New college application software will put Stamford public school students on an even footing with those from private schools and wealthier districts, according Susan Rigano, who helped the schools get the program.
This software makes the college application virtually paper-free, says Rigano, head of the Stamford Public Education Foundation. Its very easy to use and puts the application process on a level playing field for the first time.
The Naviance software lists every U.S. and international college, university and vocational school and includes information on financial aid, summer enrichment programs, guidance counseling and score reporting. It also tells the applicant how his grades and SAT scores compare with students accepted at the school.
The software was purchased with help from the SPEF, a non-profit support organization for Stamford schools, and $35,000 grant from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.
The new program was recently installed at Westhill and Stamford High Schools and the grant allowed an older version of Naviance already in use in the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering (AITE) to be upgraded.
Every student the Stamford school system and their families will be given an access code to the program.
The more I talk with parents of high school juniors and seniors in Stamford, said Dennis McDermott, community relations manager for JPMorgan Chase, the more obvious it is that providing increased access to information about colleges and financial aid electronically gives them the same advantage as students in private schools or wealthier school districts.
Freshmen and seniors will receive their access codes between now and the end of January. Sophomores and juniors will get theirs beginning in January.
Paula Ward, a technology specialist for Stamford schools, projects that the system will be fully integrated and in use totally in two to four years, but it is up and running now for any student who wants to use it.
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