Niche College App

Problem - High school students have a difficult time in choosing and applying to colleges.

-There are 4,140 degree granting institutions in the United States.-

-In the post-recession era, about 70% of high school graduates go on to be first-time, full-time freshmen in either a two or four year college-

SOLUTION - Niche helps in figuring out what college to choose & keep track of application process.

Niche is a rating & review site that helps you discover school and neighborhoods, right for you.

This is a design for a Niche app.

-User Research-

1st Phase 2nd Phase

Typeform screener survey - 18 participants User Interviews - 7 interviews

The college process is a very personal and very different for everyone, user interviews would be the best approach to get in depth data.

To first get a sample of users, a type form survey was made and shipped out.

The survey got information regarding; how prepared users felt in terms of the application process, who helped them, what made them select their college.

To get a fair sample of the user interviews an even mix of participants that felt very prepared, some what, and not prepare for the process were chosen.

-Key Takeaways -

- The prepared had a personal connection and more face time with their guidance counselors.

-For the ones that didn’t feel prepared, they weren’t sure which paperwork to fill out, when deadlines where due and had a difficult time keeping track of everything.

- For the final decision of choosing a college, the campus visit was one of the biggest factors.

- They prefer real answers about food, teachers, and life on campus. Over the marketing from college websites.

-Being able to ask any questions and get real answers from peers is valuable.