CZ News Articles & Press Releases

Birkman International, Inc. and CollegiateZone Partner to Offer Students Comprehensive College and Career Prep System

Houston, TX (February 21, 2011) Birkman International, Inc., and CollegiateZone Enterprises, L.P., are joining forces to offer students and high schools the most comprehensive student behavioral assessment and college/career prep system available. Birkman International, Inc. (www.birkman.com) provides the results for MindSight™, CollegiateZone’s online student behavioral assessment and college academic transition tool. MindSight, the first step in the career and college preparation process, is a 45-minute questionnaire in which students complete. The results of the questionnaire are presented in the form of student reports, which identify behavioral styles, underlying needs, interest motivators, and occupational preferences. Student coaching and guidance for parents and high school counselors are also identified. “We’ve been interested in providing our results through a comprehensive college and career prep system like that offered by CollegiateZone, and we are very excited about the opportunity to partner with CollegiateZone,” said Mark Wickliffe, VP of Sales and Marketing for Birkman. “This venture will enable both CollegiateZone and Birkman to reach more students nationally, with the goal of creating the right match between students and major/college/career choices.” Combined with the behavioral assessment tool, CollegiateZone offers a web-based software system, Topquest, which streamlines the career and college preparation/awareness and application process for students, parents and counselors. In addition to processing MindSight results and matching students to careers, colleges, and funding, Topquest (www.topquest.net) services include an auto-fill tool that completes college admissions and funding applications; standardized test (SAT/ACT) exam preparation; LIVE! CZ Chats; and a student profile with resume builder. The Birkman model will underscore CZ’s mission of being a one-stop college and career resource, providing students with the most technologically advanced administrative tools to help them get into college, and make solid major and career choices. “This strategic alliance is incredible for students, parents and high schools across the country,” said Stuart Scandridge, CollegiateZone founder and CEO. “We can now offer a complete behavioral assessment tool, within Topquest, so students can be matched to careers and college majors that align with their dreams, and with who they are.” Texas Education Agency Chooses CollegiateZone Enterprises, L.P., as Approved Service Provider for New College and Career Preparation Program Houston (November 22, 2010) CollegiateZone (CZ), a leader in college and career preparation services, was selected by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as an Approved Service Provider for the agency's Online College and Career Preparation Technical Assistance Program. Beginning March 2011, CZ will provide its TOPQUEST (TQ) system to a group of Texas high schools, as part of a $2.3 million grant provided by the TEA. “We are excited about working with these high school students to help them (and their parents) successfully prepare for the transition to college,” said Stuart Scandridge, president and founder of CollegiateZone, a Texas-based company. “This selection underscores our commitment and company’s recognition as a national leader for college and career preparation services.” CollegiateZone currently partners with high schools, districts and education-focused organizations across the country to ensure students are college and career ready. Using TOPQUEST, students have access to unique tools, including a personal assessment tool; SAT/ACT prep system; complete database of majors, colleges, funding, and careers; college prep planner and tracker; and an auto-fill tool that uses data population technology to manage and complete all online admissions and funding applications. In addition to being chosen for this new program, CollegiateZone was certified as a Continuing Professional Educator (CPE) provider by the TEA. State educators that participate in TOPQUEST training will receive continuing education credits towards satisfying their state CPE requirements. Better Business Bureau Recognizes CollegiateZone with Winner of Distinction Award Award honors company's achievements and commitment to overall excellence and quality in the workplace Houston, TX (May 24, 2010) CollegiateZone (CZ) received the 2010 Winner of Distinction Award at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Awards for Excellence luncheon held at the InterContinental Houston. CollegiateZone is the creator of Topquest (www.topquest.net) a powerful online tool that streamlines the high school to college, college to college, or college through college prep/application process, allowing students to search, match and apply to colleges, funding and resources. "Receiving this award is an honor and reflects the commitment that our team has to promoting higher education and helping more kids get into college," said Stuart Scandridge, President and Founder of CollegiateZone. Topquest is a software tool that automatically matches students to colleges, scholarships, grants and resources. Detailed results are based on the student's personal and academic criteria. Students complete the one-time, online CZ College Prep Form and use this one application to databank their information. Used in conjunction with the unique CZ Auto-fill Tool, students can apply to multiple colleges with the click of a few buttons, saving hours. The BBB Awards for Excellence recognizes businesses and non-profits for their achievements and commitment to overall excellence and quality in the workplace. Proceeds from the event help fund the BBB Education Foundation which educates consumers about scams and fraudulent business practices in the Greater Houston area.   DeSoto School Signs Up for TOPQUEST Desoto High School students will be using CollegiateZone's TOPQUEST service to search, match and apply to colleges, as well as search for funding. With the web-based system, students will also be able to apply to multiple colleges using the one-time, online CZ Common App and Auto-fill software. "I am very excited about this service," said Georgette Felder, DeSoto High School guidance counselor. "As counselors we stay busy - whether we're advising students on the classes to register for, handling concerns or attending training classes.  Having a service like this will allow students to easily search for colleges and scholarships on their own without solely relying on their counselor to find opportunities for them."   Waller High School Signs Up for TOPQUEST Waller High School has entered into an agreement with CollegiateZone (CZ). The 2-year contract allows students to use TOPQUEST to search, match and apply to colleges, as well as search for funding. Students also can to apply to multiple colleges using the one-time, online CZ Common App and Auto-fill software. "We are excited about the alliance with CollegiateZone," said Kelly Baehren, principal of Waller High School . "Students can begin researching colleges and scholarships earlier and on their own. And, it lets our guidance counselors focus on other responsibilities, like preparing students for college entrance exams." Waller H.S. guidance counselors participated in a 90-minute training session on May 1. The agreement adds nearly 1500 students to the CZ system.     By Elizabeth Armstrong - Christian Science Monitor When 'sports recruiters' come knocking Stuart Scandridge first learned of sports recruiters when one knocked on his door in Houston. His son Chris, a skilled quarterback in his senior year in high school, caught the eye of a recruiter when he made some important plays at the homecoming football game. But all attempts to talk down the price of marketing Chris to big football schools proved futile. The recruiter wouldn't budge: It would cost Mr. Scandridge $1,250 to send a sheet of information to 200 schools. "That just took the air out of him," Scandridge says. "There's not a photograph, just the statistics and a name. These people came to us and called themselves recruiters, and I thought, he's not from a college, he's from a business. He's trying to turn a profit." It was too much money for the father of six, so Scandridge typed up three pages of information about Chris and his activities and faxed them to 50 colleges himself. Within a week, 17 schools responded by mail and by phone. Chris was a hot commodity. But after months of searching, Chris ultimately chose a school where he could pursue his lifelong dream of being a pilot - even though it meant forfeiting his football ambitions. "It's important for kids to understand that the world is made up of more than one thing," his father says.