CollegePath
Pointless college prep really an ad for private consulting.
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CollegePath
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that CollegePath is a free-to-try college preparation app that directs them toward a paid educational consultant. Though free to try, the app also has a premium monthly subscription ($1.99 for the first month, $9.99 per month thereafter) that lets you contact a consultant. The app directs you toward the purchase of a book by consultant Greg Kaplan (sold separately for $9.99). Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What’s It About?
COLLEGEPATH is a free-to-try app meant to help guide parents and kids through the college prep and college application process. It starts by creating a profile by asking users for information regarding their grade level, interests, extracurricular activities, and choice of dream college. After that, it offers once-a-week advice about how to “market” yourself or your child to colleges. The paid premium subscription lets you contact CollegePath staff for phone consultations, and the app directs you via Amazon store link to purchase a book by consultant, Greg Kaplan.
Is It Any Good?
This isn't an app so much as an advertisement for the services of education consultant/investment banker/lawyer, Greg Kaplan. The app itself has really nothing in it; once you've read this week's paltry advice and submitted a form requesting a callback, there's nothing more to do. The app lets you submit someone else's phone number in case you think they also need to see Greg's weekly college prep advice and provides a link to the Amazon store so you can purchase Kaplan's book. There's literally nothing else to do, which makes you wonder what you're getting for $9.99 per month, especially since Kaplan's blog on his CollegePath website has much more information, and it's free to everyone. College prep is a scary and laborious process for parents and kids, so it's no wonder they seek guidance when it comes to navigating through applications, testing and financial aid. Consultants are definitely great at offering this kind of assistance; mobile apps—especially this one—not so much. College costs enough without blowing money on pointless apps; take what you would have spent on a CollegePath subscription and hire a knowledgeable consultant.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to assess the quality of an app's monthly subscription like the one in CollegePath. What exactly do you get for your money?
Think about how apps can be used as complex advertisements. Can you recognize when an app is trying to sell you something?
Discuss the kinds of services appropriate for apps. When do people offer better service than mobile apps?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Skills: Self-Direction: achieving goals, goal-setting, initiative, personal growth, work to achieve goals
- Pricing structure: Free (premium subscription available for $1.99 for the first month, $9.99 each month thereafter)
- Release date: August 27, 2018
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Kaplan Educational Group, LLC
- Version: 5.093
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 9.0 or later; Android 4.1 and up
- Last updated: October 22, 2018
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