NEW YORK, NY – November 18, 2010 – “Do colleges really need 30,000 applications to find 1,500 great students?”  That was the rhetorical question boldly posed by The New York Times earlier this month.  With the college admissions season heating up, applicants are fiercely combating for limited select seats.  For high schools in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods, students not only have to fight lack of resources and stagnant 50% drop out rates, but also pervasive low expectations.   As part of its Giving Back efforts, Crimson Oak was proud to participate in a college admissions panel organized by REACH – an innovative non-profit that rewards students with cash for top performance on AP exams. 

An all too audible sigh, the frustrated clatter of rapid-fire keystrokes and “clippety-clop” of anxious pacing.  The sounds of the season – the MBA application season!  For the neighbors of many of these young professionals applying to graduate school, these sounds have become familiar.  MBA aspirants’ anxiety is not un-warranted.  

The competition for top MBA programs has only intensified since last year.  In the spirit of the holiday season, Crimson Oak has created a simple, yet effective, guide to help our MBA prospects - and their neighbors. The "Structured Report” is a complimentary annual admissions guide that helps strengthen the essays of applicants.

NEW YORK, NY – January 25, 2011 - Blustering winds and 19 inch snow fall outside were no match for the flurry of ideas, capital connections and team offers being exchanged within the Grand Hall of the Harvard Club.   In true “no non-sense” New Yorker fashion, despite inclement weather, almost 200 VCs, angel investors and exceptional entrepreneurs gathered for an exclusive networking event at the Harvard Club.  The New York City venture scene is abuzz with capital, aspiring entrepreneurs and supportive City government initiatives.  Enviable white-hot ventures such as Gilt Groupe and Foursquare all call the Big Apple home.

NEW YORK, NY – April 12, 2011 – “I refuse to let these [inner city high school] kids’ opportunity be defined by their zip code!” defiantly declared former New York City Education Chancellor Joel Klein.  Chancellor Klein was speaking as the honoree of the Rewarding Achievement (REACH) annual Breaking Barriers Gala held at the Harvard Club of New York.  The statement captured the tenor of the night: one of celebration and determination.  Against this backdrop Crimson Oak, along with e-Cornell, quietly announced their decision to donate $15,000 of in-kind services to REACH.

With summer now in full-swing, it’s time for next year’s crop of b-school applicants to seriously start thinking about the GMAT. In the past, that meant buying a few bulky test-prep books or signing up for a refresher course. But thanks to some tech-savvy ‘app’ developers, future MBAs now have a few more convenient study options that can be accessed from their smart phones.

There is no argument that college students are constantly busy balancing classes, extracurricular activities, Greek life participation, social calendars, volunteer work, jobs, internships, relationships, etc.

One of the luxuries of attending college in the 21st century is the smart phone technology that allows students to use their wireless devices to compliment their lives through improved organization, test prep and resources.

Here is a list of some of the most popular and most helpful Blackberry applications for college students:

NEW YORK, NY– June 16, 2010 – Preparing for the GMAT® exam just got a lot easier!  For over 200,000 young professionals worldwide who sit annually for the exam – a pre-requisite for entry to competitive MBA programs – having a mobile application (an App) study tool is very welcomed.  The Crimson Oak GMAT Test Prep App is the first GMAT® study tool on the BlackBerry® platform.

MIAMI, FL – May 15, 2010 – How does a young education company best help in the aftermath of one the most devastating tragedies in the Americas? Months after the Haitian earthquake, Crimson Oak team members still asked themselves this very question.  Eventually the answer came in the form of a partnership with the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce to develop the leadership ability of the young professionals within the Haitian Diaspora. 

ITHACA, NY – April 15, 2010 – Increasingly skill with the scalpel is being coupled with skill in spreadsheets:  the intersection of business and medicine is growing.   The inefficient U.S. Health Care system is at an inflection point and its success rests primarily in the hands of the nation’s doctors.  Against this backdrop, Crimson Oak Academy has established the Crimson Oak Academy Pre-Med Scholarship at Cornell University. 

NEW YORK, NY– March 29, 2010 – Crimson Oak is proud to announce the development of our online library – “Oak Library”.   Oak Library will complement our offerings to accelerate our Scholars business leadership development.  With a myriad of sources for business information, young professionals are often overwhelmed by the information.   An unabated deluge of information is often not accompanied with command of knowledge.