Mentoring service goes on-line

By Sharon Nagy, Online Forty-Niner

Monday, November 16, 1998

In the first four days after its debut Nov. 1, over 1,500 students applied to Cal State Long Beach through the second edition of CSUMentor, the online system that makes planning and applying to CSU colleges easier and faster.

The original system was established Nov. 1, 1997, designed by XAP corporation.

"Filing applications online makes things easier, faster and better for students. It was CSU's vision to create this system," said Allen Firstenberg, president of XAP. "We now have contracts with schools all over the country to create similar programs."

The web site, accessible at www.csumentor.edu, is free and has many new updates over the old system.

Among them: application redirection, which automatically forwards students' applications to alternate choice CSU campuses in the case the student is not accepted to his or her first choice, an academic planner for junior college transfers, modules for graduate students and online filing for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

"It's really time consuming and fairly difficult for students to fill out the FAFSA application," Firstenberg said.

"The Department of Education just approved the online filing. When you use the system your FAFSA application is already half done before you start, it fills out your name, address, etc," he said.

Features from the old system have been updated, including online admission applications, multimedia campus tours, student-campus matching assistance, an academic planner for high school students, free e-mail accounts and assistance in understanding financial aid eligibility and opportunities.

"The system has been very successful in helping the CSU to reach out to students at an early stage in their academic careers and in helping them reach out to us," said Allison Jones, CSU senior director of access and retention. "CSUMentor will continue to play an important role in early outreach activities to students enrolled in K-12 while adding outreach opportunities for transfer students, graduate students and adult learners."