Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

OSU Develops College Application Online Toolkit

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/08/22

Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore., recently announced that it has launched an online toolkit to help students around the world complete the college application process. The resource, AXS Companion, launched on Sept. 1 and is available free of charge, according to a university news release.

AXS Companion was developed in a partnership between the university and the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). It features videos that guide students through the Common Application, used by more than 1,000 higher education institutions in all 50 states and in 20 countries, the news release reports.

“This tool provides critical assistance for underserved and first-generation students navigating the process of applying to college,” said Oregon State University provost and executive vice president Ed Feser. “The collaborative development of this tool also speaks to Oregon State’s commitment to providing access to a college education not only for learners in Oregon, but throughout the nation and world.”

More than a million students every year use the Common Application to apply to colleges, connect with college counseling resources and explore options for financial aid and scholarships. In 2021, about 700,000 students created accounts on the Common Application platform but never completed an application, according to the OSU news release.

“Applying to college, once a simple rite of passage for high-school students, has become more stressful,” said Jon Boeckenstedt, OSU vice provost of enrollment management. “Anyone involved in college admissions even a short period knows that the best way to increase access to college is to knock down barriers the system can put between students and a university degree.”

College Consortium founder and IECA member Marilyn O’Toole said that she recognized the need to simplify the college application process and provide support and resources to students. “Our goal has been to create change by increasing access and clarity for students as they navigate the Common App, particularly students in the under-resourced communities,” she said. “Our IECA team provided resources and guidance similar to what we offer our students.”

The AXS Companion features more than 50 modules breaking down various sections of the Common Application, including topics like supplemental essays, financial aid and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) waivers.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • Haws Corporation Marks 120th Anniversary

    Haws Corporation, which provides hydration and emergency safety solutions worldwide, recently announced that the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, according to a news release.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.