Take Control Back

I recently was contacted by the creator and president of Zinch.com, a web site specifically designed to help college applicants get some control in the college admission process. I think it is a wonderful option that college students should really check out.

Colleges generally buy information about students from clearinghouses like the SAT and ACT who collect data about students. Most, if not all the information, you fill out on your standardize test can be purchased by any college in the world. Often we you receive information from a school you have never heard of, it is because they have purchased your name and information from someone and that college thinks that you would be fit because of something related to the information they have about you.

What I like about the idea with Zinch is the fact that you can still put all the standard information: grades, test scores, major choice etc., but you also have the opportunity to put information that showcases who you really are, such as essays, links to your artwork, movies you may have produced, etc. You can help colleges begin to see the person behind the name.

There are also several other features that I think would be attractive for college applicants including e-mail that you can use specifically to communicate with colleges and universities, and a link to your information that you can include on resumes. The site is not like other social networking sites because the only individuals who can access your profile are colleges, or individuals that you chose to provide them the link.

It may be some time before the majority of colleges catch on, but I really think that Zinch is onto something that will help students empower themselves during the college admission process.