Transform your school's college application support

Unlock opportunities for your students with our Appliquest® platform

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Appliquest® is an innovative platform that teaches students how to create compelling college applications

Appliquest® is designed to ease the stress on students,

and the faculty who support college admissions.

appliquest

Flexible Deployment

Our solution can be easily adapted into any school schedule.


  • Module framework
  • Sequenced curriculum
  • Bite-sized exercises
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2-way Communication

Integrated communication feature allows easy feedback, keeping inboxes free!


  • Consolidated messaging
  • Maximize 1:1 time
  • Easy tracking
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Student Outcomes

De-stress the process to help students unlock opportunities for their future.


  • Simplified process
  • Easy-to-follow lessons
  • Student-centric design

Talent Lives Everywhere.

We help close the Opportunity Gap.

We're rethinking support for high schools by providing a holistic, integrated solution to reduce stress for your students and faculty

Tracking student progress on their college applications doesn't help them complete their college applications. Students need guidance on how to complete their materials. This is the key to better student outcomes, as well as reduced student and counselor stress. 


Our unique, scoped and sequenced curriculum teaches students to create a college application that tells a story: Why they're a great fit for their target schools. 


Appliquest's curriculum mirrors a high school class, broken into modules for use at home or during flex time.  Counselors are plugged directly into their students' Appliquest workspace, streamlining their workflow to make the most of their 1:1 time. 


Our decades of college admission experience, both inside the admissions office and inside the high school classroom, has instilled in us a simple belief:


Students can be taught how to create great college applications that will deliver the opportunities they deserve.



What is Appliquest®?

A holistic approach to support counselors and students through the college application process

A curriculum that guides students through creating college application materials

A tool that helps schools maximize student outcomes

An integrated approach designed to fit within your school's schedule

How do you showcase your school?

Download our guide to Upleveling your School Profile to learn how to highlight the differentiating factors you provide.

Download the Guide

Our Team

 

We developed Storyboards based on our decades of experience, both inside the admissions office and the high school classroom.  Our approach demystifies the college application, with practical guidance so students understand exactly what to do–and counselors understand how to guide them.


So you're in good hands.

Franci Erdmann, M.B.A.

Co-founder and Managing Director, Franci worked in higher education, making her mark by identifying great students who brought more than just academic achievement to campus. She then embarked on an executive career where she learned the value of using narrative to convey important information. She developed and delivered continuing education and skill enhancement training to unlock opportunities for professional development. 


Franci used that experience and insight to develop the Storyboards concept.

team
team

Stephen Himes, J.D., Ed.D.

Before co-founding Storyboards, Dr. Himes had over twenty years of classroom teaching experience.  As a teacher, he built a model high school gifted program, created his own critical thinking skills curriculum, and reimagined student travel through his Study-in-Residence program.  In addition to his role with Storyboards, Dr. Himes works as an innovative curriculum designer and teacher coach. 


Dr. Himes has a J.D. / Ed.D. with an emphasis in Civil Rights in Education Law.  He presents nationwide on how Supreme Court decisions like Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard contribute to school resegregation.  Dr. Himes brought his knowledge and expertise to build the Storyboards curriculum.

What people say about the Storyboards Approach?

Don't just take it from us.  This is what students, counselors and teachers have to say.

Kate A. - IB English Teacher

“I could feel my students' anxiety and stress over this whole thing slowly get a bit smaller. Your examples were awesome and easy to follow as to what makes a strong essay and activity."

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G.U. - Student

“Storyboards helps you create your application with clear guidance to portray yourself, not just as a student, but as a person. All the advice and instruction help me personalize my application, which gave me such confidence when pressing that final submit button."

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M.W. - Student

“The platform is extremely organized and gets you excited and motivated to complete college essays. The unique Storyboards methodology is simply the right way to do it."

FAQ

  • How is Storyboards different?

    Storyboards is a complete curriculum that guides students through the process of creating college application materials.  We don't just tell you what to do, we guide you through the process and teach you how to create your materials.

  • How does Storyboards fit in my school's schedule?

    The curriculum's modular design is perfect for your school's flex time.

  • How do Counselors use Storyboards?

    The Storyboards methodology is designed to help students create their materials in a self-guided setting.  Students share their materials through the platform so you can advise them asynchronously and make better use of your 1:1 time.

  • Why should my school use Storyboards?

    Storyboards is your in-house college admission expert that delivers quality college application instruction on a self-serve collaborative platform.  We take the workload off of your counselors and teachers and deliver content that helps your students put their best foot forward.  We reduce the stress and workload for counselors, teachers and students!

Appliquest®

by Storyboards College Admission Portfolios, LLC

From Vision to Admission

The Storyboards College Admission Blog

More Than Just Numbers: The True Meaning Behind Test Scores and GPAs

By Stephen Himes • December 17, 2024
We all know that colleges place a lot of emphasis on standardized test scores and GPAs when evaluating applicants. But have you ever stopped to wonder - what do these numbers really tell us? The research is clear - test scores and grades are largely a proxy for one key factor: how likely a student is to graduate. That's it. These metrics don't necessarily reflect someone's true "merit" or "deserving" of a spot in the incoming class. Let me give you an example to illustrate this point. Imagine two students, both strong applicants. Student A scored a 28 on the ACT, thanks to extensive test prep and family resources to support their studies. Student B, on the other hand, scored a 26 using only free ACT prep materials. Does the 28 ACT score mean Student A "deserves" admission more? Not necessarily. Colleges recognize that the 28 score may simply indicate Student A had more access to tools and support that boosted their test performance - not that they are inherently "smarter." Meanwhile, Student B's 26 may actually be a stronger indicator of their true academic abilities and readiness for the rigors of college. If they've demonstrated other qualities like resilience, creativity, and a genuine passion for learning, they could be an even better fit for the school's culture and mission. You see, college admissions isn't just about raw numbers. It's an art and a science, blending quantitative metrics with a holistic assessment of each applicant as a unique individual. Colleges aren't just looking to "rack and stack" candidates by test scores and GPAs. They want to build diverse classes of students who will thrive on their campuses and contribute to the community in meaningful ways. So the next time you're feeling discouraged by your test scores, remember - they don't tell the whole story. Colleges are increasingly looking beyond the numbers to find students who will be successful and make a positive impact. Focus on showcasing your full authentic self, and the rest will fall into place. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. How have you navigated the college admissions process, and what role have test scores and grades played?

How Colleges Use Test Scores and GPA Data: "Readiness" More Than "Merit"

By Stephen Himes • December 11, 2024
You're probably aware that most colleges have "gone test-optional" in recent years. In the next post, we'll discuss what that actually means. For now, let's talk about how the pandemic changed the way colleges use test scores and GPAs.

Triangulating Student Readiness with Test Scores and GPA

By Stephen Himes • December 5, 2024
Colleges use test scores and GPA data to assess an applicant's "readiness" for their academic environment, not just raw "merit." This involves a process of "triangulation" using multiple data points. First, they look at your GPA - the strongest predictor of college success. They'll consider both your core academic GPA and your overall GPA to get a sense of your preparation. Next, they review your high school's profile to understand the rigor of your curriculum and how your GPA compares to peers. This contextual information helps them evaluate your readiness. Finally, your test score serves as a check on the GPA analysis. It can indicate whether you challenged yourself appropriately or if your grades don't fully reflect your abilities. By considering these factors together, rather than in isolation, colleges can make an educated guess about your likelihood of thriving on their campus. This "triangulation" is more art than science, but it's how they assess "readiness" over pure "merit."  The key takeaway is that test scores and GPA aren't just about ranking applicants. Colleges want to understand if you have the academic preparation to succeed, not just who "deserves" admission the most. As long as your scores contextualize your full application, they can be a helpful part of this evaluation.