Where do we usually go when we have a question nowadays? Why, the internet, of course!  And as we come across more questions, we generally find some new sources (outside of the Wikiverse) that provide answers. CampusSplash, a new site launched in August of 2011, is dedicated to college-related questions searching for real-student answers.

CampusSplash is a Q&A platform for education search which allows students to ask any question about thousands of colleges, schools, and education programs, which are then answered by current students, alumni, admissions officers, experts and others. “The goal is to close the information gap in education searches,” explains Allen Gannett, founder of the CampusSplash Network.

The namesake feature is “a news and advice website for college life and admissions.” Articles are easily separated according to the intended audience by clicking on the tabs ‘For High-School Students,’ ‘For College Students,’ or for ‘All Articles.’  Topics range from serious admissions support (see, ‘What the HECK is the CLEP test?’), to general tips to be better students (see, ‘3 Things to Do on the First Day of Class at College’), to the light-hearted advice to prepare for tests outside the classroom (see, ‘4 Ways to Not Completely Embarrass Yourself at a Party’), to the ominous preparatory necessities (see – my favorite – ‘Huzzah for Laziness!’) that make up campus life.  Speckled throughout the article archive are reviews of campus essentials like laptops and backpacks.

In addition to the CampusSplash database, though, there are three other ‘Splash’ products.  DormSplash gives students the chance to rate their on-campus living facilities based on lifestyle qualities (location, study environment, social scene, etc.) and on room standards (size, cleanliness, parking, etc.). This user-review styled feature, though relatively young, has the potential to be very constructive and informative for any student prepping to live on campus.

The other two products are geared directly toward high-schoolers on the verge of becoming college students. AdmissionSplash is an “awesome Facebook application that predicts college admissions” by comparing your background criteria to the admissions standards of your selected colleges.  The last product, ChampSplash, is an online bidding arena where students can vote for their high-school for a chance to win one of five $2,000 grants to be used for a school dance.

The CampusSplash Network is an intuitive resource intended to bring prospective university students into the college scene with more grace than a freshman trudging a fifty pound backpack around campus on a rainy day.

*For an entertaining introduction to the NEW CampusSplash, check out this rap written and performed by their intern – The CampusSplash Rap!

Scott Perske is a senior at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he studies World/Comparative History and International Relations. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the National Leadership Council for The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He has taken part in the International Scholar Laureate Program’s European delegation for Diplomacy and International Relations, has completed a course study at the Qufu Normal University in Qufu, China, and has traveled into Tibet with a seminar on Chinese culture and economics.