This guide explains the differences between Slate.org and Start.edu for college users. Both services are free and support college access, but they serve different audiences and purposes. Understanding how they work together can help admissions offices share the right information with counselors and support students throughout the college search and application process.
What is Slate.org?
Slate.org is a free platform that connects high school counselors, community-based organizations (CBOs), independent educational consultants (IECs), colleges, and students. Through direct Slate integrations, colleges can share application information with counselors and receive documents and updates that support the admissions process. Colleges choose which information to share, such as application statuses, checklists, materials, and admission decisions.
High school counselors can use Slate.org to:
View student application progress and admission decisions
Upload application materials on behalf of students
Manage school profiles and counselor accounts
Create lists of students, applications, and colleges
Monitor applicant activity across participating institutions
High school counselor view
💡 More than 500 colleges and universities are currently sharing data with high schools.
How is Start.edu different?
Slate.org is designed primarily for counselors. Start.edu is designed for students.
Platform | Primary audience | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Slate.org | Counselors, colleges, CBOs, IECs | Application management, document exchange, and counselor-college collaboration |
Start.edu | Students | College discovery, recommendations, interest expression, and college search |
Start.edu is a free college search and discovery platform that helps students build college lists, receive personalized recommendations, explore institutions, and connect directly with colleges. Students can indicate interest in colleges, organize their search process, and share information with their counselors. Developed through a collaboration between Slate.org and NACAC, Start.edu is free for students and colleges. Student data is never bought or sold. The two platforms work together to support students, counselors, and admissions offices throughout the college search and application journey.
A student’s application tracker on Start.edu:
How high school counselors get started
Counselors begin by creating a free account and selecting their school during registration. If the school already has an established Slate.org presence, an administrative user at that institution can approve the account. If not, Technolutions verifies the counselor's identity and affiliation before granting access. Verification can include reviewing a school profile, staff directory, or other professional documentation.
Profile page for a high school counselor
Once approved, counselors can:
Manage additional users from their school
Maintain school profile information
View students associated with their institution
Access application information shared by participating colleges
Upload supporting materials when permitted by institutions
This verification process helps keep student information secure and available only to authorized school personnel.
📝 Note
Slate.org is only accessible for schools with CEEB codes. Many international schools cannot currently use Slate.org.
How students appear in Slate.org
A student appears in a counselor's Slate.org account when the student has applied to a college that uses Slate and shares data with Slate.org. Slate.org matches students to counselors by CEEB code. As colleges share applicant data, counselors gain visibility into application statuses, checklists, and decisions based on each institution's sharing settings.
Counselors can use that information to:
Monitor application completion
Identify missing materials
Track admission decisions
Provide more timely guidance to students and families
What colleges control
Colleges control the information they share. For details, see Slate.org Application Sharing Settings.
Institutions can choose:
Which application rounds are visible
Which statuses are shared
Whether checklists are available
Which document types counselors can upload
Which admission decisions are displayed
Whether Start.edu profile data is imported into Slate
Because participation is configurable, institutions can tailor their sharing strategy to match their admissions processes and communication goals.
Viewing the counselor side
You cannot impersonate an individual high school counselor, but you can review the counselor-facing experience from your institutional profile. For details, see Manage Your Institution's Start.edu Profile.
Go to Database → Slate.org & Start.edu Settings.
Select access your institutional profile via Slate.org.
Select Applications and view current active applications with round and status.
Select an individual application to view the status, decision, portal, checklist, and any missing items.
Promoting Slate.org to high schools
Many colleges promote Slate.org in newsletters and communications to high schools. The following examples show how peer institutions introduce Slate.org to counselors:
Florida State University
Gettysburg College
Miami University
University of Richmond
Bringing it all together
Students begin on Start.edu, where they explore colleges, build lists, and track their applications. Counselors support students through Slate.org, where they manage documents, monitor application activity, and track outcomes. Colleges connect with prospective students while strengthening relationships with the counselors who support them. Together, these platforms create a more connected admissions experience that supports college access and student success.
