Facebook App Predicts College Admission Chances
February 8, 2011
A new Facebook app called AdmissionSplash, which claims to predict prospective college students' chances of admission, is being launched today.
According to Mashable, the app uses information such as test scores, place of residence, and extra-curricular activities to predict the likelihood of being accepted by particular institutions. Admission Splash, which is being released by CampusSplash, currently runs customized equations for about 1,500 schools based on admissions data they release.
According to a press release, the app appears to generate fairly accurate predictions, although the sample size for the testing was small. Out of 75 students who were admitted to New York University, AdmissionSplash correctly predicted the acceptance of 90.6 percent of them. Moreover, out of 73 students admitted to the University of California-Los Angeles, the app predicted their acceptance 97.3 percent of the time.
According to the CampusSplash Web site, law school and medical school editions are expected to be released in the near future.
Of course, college admission predictions are nothing new. Similar surveys which claim to accurately calculate an applicant's chances of admission can be found at sites such as CollegeData.com and MyChances.net--and both include admissions predictions at more schools than AdmissionSplash.
Moreover, college admissions are affected by numerous variables such as essays. Other factors that have been said to influence admission to college include applying early, having an alumnus as a parent, and being able to afford to pay in full.
It's not surprising, therefore, that Mashable advises prospective students not to immediately post AdmissionSplash results on one's Facebook page before getting an actual acceptance letter. However, using the app "as a way to compare schools' competitiveness or to share a list of prospective schools with friends, on the other hand, seems like a win."
Compiled by BrainTrack.com Staff
Sources:
"AdmissionSplash Launches, New Facebook Application Predicts Students' Chances for College Admissions," PRWeb.com, February 8, 2011
"Introducing AdmissionSplash! A Facebook Application That Predicts College Admissions!" CampusSplash.com, February 8, 2011
"New Facebook App Tells College Applicants What Their Chances Are," Mashable.com, February 8, 2011, Sarah Kessler
