Stress Levels Soar Among Nation’s College-Bound High School Students, Survey Finds

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (Dec. 9, 2010) – In an American College Counseling, Inc. survey released today, 76 percent of the nation’s college-bound high school students admit feeling stressed about the college admissions process and lack reliable resources for expert guidance. As a result, American College Counseling, Inc. (ACCI) is drawing on decades of experience counseling high school students and families to launch one of the nation’s first comprehensive, convenient and affordable online college admissions counseling services at askacci.com.

The poll of 465 high school students in the U.S. was conducted online by Harris Interactive®. Only 22 percent of college-bound high school students found their high school college counseling offices to be very helpful in the college planning process, leaving many students and families searching for help in navigating the complex maze of test taking, college search, applications, essays and financial aid.

“Today, ACCI is launching askacci.com to meet the needs of stressed parents and students who can benefit from convenient and affordable professional guidance and comprehensive support for every step of the college planning process,” said Patricia Aviezer, one of the founders of ACCI and vice president of counseling. Aviezer has more than 25 years of experience counseling high school students and families about the college application and admissions process, and has helped thousands of students gain admission to their colleges of choice.

Author of the bestselling book, Peterson’s Game Plan for Getting Into College, Aviezer notes parents and students increasingly are turning to specialized college admissions advisers for help managing the process and gaining admission to colleges that are the best fit for long term success. “With askacci.com, we are making available to students and families nationwide an affordable, comprehensive suite of services.”

ACCI offers all the essential elements of preparing for college, pairing students with a professional adviser who provides unlimited, personalized, one-on-one guidance via phone, email and text messaging, as well as 24/7 access to the YourACCI online resource center. The full spectrum of support includes: high school course selection, career aptitude testing and counseling, SAT/ACT online test preparation, college selection and application, and financial aid consultation. ACCI also produces the College Bound Guide mailed monthly to clients and available by subscription, featuring informative and timely articles written by college counseling experts.

For more information about ACCI please visit askacci.com, or call 866-ASKACCI to speak with one of ACCI’s college admissions advisers.

About the survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive among 1,258 U.S. 8-18 year olds, with 668 age 10-18. The results among 8-17 year olds were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, parental education, urbanicity, and region. Results among 18 year olds were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, and household income.

About ACCI
ACCI is an independently-owned national company expertly guiding students and families through the competitive college admissions process. Offering affordable, one-on-one counseling and a comprehensive suite of convenient, web-based tools and services, ACCI eases stress and helps students succeed in gaining admission to colleges that are an ideal match. For information visit askacci.com or call 866-ASKACCI.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit harrisinteractive.com.