WASHINGTON, D.C. – Citing the increasingly complex nature of the college admissions process, the College Board unveiled a new website on Tuesday that one executive hailed as the most comprehensive college planning tool available online.
“It’s unique, from searching for colleges, to financing, to how to get in, to creating a plan that puts it all together,” said Roy Ben-Yoseph, executive director of digital products at the College Board, of the new website called BigFuture.org.
“Different sites are out there that do different pieces,” Ben-Yoseph said. “We’re unique in the A-to-Z nature of it.”
“We believe that BigFuture will improve the college planning process for students and families by providing more access and expert guidance that is essential but often not available to students in their schools,” said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, at a news conference at the National Press Club.
“We’re trying to make the process simple, accessible and more transparent, providing students with the what, where, when and how of college planning,” Caperton said.
Among other things, the website helps students narrow the type of college they’d like to attend by answering questions that range from the size and location of a school to career interests and possible majors. College Board officials repeatedly described it as a tool but said it was not necessarily a substitute for a real-life guidance and college admissions counselor.
Nonetheless, College Board officials presented two students who sang the praises of the BigFuture.org website.
