Week's College Bound blog that "in a test of 75 admitted students to UCLA and New York University, the system accurately predicted admissions chances in 90 to 97 percent of the cases."

Students have access to the app for free on Facebook, but the app may soon be monetized. The company has plans to turn a profit from use of the site by collecting a small fee from schools whenever the website drives a potential student in their direction, i.e. a user agrees to have their contact information forwarded to a school so the admissions office can send them brochures and other promotional materials.

Read more information on AdmissionSplash.

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