CollegeNET - Help Center

Help Center

If you can't find the answer here, check out the CollegeNET Ideas forum, or email us for additional help.

General Information

About CollegeNET >>
About your account >>
About scholarship awards >>
CollegeNET content guidelines >>
CollegeNET site policies/terms of use >>

Site Features

How scholarship elections work >>
About the different kinds of scholarships >>
Why isn't my school logo on the front page of CollegeNET? >>
About candidate profiles >>
About topic and video forums >>
How election voting works >>

Candidate FAQ

Who's eligible to be a candidate for CollegeNET scholarships? >>
How do I participate in topic forums? >>
How do I participate in video forums? >>
How many posts can I make each day? >>
How do I vote for other candidates? >>
What if I get a new cell phone number and/or provider? >>
How do I view my point totals? >>
What's a "rave" and how do I display it? >>

Voter FAQ

Who's eligible to be a voter? >>
How do I judge candidates? >>
How do I vote for candidates? >>
What if I get a new cell phone number and/or provider? >>
What tools might help me explore the CollegeNET site? >>

General Information

About CollegeNET

Tell me about the company operating this site.

CollegeNET, Inc. is focused on providing technologies that save institutions money and improve educational access and affordability for citizens. The company provides innovations in event and academic scheduling, decision support, admissions, web-based tuition processing, prospect management, alumni development, and email management to colleges, universities, and nonprofits worldwide. More than 1,000 institutions use CollegeNET software and e-solutions. The company is headquartered in Portland, OR.

Will CollegeNET sell my personal data?

No, check out our Privacy Policy for details.

How do I contact CollegeNET?

To contact a knowledgeable expert about the CollegeNET scholarship election site, email us at scholarship@collegenet.com.

About your account

How do I sign up for an account?

To sign up for a new account:

Click the Sign Up tab at the top of any page.
Enter your information in each field. Fields marked with _* are required.
Note: We use your cell phone number to send you an account activation code or a voting security code via text message.
Select "Make me a candidate in the CollegeNET scholarship election" if you're a current or future college student and want to win a scholarship. If you're not signing up to be a candidate, leave the box blank.
To qualify as a candidate, you must be currently attending a college or university, or expect to be enrolled at a college or university within one year of creating an account on this site.
Type the characters you see in the box at the bottom of the page. This procedure verifies that you're a human being – not a bot – reading this web page.
Click Sign Up.
In the Success! popup window, click OK.
You now have an account, but it won't be activated until you receive a text message on your cell phone containing an activation code. Once you receive this code, return to the site to activate your account.

How do I activate my account?

To activate your account:

Log in to collegenet.com with your user name and password.
Click the My Account tab. If your account hasn't been activated yet, you'll see a red bar across the top of the page with a field for your activation code.
Type your activation code exactly as it appears in the cell phone message you received from the system, and click Activate.

You must complete this activation process to be able to vote, create a candidate profile, or post to topic and video forums.

What if I don't have a cell phone with text message capability?

You can't sign up for an account unless you have a cell phone with text message capability, since text messaging is the way we deliver account activation and voting security codes. Once a cell phone is used to set up an account on CollegeNET, it can't be used again for this purpose.

What if I get a new cell phone number and/or provider?

Due to security concerns, you can't edit this information yourself on your My Account page. To make any changes, email scholarship@collegenet.com your new cell phone information, and we'll update your account information.

OK, I signed up as a candidate. Why are you asking me for more information?

Immediately upon signing up for an account as a candidate, you're asked about your high school and college. This information is optional, and you can enter it later or change it at any time.

What's the difference between a screen name and user name?

Your screen name is the name you choose for public display on the site. It appears each time you post to a topic or video forum, and on your candidate profile. You can change your screen name at any time by going to the My Account page.

Your user name is only used when you log in, and only you can see it. Once you've signed up for an account, you can't change your user name.

What's the difference between a candidate and a voter?

Candidates are current or future college students eligible to win scholarship money. They can create a candidate profile, post to topic and video forums up to five times a day, receive votes, and vote for other candidates.

Voters can be anyone. They're allowed to read candidate profiles and postings and vote for candidates they like, and they can post to up to two times a day, but they can't receive votes.

How do I edit my candidate profile?

Click the My Account tab from any page on the site to change your picture or profile text. To read more about profiles, click here.

How do I edit my account information?

Click the My Account tab from any page on the site. Then click View Account Info to view and edit your personal and school information.

I don't see a My Account tab. Why not?

If you don't see a My Account tab, you're either not a user or aren't logged in. If you want to become a user, you can sign up for a new account. If you already have an account, log in with your user name and password.

About scholarship awards

Who's eligible to win a scholarship?

If you're currently attending a college or university, or plan to attend within a year, you're eligible to win a scholarship.

I won this month! How do I claim my scholarship?

We will contact you using the information you supplied when you created an account. Shortly thereafter, we will send your award to the financial aid office of the institution at which you are (or expect to be) enrolled.

How often am I eligible to win?

You're eligible to win again one calendar year from the date of winning a scholarship.

CollegeNET content guidelines

This site receives postings from a wide diversity of people, many of whom may have different beliefs and communication styles from your own. CollegeNET doesn't buy into censorship; we rely on you to use your common sense in helping to maintain this site as a free and enjoyable place to exchange ideas. So please be respectful of others when posting to a topic or video forum, and understanding and tolerant of different styles when reading the posts of others. Since it is in your interest to receive as many votes as possible, post in a clear, respectful way. If you believe someone's post has crossed the line and should be reported, please press and enter your complaint.

CollegeNET site policies/terms of use

CollegeNET's Web Site Terms and Conditions of Use are described here.

Site Features

How scholarship elections work

There are two types of CollegeNET user accounts: candidates and voters.

Candidates can create a profile and post to topic and video forums up to five times a day. One of those daily posts can be used to start a forum. Candidates get one vote per day per competition period. If you're a candidate, it pays to use these ballots and vote, because you get points each time you cast a ballot!
Candidates receive points each time someone votes for them, but also each time they vote for someone else. See the Voting Rules for an explanation of how points are calculated.
Voters can explore and read the site contents, post to topic or video forums up to two times a day. One of those daily posts can be used to start a forum. Voters can cast one ballot per day per competition period for the candidates they like (only once per candidate, though), however, they can't receive votes.
The number of points are weighted based on a number of factors. For more information about our weighted voting system, please see the Voting Rules.

Candidates and voters can only vote once per election for a particular candidate.

Visitors (people without accounts) can browse the site, but must create an account if they want to be a scholarship candidate or a voter.

Account holders (candidates and voters) who like a particular candidate's profile or his/her posts can vote for that person to receive a scholarship.

Candidates earn points for each vote they receive and for each vote they cast. The voting system is weighted, with varying point values assigned to each vote, depending on a candidate's level of participation on the site. (For more information about our weighted voting system, please see Voting Rules.)

At the end of each general CollegeNET election (currently once a week), we tally the points, award a scholarship to the candidate with the most points, and kick off a new election. If there's a point tie, the scholarship money is divided equally among the winning candidates.

About the different kinds of scholarships

New awards may be added at any time. The current available scholarships are:

CollegeNET scholarships, awarded weekly. All current and future college students (who have not won a scholarship in the previous year) are eligible for the weekly $3,000 - $5,000 CollegeNET scholarship awards.

About candidate profiles

What's a candidate profile?

A candidate profile contains information a candidate has written presenting him/herself to voters. If you're a candidate, your profile is the first "window" people have into learning about you and deciding whether or not to vote for you.

Candidate profiles contain:

An image (usually a photo): Candidates can upload a photo or other graphic that is displayed on their profile page and next to their discussion posts.
Information about the candidate: Candidates write something about themselves that they believe will encourage voters to vote for them. Candidates can edit their profile at any time on the My Account page to keep it up-to-date.

Candidates can also see on their own profile page the number of points they've received to date. But they can't see the point totals of other candidates.

Who can access profiles?

Your ability to view, create, and edit a candidate profile, and vote for a candidate depends on which type of account you have candidate or voter.

If you're a candidate, you can:

Create and edit your own profile
Browse, search for, and view the profiles of other candidates
Vote for a candidate by clicking on his/her profile (if you have available ballots)

If you're a voter, you can:

Browse, search for, and view candidate profiles
Vote for a candidate by clicking button on his/her profile

Visitors to the site (those without accounts), can browse, search for, and view profiles, but they can't vote until they create an account (Sign up for an account!)

What if I think a profile is inappropriate?

As discussed in our content guidelines, CollegeNET provides a way for you to flag a profile as "inappropriate" by clicking on the profile page. If enough users find a profile inappropriate, CollegeNET will review the content. We reserve the right to take or not take action on any posting flagged as inappropriate.

About topic and video forums

What are forums?

Topic and video forums are the heart of the scholarship election site. Candidates can post to ongoing topic and video forums and start their own forums. Discussions are "threaded," with posts appearing in chronological order. The name and image of the poster appears next to each of their postings. Near the top of each discussion forum page, a Discussion Thread table shows the context of the current discussion.

At the bottom of each post, you can:

Click this…	To…	This feature is available to…
	Vote for the candidate who wrote the post (if you have available ballots)	Candidates, Voters
	Send email to someone with a pointer to the post	Candidates, Voters
	Flag the post as inappropriate	Candidates, Voters
	Reply to the post	Candidates, Voters

You must be logged in and your account must be activated to use any of these features. If you're a visitor to the site, you can browse, search for, and view discussion posts, but you can't post replies or vote for candidates.

NOTE: Candidates are limited to five posts, and Voters are limted to two posts, within a 24-hour period. Both Candidates and Voters can choose to "spend" one of their allotted posts to start a new forum. The 24 hours is counted from the time of your first post of the day.

What are tags, and why should I use them?

Tags are keywords or labels you can add to a discussion post to make it easier for people browsing the site to find your post. You can tag a post with keywords that describe the overall subject of the post (like "Casablanca" or "Happy_Gilmore") or descriptive words that describe the content of the post (like "movie" or "Bogart").

Note: Tags can't contain spaces.

What if I think a post is inappropriate?

How election voting works

The voting system is weighted. The value assigned to a vote depends on the level of participation. Please see Voting Rules for details.

Scholarships are awarded at the end of each election cycle to the candidates with the most points. If there's a point tie, the scholarship money is divided equally among the winning candidates.

Voters

Cannot cast more than one vote per day, per Competition Period
Can vote for any candidate after the candidate has posted at least once
Can only vote once per Competition Period for a particular candidate
Can see who the top vote-getting candidates are at any time

Candidates

Can't vote for themselves
Receive one ballot per day per Competition Period
Can vote for any candidate (other than themselves) after the candidate has posted at least once
Receive points each time they cast a ballot
Receive points each time they receive a vote
Can only vote once per Competition Period for a particular candidate
Can see who the top vote-getting candidates are at any time

See the Voting Rules for information as to how points are calculated when casting and receiving votes.

Candidate FAQ

Who's eligible to be a candidate for CollegeNET scholarships?

To be a candidate, you must be either be:

Currently enrolled in an accredited college or university
Planning to enroll in an accredited college or university within one year

Who’s eligible to be a candidate for school-specific College Award scholarships?

In addition to being an eligible candidate for the general CollegeNET scholarships (see above answer for eligibility requirements), you must also be a current enrolled student at the school offering the College Award. In order to prove your affiliation with the school, you must use your school email address in your CollegeNET account information.

How do I participate in topic forums?

Note that no one can vote for you until you have posted at least once.

To respond to a topic forum post:

Click
Follow the directions to enter your comments and submit them.

You can include any of these HTML tags in your topic forum post if you want to: <ol> <ul> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <tt> <blockquote> <quote>

To start a new topic forum:

Click Start a new topic forum! in the upper left corner of the Explore page.
Follow the directions to complete the form and create your new topic forum.

You can include any of these HTML tags in your topic forum post if you want to: <ol> <ul> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <tt> <blockquote> <quote>

How do I participate in video forums?

To respond to a video forum post:

Click
Follow the directions to enter your comments and submit them.

You can include any of these HTML tags in your video forum post if you want to: <ol> <ul> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <tt> <blockquote> <quote>

To start a new video forum:

Click Start a new video forum! in the upper left corner of the Explore page.
Follow the directions to complete the form and create your new video forum.

You can embed videos from YouTube, Google Video, and Yahoo! Video. To embed a video in your initial post:
1. On the site where you're watching the video (for example, YouTube) copy the code from the "Embed" box.
2. On the CollegeNET site, paste the code into the Start the Discussion box.
You can include any of these HTML tags in your video forum post if you want to: <ol> <ul> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <tt> <blockquote> <quote>

How many posts can I make each day?

You are limted to five posts within a 24-hour period. If you want, you can choose to "spend" one of your allotted posts to start a new forum. The 24 hours is counted from the time of your first post of the day.

How do I vote for other candidates?

Vote for a candidate by clicking when viewing a candidate's post or profile. If you're out of ballots, or you've already voted for the candidate in this election cycle, the vote button will be unavailable.

After you cast a ballot, a popup window opens, and an activation code is required to complete the voting process. Click "Send a vote code to my cellphone now" to get the vote code. When you receive a text message containing the code (which should happen immediately), enter it in the space provided and click Vote. If you've changed your mind about voting, click Cancel.

What if I get a new cell phone number and/or provider?

How do I view my point totals?

Point totals are not displayed. Top contestants may see their rank in the top ten.

What is a "rave" and how do I display it?

Voters can append a short comment to their vote, and let you know it's OK to post it publicly as a "rave." To see all comments from people who voted for you, go to the My Account tab and click Votes Received. Select one or more raves from the list and click Show Selected Messages In Raves.

Voter FAQ

Who's eligible to be a voter?

Anyone can sign up for an account and become a scholarship voter. The only requirement is that you have a cell phone with text messaging to receive your account activation code.

How do I judge candidates?

This is totally up to you. Many voters consider whether a candidate:

Created an informative well-written profile
Started discussions about interesting topics
Wrote in an engaging way on existing topics
Posted fairly and respectfully to those he/she disagrees with

How do I vote for candidates?

Vote for a candidate by clicking when viewing a candidate's post or profile. If the candidate has not yet posted, or you've already voted for the candidate in this election cycle, or you're out of ballots, the vote button will be unavailable.

Remember, you may vote for as many candidates as you choose, buy you cannot vote more than once for any single candidate per competition period, and you many not vote more than once per day.

What if I get a new cell phone number and/or provider?

What tools can help me explore the CollegeNET site?

Subscribe to a feed (either RSS or Atom) which automatically delivers new posts by a specific candidate or new posts made to a specific discussion topic. If you use this feature, you will always know when there's new content posted by a candidate or new postings to a topic without having to log in to the site to find out.
Email a friend with a pointer to a specific post or candidate. To do this, click on any post or candidate profile.

To learn more about site features and tools, hold your cursor over any item to view a helpful tooltip.