There are about 152,000 students at Boston’s institutions of higher learning, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Imagine taking those 152,000 students and turning them into customers. That’s, essentially, what these Boston-based startup companies are trying to do. By targeting students, they’ve targeted a majority of the city’s spending power.
And Boston’s only the beginning. Although originally from here, most of these companies have spread out, reaching students outside the hub and around the country. Not only that, they’ve also delivered great products, designed to make students’ lives easier, more fulfilling and incredibly entertaining. Here are some of Boston’s best startups targeted toward the college crowd.
Learning Unlimited -- Learning Unlimited provides college students with the chance to teach high school students and drive them toward becoming tomorrow’s leaders. Colleges students are given the opportunity to launch and sustain educational ventures at their schools, all while assisting other students in finding their passions. The program lets students teach whatever they love, ranging from impressionist art to street drumming. By allowing for this broad range of classes, teens can explore new topics and learn about careers they never once knew existed. Learning Unlimited supports programs where students choose between hundreds of classes and can explore college campuses on their own. If students are looking for a way to get involved, through Learning Unlimited is the way to do it.
EverTrue -- EverTrue makes staying in touch your alma mater and fellow peers convenient and easy. The location-based directory platform helps alumni interact with each other various ways. The app aggregates content from your alumni magazine, school newspaper, athletic department, Facebook, blogs and Twitter feed to bring you the most updated content on your former stomping grounds. Events and reunions are also made more accessible, and you can deliver updates through your Facebook and Twitter to fellow alums all in one concise format. Networking is key in college, so if you can find an easier way to connect to your college’s alumni, like by using EverTrue, do it. The app is currently available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices.
CampusLIVE -- CampusLIVE is a platform that allows students to connect to brands in new and exciting ways. They create campaigns through big-name companies like Comcast, Ace Ticket and Peter Pan Bus Lines, that give students the opportunity to win prizes, exclusive trips and discounts. How can you win prizes? Just by playing games. The games could include surveys, polls or scavenger hunts, but never has college been made to look so fun. By following the group on Twitter, @CampusLIVE, students can learn about their upcoming challenges and how to participate.
SimpleTuition -- Since the company’s launch in 2006, they have helped more than 10 million families afford higher education. Through tips, advice, interactive tools and deals, they’ve helped students plan better for the cost of college, pay less for college-related expenses and learn how to better manage their money to later pay back their student loans.
Hammered.Org -- Created by Northeastern alum Ken Procaccianti, Hammered.org allows students to “have fun without the hangover.” The site offers students alternatives to drinking in and around the hub, demonstrating that the college crowd can live and have fun without drugs and alcohol. Through the company’s free weekly email, users can find out what’s on the calendar for the week ahead. Through the site, students can also post chem-free events to let others in the community know what’s going on. Hammered.org only covers Boston now, but Procaccianti does hope to expand to other cities in the near future.
Her Campus -- Founded by Harvard’s own Stephanie Kaplan, Windsor Hanger and Annie Wang, Her Campus is an online magazine for college women that individualizes its content based on colleges. Each college part of the program is given its own branch, giving students from outside schools the chance to create their own magazine. Since its launch two years ago, 175 colleges and universities have formed their own branches. Although each branch produces its own original content, the Her Campus site also hosts national content for every women to enjoy.
Boundless Learning -- The guys behind Boundless Learning have been striving to reinvent the textbook. They know the standard textbook is boring and insanely expensive, and think students deserve better. Boundless Learning aggregates the best free and open content and tailors it to a student’s class. All of the content remains free, and with Boundless Learning’s various interactive features, users are allowed to stay connected to their class in a more engaging way. Through schools like Harvard and MIT, the company has been able to take assigned course materials and give them a Boundless twist, by putting them online and making them more accessible. Students are able to get the same content through Boundless Learning as they would in their assigned textbook, yet connect with videos, instant search, highlighting notes and more.
