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[[Image:SJUcp.jpg|thumb|A guidebook by College Prowler]]
[[Image:SJUcp.jpg|thumb|A guidebook by College Prowler]]
'''College Prowler''' is an [[United States|American]] company founded in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon graduate, Luke Skurman, as a way to “bridge” the gap between school-published brochures and websites. College Prowler originally began as a publisher of individual school guidebooks, eventually expanding with a yearly compendium edition comprised of over 400 schools.
'''College Prowler''' is an [[United States|American]] publishing company for [[Guide book|guidebooks]] on top colleges and universities in the United States.


The company creates guidebooks written by current college students, for prospective college students, giving an insider's view. Student writers use surveys to gather hundreds of student opinions and reviews, then offer "grades" on all aspects of campus life at each school. College Prowler publishes these "reality guides" on nearly 300 different colleges.<ref>[http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6544007.html ''Standing Out on Campus'' - Publishers Weekly<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The company creates online guides written by current college students, for prospective college students, giving an insider's view. Student writers use surveys to gather hundreds of student opinions and reviews, then offer "grades" on all aspects of campus life at each school.


While the company has always operated a website, it was originally used to promote and sell the guidebooks. In 2007, College Prowler shifted its efforts to the online format, focusing all school content, rankings, and more to the website with a paid subscription. Users were able to navigate content only with their paid account and limited many students from reading the rich reviews, rankings, and scholarships.
In addition to its school-specific books, the company also publishes a national compendium called "The Big Book of Colleges," three regional compendiums (California, New England, and the South) that combine multiple schools in one guide, and a guidebook focused on the Ivy League ("Untangling the Ivy League"). In March 2007, the company digitized all of its guidebooks, including over 40,000 pages of content, which are now available both in print and online.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2007/03/26/smallb1.html ''Changing business plan to tech focus pays off''] - [[Pittsburgh Business Times]]<!-- Bot generated title --></ref>


In mid-2009, College Prowler dropped paid subscriptions and opened the website to all users as a totally free college search service. Since then, College Prowler has grown tremendously, becoming one of the largest online resources for college information, scholarships, and school reviews.

==College Prowler Founding & Today==
The company was established in 2002 by [[Carnegie Mellon University]] graduates. It began as a project in an [[entrepreneurship]] class at CMU's [[Tepper School of Business]] and quickly expanded by co-founders Luke Skurman, Joey Rahimi, Christina Koshzow, Christopher Mason, Jason Putorti and Omid Gohari.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DC1231F93AA35750C0A9609C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FOrganizations%2FH%2FHarvard%20University%20 The Electronic Lowdown on Colleges] - [[The New York Times]]</ref> In 2005, College Prowler was recognized by [[Fast Company (magazine)]] for being one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the nation,<ref>http://www.fastcompany.com/fast50_05/winners/</ref> and in 2006, partnered with [[AOL]].<ref>[http://www.popcitymedia.com/timnews/prowler0905.aspx Pop City - College Prowler partners with AOL, launches blog and video site<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The company was established in 2002 by [[Carnegie Mellon University]] graduates. It began as a project in an [[entrepreneurship]] class at CMU's [[Tepper School of Business]] and quickly expanded by co-founders Luke Skurman, Joey Rahimi, Christina Koshzow, Christopher Mason, Jason Putorti and Omid Gohari.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DC1231F93AA35750C0A9609C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FOrganizations%2FH%2FHarvard%20University%20 The Electronic Lowdown on Colleges] - [[The New York Times]]</ref> In 2005, College Prowler was recognized by [[Fast Company (magazine)]] for being one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the nation,<ref>http://www.fastcompany.com/fast50_05/winners/</ref> and in 2006, partnered with [[AOL]].<ref>[http://www.popcitymedia.com/timnews/prowler0905.aspx Pop City - College Prowler partners with AOL, launches blog and video site<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


Today, College Prowler is a fast-growing resource for college information serving prospective students. As of April 2012, College Prowler has nearly 400,000 reviews on over 7,700 schools in the United States. In addition to student reviews, College Prowler gives out more than [http://collegeprowler.com/cpscholarships/ $50,000 in scholarships] every year to current and prospective students.
==Facebook Controversy==

In a 2008 scandal which came to be known as "Facebookgate"<ref>[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/02/_admissions_officers_a_bit.html Facebookgate, the 2010 edition][[The Washington Post]]</ref>, hundreds of spurious "Class of 2013" groups were created on [[Facebook]] for the purpose of promoting College Prowler. Such groups would normally be created by actual students or colleges themselves for purposes of social networking. According to the CEO, "The original purpose was to use these groups as a way to inform students that they can access a free guide about their new college on our site." He also added, "No employee or anyone else associated with College Prowler has used these groups to send out messages or wall posts."<ref>[http://chronicle.com/article/Company-Created/42157/ Company Created Official-Looking 'Class of 2013' Facebook Groups for Hundreds of Colleges] - [http://chronicle.com Chronicle of Higher Education]</ref> College Prowler later removed all administrative access from the 125 groups, admitting "It was clearly over the line".
==Student Authors, Content, and Reviews==
College Prowler content comes from current students attending academic institutions from across the United States and some international areas. The student author represents his or her school, supplying a bird’s-eye view of what the campus is really like (as opposed to the administration’s point of view). In addition to writing content for their school’s guidebook, student authors are also responsible for surveying their fellow peers and gathering anonymous feedback, which College Prowler users can then read on specific school pages, to get an idea of what current students think about different aspects of the school (Academics, Weather, etc.).

==Guidebooks==
There are two types of College Prowler single-school guidebooks: traditional and career. Traditional guides appear in both physical and online book forms; career schools are only available in online format. College Prowler traditional guidebooks include four-year colleges and universities, covering 29 aspects of an institution:
* Academics
* Admissions
* Alumni & Post-Grads,
* Best Of
* Athletics
* Campus Dining
* Campus Housing
* Campus Strictness
* Computers
* Diversity
* Drug Safety
* Facilities
* Greek Life
* Guys & Girls
* Health & Safety
* Inside Scoop
* Jobs & Internships
* Local Atmosphere
* Nightlife
* Off-Campus Dining
* Off-Campus Housing
* Overall Experience
* Parking
* Scholarships
* Student Organizations
* Transportation
* Visiting
* Weather
* Worst Of

College Prowler career school guidebooks include community colleges and online universities, covering nine aspects of an institution:

* Academic Experience
* Academic Flexibility
* Campus Resources
* Career Services
* Inside Scoop
* Online Courses
* Overall Experience
* Student Body
* Tuition & Financial Aid

In addition to the single-school guidebooks, College Prowler also produced The Big Book of Schools, a 1,000-page compendium of single schools. This book included rankings, student author bios, and reviews from students attending the schools, so that readers can cross-compare schools when it comes to making their college selection.

College Prowler has also produced books like Urban Guru (a definitive guide to life in Pittsburgh) and Ultimate Hoops Guide - Marquette University.

College Prowler guidebooks appear in bookstores nationwide, as well as in e-book formats for purchase through Amazon, Google, and Smashwords. In 2012, College Prowler made the decision to forego all physical books based on the growing demand for e-books and online content.


==Founders==
==Founders==
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Born and raised in [[San Francisco, California]], he holds a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] from the [[Tepper School of Business]] and an [[Master of Science|M.S.]] from the [[Heinz College]] at [[Carnegie Mellon University]]. He has been featured in [[Inc. (magazine)|Inc. Magazine]] as one of its "30 under 30: America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs" and [[BusinessWeek]]'s "Best Entrepreneurs Under 25."
Born and raised in [[San Francisco, California]], he holds a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] from the [[Tepper School of Business]] and an [[Master of Science|M.S.]] from the [[Heinz College]] at [[Carnegie Mellon University]]. He has been featured in [[Inc. (magazine)|Inc. Magazine]] as one of its "30 under 30: America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs" and [[BusinessWeek]]'s "Best Entrepreneurs Under 25."


[[Image:Christina-koshzow.gif|thumb|right|Christina Koshzow]]
'''Christina Koshzow''' (born June 1, 1980) is a branding consultant and co-founder of Branding Brand Communications, a [[public relations]] and [[Internet marketing]] firm.<ref>[http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2008/winter/branding-a-winner.shtml Branding a Winner - Carnegie Mellon University]</ref>
'''Christina Koshzow''' (born June 1, 1980) is a branding consultant and co-founder of Branding Brand Communications, a [[public relations]] and [[Internet marketing]] firm.<ref>[http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2008/winter/branding-a-winner.shtml Branding a Winner - Carnegie Mellon University]</ref>

Koshzow attended [[Carnegie Mellon University]], and received her Master’s in Public Policy and Management from the University’s [[Heinz School]]. There, she co-founded College Prowler. Branding Brand Communications was formed in 2007, and has received recognition from the [[Public Relations Society of America]] for its creative branding and [[new media]] strategies.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/06/23/smallb6.html Pittsburgh Business Times - Christina Koshzow tosses clients into her investment mix]</ref>

Koshzow has written items for several outlets, and been featured in articles by publications including [[The New York Times]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/09/fashion/thursdaystyles/09online.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Colleges - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 14:00, 2 April 2012

CollegeProwler.com
Company typePrivate
IndustryPublishing, College Guidance
Founded2002
HeadquartersPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Key people
Luke Skurman, Founder and CEO
Number of employees
< 20
Websitecollegeprowler.com
File:SJUcp.jpg
A guidebook by College Prowler

College Prowler is an American company founded in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon graduate, Luke Skurman, as a way to “bridge” the gap between school-published brochures and websites. College Prowler originally began as a publisher of individual school guidebooks, eventually expanding with a yearly compendium edition comprised of over 400 schools.

The company creates online guides written by current college students, for prospective college students, giving an insider's view. Student writers use surveys to gather hundreds of student opinions and reviews, then offer "grades" on all aspects of campus life at each school.

While the company has always operated a website, it was originally used to promote and sell the guidebooks. In 2007, College Prowler shifted its efforts to the online format, focusing all school content, rankings, and more to the website with a paid subscription. Users were able to navigate content only with their paid account and limited many students from reading the rich reviews, rankings, and scholarships.

In mid-2009, College Prowler dropped paid subscriptions and opened the website to all users as a totally free college search service. Since then, College Prowler has grown tremendously, becoming one of the largest online resources for college information, scholarships, and school reviews.

College Prowler Founding & Today

The company was established in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University graduates. It began as a project in an entrepreneurship class at CMU's Tepper School of Business and quickly expanded by co-founders Luke Skurman, Joey Rahimi, Christina Koshzow, Christopher Mason, Jason Putorti and Omid Gohari.[1] In 2005, College Prowler was recognized by Fast Company (magazine) for being one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the nation,[2] and in 2006, partnered with AOL.[3]

Today, College Prowler is a fast-growing resource for college information serving prospective students. As of April 2012, College Prowler has nearly 400,000 reviews on over 7,700 schools in the United States. In addition to student reviews, College Prowler gives out more than $50,000 in scholarships every year to current and prospective students.

Student Authors, Content, and Reviews

College Prowler content comes from current students attending academic institutions from across the United States and some international areas. The student author represents his or her school, supplying a bird’s-eye view of what the campus is really like (as opposed to the administration’s point of view). In addition to writing content for their school’s guidebook, student authors are also responsible for surveying their fellow peers and gathering anonymous feedback, which College Prowler users can then read on specific school pages, to get an idea of what current students think about different aspects of the school (Academics, Weather, etc.).

Guidebooks

There are two types of College Prowler single-school guidebooks: traditional and career. Traditional guides appear in both physical and online book forms; career schools are only available in online format. College Prowler traditional guidebooks include four-year colleges and universities, covering 29 aspects of an institution:

  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Alumni & Post-Grads,
  • Best Of
  • Athletics
  • Campus Dining
  • Campus Housing
  • Campus Strictness
  • Computers
  • Diversity
  • Drug Safety
  • Facilities
  • Greek Life
  • Guys & Girls
  • Health & Safety
  • Inside Scoop
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Local Atmosphere
  • Nightlife
  • Off-Campus Dining
  • Off-Campus Housing
  • Overall Experience
  • Parking
  • Scholarships
  • Student Organizations
  • Transportation
  • Visiting
  • Weather
  • Worst Of

College Prowler career school guidebooks include community colleges and online universities, covering nine aspects of an institution:

  • Academic Experience
  • Academic Flexibility
  • Campus Resources
  • Career Services
  • Inside Scoop
  • Online Courses
  • Overall Experience
  • Student Body
  • Tuition & Financial Aid

In addition to the single-school guidebooks, College Prowler also produced The Big Book of Schools, a 1,000-page compendium of single schools. This book included rankings, student author bios, and reviews from students attending the schools, so that readers can cross-compare schools when it comes to making their college selection.

College Prowler has also produced books like Urban Guru (a definitive guide to life in Pittsburgh) and Ultimate Hoops Guide - Marquette University.

College Prowler guidebooks appear in bookstores nationwide, as well as in e-book formats for purchase through Amazon, Google, and Smashwords. In 2012, College Prowler made the decision to forego all physical books based on the growing demand for e-books and online content.

Founders

Luke Skurman (born 1980) is the Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of College Prowler.

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, he holds a B.S. from the Tepper School of Business and an M.S. from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. He has been featured in Inc. Magazine as one of its "30 under 30: America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs" and BusinessWeek's "Best Entrepreneurs Under 25."

Christina Koshzow (born June 1, 1980) is a branding consultant and co-founder of Branding Brand Communications, a public relations and Internet marketing firm.[4]

References

  1. ^ The Electronic Lowdown on Colleges - The New York Times
  2. ^ http://www.fastcompany.com/fast50_05/winners/
  3. ^ Pop City - College Prowler partners with AOL, launches blog and video site
  4. ^ Branding a Winner - Carnegie Mellon University
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