NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Halp, a digital college admissions coach, has announced a pre-seed investment from the XX Fund and angel investors, including Dr. Patrick Ryan, former Googler and tech investor. The startup addresses a significant gap in the college-prep market: affordable, one-on-one admissions coaching. Halp targets students that want more than a school counselor but cannot afford private counseling. The company has been in beta while completing the XX accelerator by Wefunder.
Matthew McLellan, Halp's Co-founder and CEO said, "Our mission is to make personal performance coaching accessible to every student - starting with college admissions. The college prep industry is geared towards a privileged minority of affluent students who pay exorbitant consulting fees. That leaves a significant segment of students out. These families spend hundreds of hours, over years, stressing about admissions planning and execution. Halp is built for them. We provide a personal plan, monthly digital activities, and a coach to help students reach their goals. The process is managed on our platform and most coaching is done over text, so we can pass savings back to the family. Students get affordable, personal support and an experience unparalleled in the industry."
The market validation throughout the XX accelerator saw paid membership increase three times and student satisfaction go through the roof, with a 90% retention rate and a net promoter score of 83. Every student that participated received offers from at least one target school. Several participants were also granted prestigious scholarships. "As a parent, I've seen how school services under-support students and how difficult it is to build a plan for college admissions on our own. Halp filled that gap with an experience my kids actually wanted to use. I'd considered hiring a private coach but this platform eliminated that need. That's why I wanted to lead the syndication," explained Dr. Ryan.
These results are driving the next round of expansion. Current funding will be used to hire engineering, product, operations, and coaching resources; it will also launch a limited 250 person cohort for Halp's extended beta launch. This will allow Halp to improve the student-facing platform experience and build the necessary tools to maximize each coach's reach. In addition, the company plans to start marketing and onboarding students across Canada and the U.S. Interested families can apply for free here.
To keep up to date with Halp or to become a member, visit https://halp.co/. Email: contact@halp.co
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