October 2007 Winner
Freshman Orientation Software that Integrates with Myspac...
Freshman Orientation Software that Integrates with Myspace/Facebook
Idea Description
An online orientation application automatically matching students to other students, groups, and courses based on interests voluntarily pulled from their Facebook/Myspace profiles
Includes a real time assessment dashboard for administration/student leaders allowing prioritized focus of time/energy
Keyword target marketing. "Show sophomores interested in dentistry" with one click info is sent to only students interested in dental internships. Reducing institutional spaam and increasing effective college communication
Collect cell #s for student group organization and emergency text messaging
Read more at our blog
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
We've already finished developing Red Rover 1.0, so the $10,000 would be used for hosting costs, allowing us to offer Red Rover to schools, big or small, free of charge. We would also use the money to make the code open source which would allow schools and programmers to expand the system's feature set.
In the future we will add additional feature extensions that may have a small charge. This will pay for the continued maintenance of the free Red Rover 1.0 and build a sustainable, profitable business that will increase the effectiveness of education.

Any thoughts you might have to help me would be great. Thanks.
I like this one. I am a student at USD and I see a huge gap between how much i know about the online world and how little it is talked about in school. I think you are on to something cool here. Is there a website to learn more.
Fabulous idea! Venturing into the student's world beats trying drag them into a lame, university programs like Blackboard. Facebook integration is the wave of the future! :)
I think this an efficient idea! Good work!
As a former early stage investor. I believe this is one of the best uses of capital for growing your business. Enabling schools to use this program free of charge will establish critical mass and provide a platform to attract a larger customer base. An infusion at this stage could help establish a "first mover" advantage for your product. I was also impressed to see that most of the software has already been created, that eliminates a good deal of risk and ensures that the money will be beneficially used and not burned to cover losses. When do you plan on implementing this product? This Fall? Best of luck.
Students entering universities tend to be more open to new ways of doing things than many other demographic groups, so I expect a warm reception. This idea has huge potential for changing the way universities make decisions and cutting costs in regard to surveying students. On the downside, this could leave some students who may not participate in MySpace/Facebook disenfranchised; and as with everything, there is likely a possibility for abuse.
Hey Brando, good call on the abuse. We are going to have to work out how to avoid that. Currently about 93% of college students have accounts on MSFB. So we would be leaving out about 7% which I think is more than just about any program out there.
Thanks to all the students who are voting on this idea. I appreciate your help!
Sounds like a good idea Tom! You got my vote!! holla Brandon
facebook and myspace apps are easy to build - http://www.LessEverything.com
Hey LessEverything - Thanks for the tip. We do already have the Facebook app build. You are right it was easy. The harder part is the integration with the schools orientation process. We have a lot of relationships with schools and are working with them to grow the idea.
Consider also for-profit schools and online schools. These potential clients have a need to communicate with their students and prospects in ways that don't involve a Student Union.
This is truly an innovative idea. I am a college professor and have my own Myspace page. (perspectivism) I always invite students to visit me there. I think its cool to integrate this new technology in main stream education.
Being a senior in college... I wish I had this 3 years ago! Our campus only has 3500 students but we have over 130 organizations to join... How do you even begin to narrow it down?
Great idea to integrate all of these outlets to the student's advantage. Good luck!
That's a great Idea, i hope it will win.
I think this application has a lot of potential. Higher education is looking for ways to harness the power of MSFB, and this is certainly one way to do it. It seems an efficient and saavy way to both communicate information and help students engage on campus. Certainly, some studetns will not be reached or may not use the application, but that is bound to happen. Looks promising! ! Best of luck! ! !
I think that this is a brilliant idea. The majority of students use these internet communities already, so to incorperate their freshman orientation into their profiles would be extremely beneficial to both student and school. This is also a great way to help students get aquainted with their fellow classmates before they even meet them, which will make the first days of class even easier to just get into the swing of things. I say "YEEHAW" to this awesome idea!
I am very intrigued in a good way by your software idea because it would dramatically decrease the amount of **** college students receive and would be able to better network with organizations and individuals specifically connected to their interests. Now I'm just curious, would students be able to control the amount of access school faculty has to their facebooks/myspaces? Because that brings up the issue of privacy...This is a very good idea though. Keep up the good work!
Thoughts from a college senior - will students withold more info from their profiles if they know the schools have access? -will the schools have total access to the profile including photos? (I know my school has used this to bust on-campus drinking) -what about misspelling or internet lingo
Please be so kind and return the vote, good luck! Stevo Perisic
fascinating endeavour! wish you all the best.! Herbert (remember Dubrovnik !)
Great idea!!!!!!!
Fantastic idea to use Craigslist to bribe voters by offering a 1 year magazine subscription for voting for you here. THAT'S ingenuity!
Hello CL, I am in the finals for a business idea contest from a site called Idea Blob where users vote on which idea they like and the top winner gets $10K to grow the idea. Here is a link to my idea > http://ideablob.com/ideas/387 My Idea > "Freshman Orientation Software that Integrates with Myspace and Facebook" In exchange for your time for voting on my idea, I will give you a free magazine subscription (or extend the one you already have) for 1 year (value $5-$30). Once you vote on my idea, email me with your user name and I will verify with the site to confirm. Thanks CL! Here is the list I can offer from: Black Enterprise Ebony Shape Computer Shopper Working Mother Western Interiors & Design Bassmaster Transworld Surf …more Spin Vibe Family Fun Four Wheel & Off Road Wondertime Inc Magazine Fast Company Wired Golf Digest Details Interview
I don't think it's very cool to be pestering members to vote for your idea. Then too, you might consider who reads this stuff and what their resourses might be.
Wonderful idea how can I integrate myspace with facebook. As a college instructor I find it useful to keep in contact with my students. I love your idea.
its a fascinataing idea, everyone in school uses myspace/facebook. Seriously people lets get some votes on!
You have my vote! ;)
Good luck, Tom!
Red Rover is an amazing idea. As a former student leader I understand the importance of getting involved. Many students never participate in a college event, or join a club. I have found that for the most part individuals who involve themselves find their college experience more enjoyable. In my opinion the students who don't involve themselves aren't properly introduced to these groups, or activities. I love the fact that Red Rover links you to groups based upon your own interests, something Facebook and Myspace seems to struggle with. Since Red Rover uses web 2.0 technologies that students already embrace so heavily I can see this being very successful.
Excellent idea! Good Luck Tom D Black
Catch it, catman!
Awesome idea! This is going to be big!
Great Idea, good luck.
Brilliant! Go for it!
awesome :) gl yo
Great idea! Best wishes.
what an awesome idea! i hope you win!!!
This is brillant. It not only brings students of like minds together it also opens a window of unexplored opportunities. YEAH U RULE!!!!!
good luck guys!
Good luck, men!!
Just phenomenal idea to get college students connected to an online community through an enterface they already use and apply everyday; myspace & facebook.
I like the idea of being able to search and find students with similiar interests, groups. This will be especially important as Facebook goes and people create accounts, groups and the searching becomes longer/harder. Its already hard in some areas. This will help educational administrators in maintaining contacts, organizing events, and reduce **** in email. Also, would allow me as an adviser to keep up with students regardless of where they move. Good luck
looks like you gotem lined up buddy by the votes signing in- hope if you win it works
I hope you win and that you can speak at my conference!!
Good luck!
Good Luck and I surely did vote!
It is a good idea and think it has possibility but an amazed at how fast you are getting them signed up nonstop every minute- good luck and does sound like a good idea
These are exactly the type of ideas this site needs. Very innovative and refreshing that it sounds like you already invited a lot of time and resources into it! KUDOS! I would love to hear more from you!
The professionalism of this software will appeal to many students. There are more and more programs that are being used to "link" or "integrate" people's social networks (from business, to academic, to pleasure, to ???), but many of them start from scratch. As one who has been caught in the cusp of the online social networking explosion, it is nice to see a way developing to use the work people have already invested in their accounts. GOOD WORK! Like someone mentioned, your first mover advantage should propel a rapid and widespread market penetration, and I'm excited to see that happen! I think this will benefit many students! (I sure would have like it.)
Thanks to all our Facebook/Myspace friends for rocking the vote!!!