Oregon State Tool Helps Walk Students Through Common Application

In partnership with the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), Oregon State University has developed a free online tool to help students complete college applications. The AXS Companion provides step-by-step information and videos to walk students through the Common Application, an undergraduate college admission application used by more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the United States, including Oregon State.

According to the university, the goals of the AXS Companion are to:

  • Increase student access to the Common Application, particularly for under-represented students;
  • Help students better understand their college application options; and
  • Provide a structured resource to positively impact college applicants nationwide.

The platform was built by Ecampus, Oregon State's online education arm, with content provided by IECA — including more than 50 modules that correspond to sections of the Common Application. ICEA is a nonprofit, international professional association representing experienced independent educational consultants who provide college counseling for student and families.

"This tool provides critical assistance for underserved and first-generation students navigating the process of applying to college," explained Ed Feser, provost and executive vice president at Oregon State, in a university news story. "The collaborative development of this tool also speaks to Oregon State's commitment to providing access to a college education not only for learners in Oregon, but throughout the nation and world."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • interconnected glowing nodes and circuits in blue and green, forming a neural network on a dark background with a futuristic design

    Tech Giants Launch $100 Billion AI Infrastructure Network Project

    OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have unveiled a new venture, Stargate, through which they aim to build a massive AI infrastructure network across the United States. The initiative, which was announced at the White House with President Donald Trump, has been described as the "largest AI infrastructure project in history."

  • Two figures, one male and one female, stand beside a transparent digital interface displaying AI symbols like neural networks, code, and a shield, against a clean blue gradient background.

    Report Makes Business Case for Responsible AI

    A new report commissioned by Microsoft and published last month by research firm IDC notes that 91% of organizations use AI tech and expect more than a 24% improvement in customer experience, business resilience, sustainability, and operational efficiency due to AI in 2024.

  • blue and green lines intersecting and merging in an abstract pattern against a light gray background with a subtle grid design

    Data Integration Market: Cloud Giants Down, AI Up

    "By 2027, AI assistants and AI-enhanced workflows incorporated into data integration tools will reduce manual intervention by 60 percent and enable self-service data management," according to research firm Gartner.

  • Two autonomous AI figures performing tasks in a tech environment; one interacts with floating holographic screens, while the other manipulates digital components

    Agentic AI Named Top Tech Trend for 2025

    Agentic AI will be the top tech trend for 2025, according to research firm Gartner. The term describes autonomous machine "agents" that move beyond query-and-response generative chatbots to do enterprise-related tasks without human guidance.