Germantown start-up helps seniors search for university by enlisting the help of various other pupils

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/germantown-startup-helps-seniors-search-for-college-by-enlisting-the-help-of-other-students/2011/09/21/gIQA7ygqwK_story.html
Germantown start-up helps seniors search for university by enlisting the help of various other pupils
When Neil Soni, who finished a couple of years ago from a high workshop in Germantown, attempted to help his more youthful brother put on university last year, he discovered he only knew a lot about one university-- the one he visited.

"I realized I could possibly give him basic suggestions, but I really could not give him" specialized suggestions for each workshop, said Soni, who is now a pupil at Carnegie Mellon College.

When his brother showed passion in the College of Michigan-- a workshop Soni knew little around-- he looked for good friends who went there. He found a pupil at Michigan, but he also found a business idea.

"I thought, if I do not know any person at one workshop, why isn't really there a place I could browse the web and find an individual?" he said.

The University People was birthed.

Soni's brand-new company intends to match high workshop pupils with pupils at the universities they are putting on, to give them with personalized suggestions and help in modifying the compositions on the application, for a fee.

Begun last July, The University People ran a simple solution last application season for 10 pupils at Northwest High Workshop in Germantown. The company is readying to run a broader aviator this year, and has collaborations with workshops in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

The solutions vary from $75 to $150, based upon the kind of application, and the company is aiming for ONE HUNDRED paying customers this time around.

There are hurdles to the business strategy. The application season usually tends to need and the advisers and customers are constantly entrusting.

"I think it is a great idea, but it is an implementation issue," said Luke Skurman, who runs University Burglar, a popular Internet website where university student give honest assessments and quality their workshops. Skurman has a handle place with The University People to give the website with some of his material.

The University People recruits university student through individual networks and through job portals such as barefootstudent.com. It places them through a collection of tests and a training program, and pays them around $20 each hr, Soni said.