NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, Mass., Dec. 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CollegeWeekLive, the world's leading provider of online college admissions events, today announced annual growth of 56% to a total of 1.2 million registrants and growth of 67% in unique website visitors in 2012. New product announcements and recent strategic partnerships with the U.S. Department of State and Univision Communications, a global media company, fueled that growth and enabled the popular provider of virtual college fairs to reach a broader worldwide audience of teenage students actively researching higher education opportunities.
On average, more than 100,000 high school teens and their parents visit CollegeWeekLive each month. Colleges that participated in CollegeWeekLive in the last year saw nearly 1 million students visit their virtual exhibit booths. What's more, the students who login to CollegeWeekLive as part of their college search are diverse, hailing from all fifty states and a remarkable 191 countries.
"This has been a year of exciting expansion for CollegeWeekLive," said Robert Rosenbloom, President and CEO. "Our events now reach college-bound students in 97.5% of countries worldwide. We formed strategic partnerships that enable our free online college admissions tools and events to reach a more geographically and ethnically diverse audience."
Univision Communications partnered with CollegeWeekLive to offer a free online college fair as part of Univision's well-promoted annual Education Week. The online event addressed the higher education needs of Hispanic and Latino students and their families. In addition, the U.S. State Department partnered with CollegeWeekLive to stage the Education USA International Virtual College Fair, which was designed to meet the unique needs of non-U.S. citizens worldwide interested in attending college in the United States. In both instances, CollegeWeekLive was selected based on its leadership position as the preeminent technology provider of online college admissions events that feature live chat, streaming video presentations and interactive Q&A.
Both events offered presentations on topics such as the academic skills required to succeed in college, the credentials needed for a non-U.S. citizen to apply to a U.S. college, and how to apply for financial aid and scholarships. "The International Virtual College Fair was a resounding success," said Marty Bennett, Education USA Outreach Coordinator at the Institute of International Education (IIE). "We had students log in and attend from countries around the world, ranging from Bahamas and Bermuda, to China, Mongolia and Poland."
On the technology front, CollegeWeekLive has made the college search process easier and more convenient for teenage smart phone users with the launch of the CollegeWeekLive mobile application, available for free at m.CollegeWeekLive.com. High school students can browse a list of several hundred colleges, select a school featured, and initiate an instant live chat with an admissions representative via the CollegeWeekLive mobile application. Admissions information links and fast facts on each participating higher education institution are also included at m.CollegeWeekLive.com.
"Colleges need to be available when and where students search, and for most, that means from their smart phones," said Robert Rosenbloom, CEO of CollegeWeekLive. "Teens can browse colleges while on the bus ride home and chat with admissions representatives. This provides the immediate response this generation expects." The CollegeWeekLive mobile application offers participating college admissions offices a streamlined way to reach students on their cell phones at no additional cost.
CollegeWeekLive also recent announced of the CollegeWeekLive Advisor Center, a resource designed specifically for high school counselors. The CollegeWeekLive Advisor Center provides school counselors with the college research tools needed to successfully guide students through the college readiness process. Counselors can request online meetings for their students with hundreds of colleges through the Advisor Center. In addition, school counselors can download lesson plans that complement their high school college readiness curriculum at every stage. The Advisor Center offers a deep catalog of engaging videos featuring experts presenting on topics ranging from preparing for standardized tests to crafting a college application essay to finding financial aid.
Teens or parents interested in attending a free online college admissions event should pre-register for free at CollegeWeekLive. If you are a student or parent interested in the CollegeWeekLive mobile application, visit m.CollegeWeekLive.com and use your existing CollegeWeekLive user name and password to log in. If you are a school counselor interested in the CollegeWeekLive Advisor Center and are already registered for CollegeWeekLive, simply use your existing user name and password to login.
Colleges and universities or others interested in participating should contact 617.938.6023 or Exhibit(at)CollegeWeekLive.com.
If you are a member of the media and would like to hear more about CollegeWeekLive, please contact Press(at)CollegeWeekLive.com. Colleges and universities or student services providers interested in participating should contact 617.938.6023 or Exhibit(at)CollegeWeekLive.com.
CollegeWeekLive (www.CollegeWeekLive.com) is the leading website for free online college fairs and admissions events. At CollegeWeekLive, college-bound students can chat live with admissions representatives, see college students sharing their campuses experiences live via video, and learn from video presentations on the college application and admissions process.
CollegeWeekLive revolutionizes college admissions, making it easier and more cost-effective by bringing students, parents, counselors and colleges together online, transcending time and distance. Since 2007, over 1.2 million students from 191 countries have visited CollegeWeekLive to seek out expert advice on their college choice.
CollegeWeekLive, CollegeWeekLive Counselor Network and the CollegeWeekLive Advisor Center are trademarks of CollegeWeekLive, Inc. All other trademarks or service marks are property of their respective owners.
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