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It was announced earlier this year that Hobsons is to close its NAVIANCE services to International Schools. After the initial cries of panic reverberating around the globe, discussions were held between individuals and various organisations (such as International ACAC and NACAC), with Hobsons, and it has been agreed that the services for existing clients will remain open until June 2019. This gives time to safely complete application files for the Classes of 2018, securely transfer all data from the NAVIANCE platform currently in use in schools and, importantly, time to adopt (and adapt to) a new platform.
Obviously, there is an immediate need to start looking for alternative platforms and many schools have already begun that process. For those of you still wondering which system to choose, whether you previously had NAVIANCE or not, here is some information to help you make those all-important choices.
The International ACAC hosted a very useful WEBINAR in March and if you are a member of International ACAC you will be able to access resources about the alternative products. The International ACAC Conference in New Orleans in July will be full of useful workshops and information sessions on the new products. I would imagine that the CIS Global Forum on International Admissions & Guidance Conference in Vienna in November will likewise be full of useful conversations and information sessions. I would also suggest checking in with the your Regional Counselling Groups, Seminars and Conferences. Plus, there are many discussions and suggestions happening on FB pages such as College Admissions Counselors. Dale Ford, at the British International School in Phuket, Thailand, also created an wonderful EXCEL spreadsheet of the features of some of the systems noted below. Thank you to Dale for his hard work!
The most popular systems appear to be Bridge U, Maia Learning and Cialfo. But there are other systems out there on the market. Do be consumer savvy. Each system has different features and different costs! The International ACAC WEBINAR gives some great advice on how to decide what type of system is the BEST FIT for your particular school. Check out all the information on each product first. Many of them offer free WEBINARS on their websites and most have direct contact details for you to discuss their products. Contact other counselors in your region too, and most importantly, have a discussion with your IT Manager: each system will require IT backup, and depending on your school’s IT resources this may also influence your choice.
Options currently on the market:
Bridge U: ‘Bridging the gap between school and the future’.
Maia Learning: ‘MaiaLearning provides students with an all-inclusive guide for their college & career paths & enables educators to track their progress’.
Cialfo: ‘A powerful student management platform for busy counselors’.
Unifrog: ‘The complete destinations platform. Explore every opportunity. Apply successfully’.
Overgrad: ‘Overgrad is a college and career readiness platform that lets you get back to counseling and enable students to make better educational decisions’.
College-Kickstart: ‘Essential companion for savvy college planning’.
GuidedPath: ‘is a tool students use, parents appreciate, and professionals can rely on’.
Slate: ‘is designed to provide a stronger relationship between school counselors and admissions offices by keeping everyone on the same page with your students’ best interests at heart’. FREE.
Concourse: ‘Help your students find their fit’. FREE.
SCOIR: ‘One network for everyone involved in the college admissions process’. FREE.
N.B.: This is not an exhaustive list. This blog is to simply relay the growing list of choices available and those currently being explored by international schools around the globe.
