Web site, app help students apply to colleges nationwide
A website called NextTierEducation.com and its new app for smartphones and the iPad aim to help students more easily navigate admission information and apply to colleges nationwide.
The education technology startup, called NextTier Education, produced the website and app and is based in Chicago. It was started by Highland Park native Justin Shiffman, 29, with business partner Jeff Allen, 50, of Naperville, one of the creators of Microsoft xBox Live and a lead developer for Redbox.
“Many entrepreneurs develop a product that are needs based,” Justin Shiffman said. “We wanted to make the college application process a whole lot better.”
The website and the free app debuted about two weeks ago. Both the website and app provide application deadlines and applications from about 2,300 four-year colleges nationwide. Next year, they plan to add two-year colleges and trade schools, Shiffman said.
The website and app, backed by venture capital funding, have no fees to users. The app can be downloaded from the website or in the Apple AppStore. They both offer a checklist or task list to get the applications done and other information related to the schools, he said.
“We wanted to give people all the information and technology they need to do this at their fingertips,” Shiffman said. “Many colleges didn't even have their applications online and we found that just baffling.”
Shiffman said the idea for a website and app came from his own tech and educational roots. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Indiana University, a masters in marketing at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a law degree at John Marshall Law School. He's also the son of Roger Shiffman, who co-founded then Vernon Hills-based Tiger Electronics, which also acquired Sega in the 1990s and produced the hit Furby toys. Tiger was later bought by Hasbro,
Justin Shiffman also had co-founded a clothing company that produced designer T-shirts with worldwide distribution and was the CEO of ActofGood.org, a startup that helped charities use social media.
In this digital world, Shiffman said it was time they digitize those admission documents and made it handy for users.
“We wanted to create a new way for students to communicate with all those people who mattered in the process,” he said.
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