Archive for the ‘News and Announcements’ Category

Cappex.com Announces Rock Star and College Pro Scholarship Winners

Two  high school seniors, Maria Zilberman and Walter Chang, have been awarded Cappex’s newest scholarships, the Rock Star and the College Pro, worth a combined $7,500.

Maria Zilberman Rock Star Rock Star Scholarship Winner:
Maria Zilberman, from North Miami Beach, Fla., plans on attending college this fall to study pre-medicine.

Cappex College Pro Scholarship College Pro Scholarship Winner:
Walter Chang, from Houston, Texas, will attend college in the fall to study engineering and musical performance.

Zilberman and Chang qualified for the scholarships by playing the “Cappex Cap Challenge,” where students collect virtual “cap” badges for completing key activities in their college searches. After earning at least 10 badges in the Cap Challenge, students become eligible to apply for special Cappex-sponsored scholarships. Examples of virtual badges include:

  • Leader (Abe Lincoln hat) : For sharing leadership examples
  • Artsy (beret): For providing accomplishments in the arts
  • Volunteer (halo): For detailing how you’ve helped your community
  • Yeeehaw!!! (cowboy hat): For representing a western state
  • Road Warrior (roadster): For using the “Cappex Campus Visit Planner” to plan a college road trip
  • College Reviewer (fedora with press pass): For providing a college review

Zilberman, of North Miami Beach, Fla., qualified for the $5,000 Rock Star Scholarship by collecting 25 badges, but it was her outstanding leadership in founding her high school’s international humanitarian club that won her the scholarship.

“The Cap Challenge guided me to explore colleges, which allowed me to learn more about them through student reviews, seeing my chances and organizing my application,” Zilberman said.

Chang qualified for the College Pro Scholarship by earning 10 virtual cap badges.

Cappex.com improved my college search process tremendously, with all the key facts of each college compiled into one page and several student reviews to provide further perspective,” Chang said. He was awarded the $2,500 scholarship for his dedication as the school orchestra president who helped fundraise over $30,000 to help the school purchase a new grand piano.

“We started the Cappex Cap Challenge to give students a fun and new way to discover colleges and find matching scholarships,” said Chris Long, Cappex president.  “Maria and Walter took on the challenge and also clearly demonstrated their accomplishments improving their respective communities. We were thrilled to award our Cap Challenge scholarships to these deserving students.”

Interested in the Cappex Cap Challenge? Make your own Cappex profile now.

Looking for scholarships? Find more here!

Recent Cappex Scholarship Winners!

Cappex.com is very excited to announce our most recent scholarship winners from Spring 2011.  These students have proven that with their leadership and volunteer activities, they can make a difference in the world. Congratulations!

You can be a scholarship winner too by making a Cappex profile! Your profile will then be used as your “application” for the Cappex scholarships, like, say, these two coming up:

A GPA Isn’t Everything and I Don’t Want to Pay for College.

That’s exactly what these two superstars did to win their scholarships:

Rebecca D. A GPA Isn't Everything “A GPA Isn’t Everything” Scholarship – Winter II Scholarship Winner:
Rebecca D. from Mt. Prospect, Ill., will be attending college next fall.  During her high school career, she served as a member of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and eventually its President for two school years.  The program was recognized as one of the best programs in the state and won grants from the Operation Teen Safe Driver for its success. Rebecca was also a peer tutor and a member of her school’s service organization which works to better the community and help with special needs schools as well as the elderly.

Matthew Jones I don't want t to pay “I Don’t Want to Pay for College” – Spring Scholarship Winner:
Matthew J., from Murfreesboro, Tenn., is currently a college student with a broad background in volunteer and service with his church and Boy Scouts including canned food drives, making care packages for the 101st Airborne and community clean up.  Matthew’s a talented student who channeled his passion for music and science into an awesome project where he designed, produced and then performed with two homemade instruments.

Want to see past scholarship winners? Check them out on our Facebook page!

What’s Hot and What’s Not in Digital and Mobile Communications for College Admissions in 2011

6DigitalTrendsInfographicCappex

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New Study: 6 Trends in Digital and Mobile Communications for College Admissions in 2011

6digitalMobileTrendsWith the pervasiveness of social media, location-based tools, and mobile communications, it can sometimes be a challenge for admissions professionals to keep up.

The new white paper provides insights into 2011 and 2012 high school grads’ college search preferences and where colleges are actually focusing their resources.

Findings show that mobile and video are on the rise, though traditional channels such as mail and e-mail remain the cornerstone of admissions communications. Above all, getting it right in the mobile space will be of utmost importance in 2011.

View the white paper to find out about the 6 trends.

A picture’s worth a thousand words!
View these trends in our new infographic.

Mobile makes its way into students’ college searches, though e-mail continues to prevail

student digital media preferences

A new study by Cappex.com shows that students are researching information on college websites from their mobile devices, though traditional channels such as email are still relied upon most to keep students on track during their college searches.

The Cappex study of more than 2,000 class of 2011 and 2012 high school students, as well as 82 college admission officers, also shows that videos are more popular for college searching than blogs on college sites.

Specific findings from the study include:

  • 86 percent of 2011 high school grads prefer e-mail for initial contact from colleges
  • Just 19 percent of 2011 high school grads want initial direct contact from colleges by cell phone, though 32 percent prefer to continue a dialogue with college admissions reps by cell phone
  • 77 percent of 2011 high school grads prefer using a mobile-friendly version of a college’s website, while 23 percent would prefer to download an app from a college
  • Class of 2012 high school students are somewhat more receptive to apps: 35 percent would prefer to download an app
  • 34 percent of colleges surveyed said that they have created a mobile-friendly version of their website. Of those that have not yet created one, two thirds plan to create one this year
  • More than 85 percent of 2011 high school seniors prefer to learn about colleges through video tours and student videos, while just 6 percent are interested in reading college blogs during their college searches

“When it comes to communicating with colleges, students are more open than ever to using their mobile devices and cell phones, though colleges need to understand their preferences,” said Chris Long, president of Cappex. “For instance, students may not want to download an app from every college they are looking at, but they will visit a college’s website using their mobile devices.”

“Colleges need to be sure to set up mobile versions of their sites to cater to growing mobile use among students,” Long added. “Additionally, colleges should continue using tried and true methods such as e-mail to make it easy for students to keep track of their interactions with colleges.”

The white paper summarizing the study can be found at http://bit.ly/irOAhX.