BOSTON, MA, March 30, 2011 – Did you say social media? Top 100 Colleges? Can you say, “Who ARE the Top 100 Social Media Colleges?” Today, StudentAdvisor.com announced the inaugural list of Top
100 Social Media Colleges – some of the results may surprise you!

StudentAdvisor.com is part of the Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc. family of information products and services and Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc. is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.

TOP  TEN COLLEGES ARE A SURPRISING MIX
And they are: Harvard University (1), Johns Hopkins University (2), United States Military Academy (3), Carnegie Mellon University (4), University of Notre Dame (5), Stanford University (6), Columbia University, (7), University of Miami (8), University of Florida (9) and rounding out the Top 10 is University of Oregon.
At the other end of the scale is Union University (96), Saint Mary’s College (97), Allegheny College (98), Millsaps College (99) and University of Georgia (100).

“The most surprising findings were in the incredibly diverse ways the colleges engage in social media,” said Dean Tsouvalas, Editor-in-Chief of StudentAdvisor.com. “We were pleasantly surprised by the rankings of Emerson College (13), the U.S. Military Academy (3) and Spelman College (16). Or, the #1
school – Harvard University. We would not have known they were the top social media communities without having researched and established the list.”

THE RESEARCH BEHIND THE RANKINGS OR – HOW DID THEY DO IT?
According to Katherine Godfrey, Ph.D., Principal Scientist for Avenue100 Media, they started with a comprehensive list of more than six thousand post-secondary degree-granting institutions in the U.S. for which they had compiled information for the StudentAdvisor site. Next, they researched Facebook1 fan pages, Twitter2 accounts and other social media sites associated with each of those schools.

The team then restricted the rankings to include only those schools that met the following criteria:

1. Facebook pages that had at least 500 fans
2. Each college had to have at least one such Facebook fan page and at least one Twitter account in order to be included in the rankings
3. They removed colleges where they could not verify the total enrollment information

To arrive at the inaugural list, the data included total Facebook fan counts, total number and effectiveness of Twitter followers among other factors. During the course of the list compilation, the team is regularly re-measuring and updating the data by revisiting the various Facebook, Twitter, and other social media
pages.

HUBSPOT INSTRUMENTAL IN TOP RANKINGS RESEARCH

“HubSpot is our blog platform provider and hosts The StudentAdvisor.com blog,” said Tsouvalas. “They provide us with informative analytics and ways to constantly improve our conversations with students, parents and colleges. We gave them the list of colleges’ Twitter accounts and they provided the Twitter
grades from TwitterGrader.com.”

Tsouvalas continued, “Twitter Grader is a free tool that allows you to check the power of your Twitter profile compared to millions of other users that have been graded. This is a terrific, unbiased baseline for evaluating each school’s Twitter account. Scores ranged from a high of 100 to a low of 10.”

For more information or additional research details regarding the Top 100 Social Media Schools rankings list, please contact Diane Moore via email at pr@avenue100.com or by phone at (781) 6833355.

StudentAdvisor.com’s Editor-in-Chief Dean Tsouvalas and other Avenue100 Media Solutions executives are available for interviews upon request.

STUDENTADVISOR.COM RESOURCES:
Top 100 Social Media Schools: http://www.studentadvisor.com/top-100-social-media-colleges
Website: http://www.StudentAdvisor.com
Blog: http://blog.StudentAdvisor.com/
Twitter http://twitter.com/StudentAdvisor
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/StudentAdvisor

MEDIA CONTACT:
Diane Moore
Moore Marketing, Public Relations for Avenue100 Media Solutions, Inc.
Ph. 781-683-3355
eMail pr@avenue100.com

About StudentAdvisor.com
StudentAdvisor.com is the leading “all things education” comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners.
StudentAdvisor.com empowers college students of all ages to choose which college is the best fit for their individual short and long-term career path, academics, financial situation and budget, and personality. StudentAdvisor.com is part of the
Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc. family of information products and services. Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc. is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. For more information, visit StudentAdvisor.com.

Please contact us for additional information. Product and executive images are available upon request.

About Avenue100 Media Solutions
Avenue100 Media Solutions is a leading analytics-based performance marketing company that helps institutions acquire
qualified customers. Its flagship site, CourseAdvisor.com, was founded in 2004 by a group of successful entrepreneurs
and alumni from MIT and the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. CourseAdvisor is now one of the top education sites
in the country according to Quantcast, with over 3.3 million unique visitors per month.

In 2007, CourseAdvisor was acquired by the Washington Post Company. The minds behind CourseAdvisor launched the WashingtonPost Education web site in 2007 and a financial aid web site, EducationGrant.com, in 2008. In 2009, Avenue100 Media Solutions was formed to serve as a holding company for the numerous sites that the team manages. Avenue100 is headquartered just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. For  more information, visit Avenue100.com.

About Hubspot
HubSpot, Inc. offers an all-in-one marketing software platform for small and medium-sized businesses. Over 4,000
companies in 31 countries use HubSpot software to increase the number of visitors to their website and convert more of
those visitors to leads and customers. Applications in the software platform include website management, blogging,
search engine optimization, lead management, marketing analytics, email marketing, landing pages, and social media
monitoring. HubSpot is also the developer of the popular website analysis tool, WebsiteGrader.com, which has over 3
million users.

HubSpot, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, visit
HubSpot.com.

Legal:

1 Facebook(R) is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
2 Twitter (R) is a registered trademark of Twitter Inc.
©2011, the Top 100 Social Media Colleges (List & Rankings) are the exclusive copyright of StudentAdvisor.com, Avenue100 Media
Solutions, Inc., all rights reserved.

Among the features included in the free Guide to Pursuing a Graduate Degree:

o   5 burning questions for a new grad student
o   Tips for returning adult students
o   A look at today’s hottest fields
o   Choosing the right school
o   Funding your master’s education

The guide also provides advice for individuals that need to finish their undergraduate degree with insights into the benefits of on campus and online programs. In addition, the guide outlines the many steps of the financial aid process, from filing a FAFSA to applying for federal grants.

“Attaining a graduate degree can be a great way to accelerate your career, boost your earning power and broaden your world.  We’ve created this guide to prepare students to make a decision about whether pursuing an advanced degree is right for them,” said Dean Tsouvalas, Editor-in-Chief of StudentAdvisor.com. “It’s never too late to continue your education. Whether you finished your undergraduate studies two, ten, twenty or more years ago, you can still turn your bachelor’s into a master’s.”

Key Facts:

• StudentAdvisor.com today published the free Guide to Pursuing a Graduate Degree
• Digital magazine offers facts, tips and advice for anyone considering pursuing an advanced degree
• The guide offers insights into the processes of choosing a major, choosing a school, and applying for financial aid
• StudentAdvisor.com is the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners

Resources:

Free Guide to Pursuing a Graduate Degree: http://www.studentadvisor.com/guides/graduate-degree-guide

StudentAdvisor Blog: http://blog.studentadvisor.com/

StudentAdvisor on Twitter http://twitter.com/studentadvisor

StudentAdvisor on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/StudentAdvisor

About StudentAdvisor

StudentAdvisor.com is the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners. StudentAdvisor.com empowers college students of all ages to confidently determine which college is the right fit for their personality, academics, budget, career path, and future. StudentAdvisor.com is operated by Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. For more information, visit http://www.studentadvisor.com.

BOSTON, MA – StudentAdvisor.com, the leading college reviews resource for students, parents and lifetime learners, today revealed the winners of its Top College Fashion Blog awards. With collections being unveiled at this week’s New York Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, anyone that is searching for cutting edge campus fashion need look no further than these blogs!

The top college fashion blogs were selected based on whip sharp commentary that would make Tim Gunn proud and site engagement metrics such as, comments, frequency of posts and traffic.

“People have the misconception of college students rolling out of bed, throwing on dirty sweat pants and running to class,” said Dean Tsouvalas, Editor-in-Chief of StudentAdvisor.com. “Now many college students consider the quad their campus catwalk and dress to impress.”

The 5 top of the class in college fashion blogs fashoin icon blogs include:

1. COLLEGE FASHION
College Fashion is the first and only fashion blog written by college students, for college students. Founded by Zephyr Basine from her University of Massachusetts Amherst dorm room in March 2007, College Fashion has grown from her own personal fashion blog into a worldwide student-run online fashion magazine, written by a group of stylish college girls from universities across the US. In four years Zephyr has transformed from campus fashionista to the Anna Wintour of college fashion blogs.

2. COLLEGE FASHIONISTA
College Fashionista is a fashion social networking site for those who are passionate about the latest styles and trends on college campuses. The site’s founder, Amy Levin, a graduate from Indiana University, created the blog as a way to showcase the best in University fashion trends. Together, Amy and her Style Gurus provide readers with photographs of what their peers are wearing around college campuses and tips on how readers can incorporate these looks into their own college fashion wardrobes.

3. HER CAMPUS
Stephanie Kaplan, Windsor Hanger, and Annie Wang, the founders of Her Campus, met while undergraduates at Harvard University through running Freeze, the school’s lifestyle and fashion online magazine, where they served as the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Editor, and Creative Director respectively. Stephanie, Windsor, and Annie have been named to Inc. magazine’s 30 Under 30 Coolest Young Entrepreneurs, Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year Awards as 3 of Glamour’s “20 Amazing Young Women”, and The Boston Globe’s 25 Most Stylish Bostonians.

4. LA PETITE FASHIONISTA
Lauren Felix, fashion obsessed college student at Florida State University, started La Petite Fashionista in March 2007, while she was still a senior in high school. Since day one, Lauren’s goal was to create a blog that made fashion accessible to everyone and made trends wearable and easy to understand. On her site, she muses about her inspirations, forecasts future trends, features up and coming labels, and writes about her experiences as a fashion student trying to break into the industry.

5. LITTLE MISS DRESS UP
In a fusion of east meets west, Little Miss Dress Up is the style diary of two friends living on opposite ends of the world- one half of the Little Misses in Edinburgh and the other half in Manila. The founders and stylish fashion bloggers, Rosanna Aranaz and Hanna Choa Yu, provide readers with shopping finds and fashionable happenings in The Philippines and Scotland that will inspire any college fashionista’s wardrobe.

About StudentAdvisor
StudentAdvisor.com is the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners. StudentAdvisor.com empowers college students of all ages to confidently determine which college is the right fit for their personality, academics, budget, career path, and future. StudentAdvisor.com is operated by Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. For more information, visit http://www.studentadvisor.com.

BOSTON, MA – StudentAdvisor.com, the leading college reviews resource for students, parents and lifetime learners, today published the much-anticipated FAFSA Guide, just as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens to students applying for financial aid for the 2011-2012 school year. The free guide, a 26-page digital magazine, offers facts, tips, and practical advice on how to get through the overwhelming process of filling out the FAFSA application.

Among the features included in the free FAFSA Guide:

• What is the FAFSA?
• The step-by-step process to completing the FAFSA form
• An explanation on how financial aid is calculated
• Myths you should know about the financial aid proceed
• 10 common FAFSA mistakes and how to avoid making them

The guide also provides tips for maximizing the amount of financial aid a student will receive, including why it is important to file the FAFSA before your tax return, how mom and/or dad’s checking account balance can impact the amount of aid received, and who qualifies for a “special circumstances appeal.”

“The U.S. Department of Education provides around $100 billion a year in government student aid for college, with two-thirds of students receiving at least some financial aid today,” said Dean Tsouvalas, Editor-in-Chief of StudentAdvisor.com. “This guide aims to help students and parents navigate the arduous process of applying for financial aid and provides helpful information to make the entire process easier than ever before.”

Key Facts:

• StudentAdvisor.com today published the FAFSA Guide as parents and students begin filing for financial aid for the 2011-2012 school year
• Digital magazine offers facts, tips and advice on how to fill out the FAFSA
• The guide also provides tips for maximizing the amount of financial aid a student will receive
• StudentAdvisor.com is the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners

Resources:

• StudentAdvisor.com http://www.studentadvisor.com
• Free FAFSA Guide: http://www.studentadvisor.com/guides/free-fafsa-guide
• StudentAdvisor Blog: http://blog.studentadvisor.com/
• StudentAdvisor on Twitter http://twitter.com/studentadvisor
• StudentAdvisor on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/StudentAdvisor

About StudentAdvisor
StudentAdvisor.com is the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners. StudentAdvisor.com empowers college students of all ages to confidently determine which college is the right fit for their personality, academics, budget, career path, and future. StudentAdvisor.com is operated by Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. For more information, visit http://www.studentadvisor.com.

BOSTON, MA – StudentAdvisor.com, the leading education research and comparison destination for students, parents and lifetime learners, today revealed the winners of its Top College Sports Blogs awards. The top bloggers were selected based on superior content that spoke specifically to the college sports enthusiast, site engagement and comments, frequency of posts and traffic.

“College students’ passion for their sports teams is unmatched and quite frankly, a great way to keep current students and alumni connected to the school,” said Dean Tsouvalas, Editor-in-Chief of StudentAdvisor.com. “We wanted to give a shout out to the best college sports blogs to recognize the fantastic work these bloggers are doing for their schools and community.”

The lucky bloggers who made the Top 10 List include:

1. Gator Country: There’s no question the Florida Gators have an incredible fan base and the Gator Country blog has tapped into it by creating an awesome blog populated with videos, a radio show, fabulous pictures and interesting articles to keeps its fans engaged and coming back for more. What’s more, the blog has forums for both free users and subscribing insiders as well as its own magazine.

2. In The Bleachers: This blog is a must read for any serious college football fan. Mike Felder, a former safety at UNC, provides a witty, insightful eye to the college football landscape. With an impressive list of contributors, his blog keeps the college sports fan engaged and entertained with its commentary and weekly podcasts that feature the biggest names in the college football media.

3. M Go Blog: The University of Michigan is a large school with a fan base that’s bigger than most pro teams. This blog stands out for having active fan forums, podcasts and videos. It’s clear these guys know everything there is to know about Michigan athletics, especially football. The site even has interviews from players, which is a feat in itself for a fan blog.

4. Club Trillion: Former Ohio State Buckeye basketball bench rider, Mark Titus, runs this site. It has grown in popularity thanks to the help of widely read ESPN columnist, Bill Simmons. It has a fresh take on what it’s like to ride the bench at a big-time D1 school as well as a behind the scenes take on college athletics.

5. The Heisman Pundit: Every year sports fans follow the Heisman race as intensely as the NFL draft. No site does a better job of analyzing this race than Heisman Pundit, run by former Southern Cal’s sports information director, Chris Huston. This blog has been dubbed “The Heisman’s Foremost Authority” by Sports Illustrated.

6. Gridiron Goddess: Huge props go out to Amy Lamare for being the only female blogger to make the list and for demonstrating unmatched passion when it comes to college and pro football commentary. In a few years, the site has gone from a simple wordpress blog to an all-encompassing site. Amy has appeared on various radio shows as a result of the blog’s success.

7. The Mid Majority: The Mid Majority blog is for fans and students of small, “mid-major”, schools. These are the schools that play the Cinderella role during the NCAA Tournament. Coined the Jack Kerouac by Sports Illustrated of the mid-major schools, Kyle Whelliston, former ESPN writer, has done a nice job of keeping this blog ripe with content about these schools.

8. Notre Dame: Once upon a time, Notre Dame was considered the quintessential college football school. While the team itself has petered off in recent years, fan support is still as wild as ever. This blog is packed with articles, commentary, forums, chat rooms and it even has a thorough section on Notre Dame’s glory days.

9. Storming The Floor: Flocked with a biting humor, this blog is packed with content. These guys are college hoops fans to the core. Their insight runs the gamut–from an upcoming Duke vs. UNC showdown to a CAA match between the James Madison Dukes and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams.

10. SB Nation’s Every Day Should Be Saturday: For fanatics of college football, Every Day Should Be Saturday is one of the most comprehensive blogs out there. Run by the SB (Sports Blog) Nation, Every Day Should Be Saturday is rich with content including articles, interviews, audio and video footage.

About StudentAdvisor
StudentAdvisor.com is the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners. StudentAdvisor.com empowers college students of all ages to confidently determine which college is the right fit for their personality, academics, budget, career path, and future. StudentAdvisor.com is operated by Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. For more information, visit http://www.studentadvisor.com.

BOSTON, MA -  StudentAdvisor.com, the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners, helps students with the top questions to ask a guidance counselor when evaluating and applying to colleges. For juniors and seniors in high school, the college application process can be overwhelming and daunting without the right resources in place. Research conducted by StudentAdvisor.com and Bentley University found more than 58% of today’s students suggest beginning the college research process by speaking to a high school guidance counselor.

“Guidance counselors today have told us that they only have time to focus on the top 10% and the bottom 10% of the class,” said Dean Tsouvalas, Editor-in-Chief of StudentAdvisor.com. “It’s imperative for parents and students to be prepared with pointed questions to ensure they are getting the cold, hard facts from their guidance counselors. Then, parents and students can visit StudentAdvisor.com to find the best college match to move the process forward.”

So, what should parents ask? StudentAdvisor.com put together a list of 8 questions every parent should ask their child’s guidance counselor while evaluating and applying to colleges.

StudentAdvisor.com’s 8 questions to ask:

1. What are the school policies about taking time off to visit college campuses?
2. How do I make the best use of campus visits?
3. What if our student wants to attend a college that traditionally doesn’t attract a lot of students from this high school? How will you help?
4. What if we disagree with our child about their college choices?
5. What if we can’t afford college?
6. What is your connection with my child’s college list? How can you help?
7. What if the schools on my child’s list do not offer a desirable financial aid package?
8. If my child wants to attend graduate school, does the undergrad school I choose have any impact?

About StudentAdvisor
StudentAdvisor.com is the leading education comparison resource for students, parents and lifetime learners. StudentAdvisor.com empowers college students of all ages to confidently determine which college is the right fit for their personality, academics, budget, career path, and future. StudentAdvisor.com is operated by Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. For more information, visit http://www.studentadvisor.com.

• How to prepare and manage a job search
• How to research and find a job
• How to create and promote your own personal “brand” (so employers will notice you)
• How to Interview for a job
• How to land the job

For details, read more: Free workshop offers job search tips

Mass. Unemployment Drops Steeply

Read more: Guest Blog: use social networks to build your brand, get referrals

This joint venture is designed to present students and parents with the best available options for higher education.

Read more at the Seattle Online Learning Examiner: StudentAdvisor.com launches education search engine in association with Newsweek Education