AtomicMind launches Discover+ web platform to match students with high-impact extracurricular opportunities
AtomicMind today announced the launch of Discover+, a free online catalog of over 500 diverse enrichment opportunities primarily for high school students preparing for college admissions. Discover+ is the first free directory of its kind to offer a comprehensive digital catalog of highly-curated enrichment opportunities that are pre-vetted and thoughtfully selected based on their quality and potential impact for college admissions.
Discover+ streamlines the process of finding remote and in-person academic programs, internships, competitions, service-oriented work, and other learning experiences that match students' interests and needs. Users can also search more specifically for camps, gap year, research, and publication-related options. Discover+ was designed with busy students, parents, educators, and guidance counselors in mind and informed by its MIT and Harvard-educated creators’ combined 40+ years of experience helping teens find and engage in a broad array of prestigious and meaningful extracurricular activities.
“The inspiration behind our creation of Discover+ was to democratize access to information and opportunities that give ambitious students a leg up in the elite college admissions process,” said Leelila Strogov, AtomicMind’s CEO and Founder. “AtomicMind believes all students deserve as much support as possible in obtaining the kind of profile and leadership experience that will distinguish them in the college admissions process and also help them excel in school and beyond. We wanted to create a one-stop-shop that students, educators, and parents can use to hone in on perfect-fit opportunities, including many they don’t even know exist.”
With its sophisticated, customizable filtering tool, users can conduct increasingly refined and tailored searches based on students’ eligibility, deadlines, cost, and desired field, location, duration, and timing. Individuals can search first by broader disciplines (i.e. STEM, humanities, or social justice/activism) and then by a wide variety of subfields (i.e. entrepreneurship, journalism, Model UN, chemical engineering, philosophy, or dance). In addition, at-a-glance opportunity profile pages provide in-depth descriptions alongside detailed information about sponsoring institutions, eligibility and application requirements, financial aid, and notification dates, making it easy for users to determine quickly whether or not an opportunity is right for them.
“Exploring Discover+ feels like opening up the door to a world of possibilities,” said Eleonore, a 10th grade student. “There are so many different activities in areas I didn’t know were available to me. I can’t wait to find something awesome to do this summer that will not only be exciting but will also help me stand out as a future college applicant!”
Discover+ also serves as a convenient activity planning tool and tracker. Users are encouraged to sign up for a free account to create a profile, save custom searches and favorite opportunities, and receive email and/or text updates about programs of interest. AtomicMind will also publish regular articles on the platform, with carefully-selected collections of opportunities by type, such as “The Pre-College Summer Math Programs Most Impressive to Top Colleges'' or “The 10 Creative Writing Competitions that Matter,” to offer inspiration and supplementary information and help users further identify the ideal experience for them.
“The process of helping students follow a rewarding and meaningful extracurricular path is one of a college admissions counselor’s most important roles, but it is also one of the most time-consuming and labor-intensive,” acknowledged Sophia Seidner, an AtomicMind Senior College Admissions Counselor. “By allowing us to provide this vital service much more efficiently and effectively, Discover+ is a game-changer.”
Discover+ is the latest addition to AtomicMind’s suite of college admissions technology platforms. The robust virtual task management, communication, and feedback tools offered by Grow+ and Apply+ in combination with Discover+ enable AtomicMind’s dedicated advisors to provide their students with an increasingly comprehensive and personalized college application experience. AtomicMind will continue to grow and expand Discover+ to include an even wider variety of opportunities, including more options for elementary school, college, and graduate students. With Discover+, AtomicMind hopes its services will become more discoverable to those who might benefit from them.