College Admissions: There's an App for That

Cambridge, Mass.-based startup Matchbox announced that its iPad app for evaluating college admission applications will be used by admissions offices at MIT and UCLA. The app is designed to reduce the time it takes to review and process applications up to 75%. Matchbox was founded in May of 2011, when it was known as AdmitPad. The company also announced that it has secured a $2.5 million initial round of financing, led by Mike Maples at Floodgate Fund, with participation from Greylock Partners and Felicis Ventures. Angel investors in the round include MIT Professor Ed Roberts, AppNexus CEO Brian O'Kelley and Maker Communications CEO Bill Giudice. Some schools have moved to online applications, including Common App and ApplyYourself, but most admissions review processes remain paper-based and logistically challenging. Programs at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the full-time MBA program at UCLA Anderson School of Management are the first university programs to use the Matchbox system. More information about Matchbox can be found at Matchbox.net.