HOUSTON, TX – March 31, 2020 – Major DecisionTM, the online platform connecting high school students and families with Student Advisors at four-year institutions, launched today. The platform provides high school seniors with person-to-person connections at the universities they are considering attending next fall, and opens a new door to high school sophomores and juniors throughout their college research and decision-making processes.
The company provides a safe, secure online platform for conversations via text, voice or video sessions, offering high school students and families an authentic, real-time, real-world view of university student life. Used in combination with materials delivered via websites, third-party rankings, and colleges themselves, students can make much better-informed college decisions.
In response to the COVID-19 national emergency and the added stress it is putting on high school students, Major Decision also announced today that is offering free online video conversations to the first 100 high school students who book and complete their conversations with its college Student Advisors.* High school students can book appointments here using the “Search for a Student Advisor” selection.
“With college campuses shut down, high school students are without some of their most important decision-making tools, such as campus visits,” said Mike Mitsock, CTO of Major Decision. “The pressure is especially intense for high school seniors, who are still expected to make commitment decisions for next fall by May 1 or June 1. Major Decision allows them to connect directly with students at the colleges they’re considering, giving them confidence they’re making the right decision.”
Institutions such as Boston University, Elon, Emory, Harvard, Indiana University, Lehigh, MIT, New York University, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Tufts, University of Florida, University of Houston, University of Michigan, University of Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are among the colleges represented on the Major Decision platform. The platform supports Student Advisors from over 2300 public and private not-for-profit campuses in the United States.
“The concept of Major Decision was born last year while attending college presentations with my high school junior. After each visit, we walked away wishing we had the opportunity to speak with students one-on-one to ask the questions that were important to us,” said Brian Smith, founder and CEO of Major Decision. “Choosing the perfect college is terribly stressful. We want to provide a real-time conversation platform to help make the decision easier. If Major Decision can alleviate a small amount of the stress high school students and parents feel during this chaotic time, make them more confident in their decisions, and save them time and money, we’ve done our job.”
Easy and Thorough College Search Criteria
High school students and families search for Major Decision Student Advisors at colleges of interest, along with major and planned graduation year. Optional advanced search capabilities include such attributes as gender, Greek affiliation, sports, financial aid discussions, and many others. Once they find a match in the Major Decision database, they are charged based upon the length and type of conversation they select.
A 20-minute text conversation is $30; a 30-minute voice call is $40; a 30-minute video call is $50 (60-minute in-person meetings for $75 will be made available once coronavirus-related Federal and state restrictions are lifted). These inexpensive options represent an extremely cost-effective expenditure in a decision that could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars invested at a private four-year college.
Student Advisors Create Their Own Schedule and Workload
Major Decision believes that every college student’s story is unique, and the platform provides a place for them to share that story. Sharing impartial, honest impressions about topics such as academics, housing, food services, campus life, athletics, the local scene, etc., gives high school students and families a great “customer review” of the colleges they are considering calling home for the next four years.
Prior to becoming a Student Advisor, the college student’s enrollment is verified online for safety and security. Student Advisors then set their own schedules, making it easy to prioritize academics and activities and still make much-needed spending money. This can be particularly important now, when many colleges have sent their students home, and those students no longer have access to their part-time jobs. College students can make up to $25 per hour, with conversations ranging from 20-60 minutes.
For information on becoming a Student Advisor visit: https://majordecision.com/college-students.
*NOTE: Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the Major Decision website for details of the offer.
About Major Decision
Founded in 2019, Major Decision connects high school students with Student Advisors – current students at colleges of interest at accredited schools across the U.S. Self-selected search criteria empower high school students and families with the ability to pinpoint Student Advisors based on their individual, unique needs. Conversations via text, phone, video call or in-person meetings provide candid and valuable feedback to reduce the stress and improve confidence in college decisions. For more information on Major Decision, please visit: www.majordecision.com.
