Why do I need to capture my school life achievements?
There are many reasons to compile your school-age achievements!
First, we’re in a digital age. Colleges and employers are looking beyond test scores and are more at students' holistic skills and achievements. Over 1000 colleges and universities have made the SAT/ACT optional. Because test scores aren’t playing as big a part of the admissions decision as they have in the past, admissions officers are interested in learning more about you from other sources. In fact, a recent Kapan survey found that over 80% of college admissions officers think that it’s fair game to check students’ personal social media accounts. So why not take charge and showcase your best self with a portfolio that highlights YOUR unique skills and achievements?
Whether it's playing soccer or being on the student body council, every experience develops your personality and builds important skills. By including all major achievements and activities, you can highlight your holistic strengths and talents. With this, you can increase your chances of success and open more doors of opportunity.
Secondly, it's important to capture your memories. Over time, we all tend to forget things we’ve done in the past, like summer programs, after-school programs, performances or sports. Cirkled In provides a secure, centralized place designed just for you to capture and track all your important experiences.
How much does it cost to use Cirkled In?
Cirkled In is completely free for students, families, and teachers, and always will be. Currently, we are offering a free 3 month pilot for high schools and youth organizations as well. We will be introducing the subscription features for students soon.
Why do I need to include family information?
Just like your personal information, your family information is not visible when you share your profile. Family information is used only to match you with opportunities offered by colleges and universities. Colleges look to offer financial aid and other supportive means for families depending on their scenario and other attributes which are captured in the family information section.
What does it mean to make life story tabs “public” vs. “private”?
We have designed your profile with seven sections to capture everything you do, both inside and outside of school. These sections are found in your Life Story tab, and include Academics, Supplemental Learning, Summer Activities, Sports, Music & Arts, Volunteering, and Internships & Work Experience. To give you full control of what you share, we have added privacy settings at every section level. Each of the seven sections can be made "Private" or "Public.”
"Private" setting means that you are the only one who can see it. No one but you as the account holder can see the section marked as Private.
"Public" setting means you and anyone you invite to view your profile can see that section. When you send a link to your profile to a guest, they can see the public sections of your profile.
How do I get recommendations in the life story tab?
To request a teacher or advisor recommendation, go to the “Profile Activities” tab on the far right and scroll down to the third option: “Request Recommendation.” Click on the blue “Send Request” button and enter the name and email of the person whom you wish to receive a recommendation from. You can include a personal message to request their endorsement. A recommendation from a teacher, mentor or coach adds tremendous value to your profile.
How do I add an external link? (VIDEO DEMO)
One of the great things about your Cirkled In profile is that you can add ANY type of media to showcase and enhance your activities. If you have a project you’ve created on another website (like a YouTube or Vimeo video, a website you created, something you’ve coded, a newspaper article about you, etc) you can add that link into your profile. Simply copy and paste the link into the field labeled “External Links,” which you’ll find in every entry in your Life Story tab. When you press “save” you’ll be able to see a preview what you uploaded.
What if I don’t have activities in every category?
No problem! Not every student has participated in sports, internships, work, or supplemental learning. If you are leaving a section blank, just switch that section to "Private.” The Private setting means that no one except you can view that section. When you share your profile, that category won’t appear, so you won’t be sending a blank category.
To mark a section as “Private”, go to that category in the Life Story tab and click on the blue drop-down button that says “Public” on the top-right of the section, then click on the drop-down option “Private.”
What are Cirkled In points?
Points can be gained when you invite a teacher or friend to Cirkled In and they accept your invitation by creating an account. You can also earn points by requesting a recommendation from a teacher, coach, or mentor. Earning points helps you increase your profile completeness percentage. Points are also factored into your application if you’ve applied to any Cirkled In scholarships.
How do I join a class at my school on Cirkled In? (VIDEO DEMO)
Starting on the home page, you will see your name in the top right corner. Click the drop down arrow, then select Settings. In your settings you will see a field that says "school code." Enter the school code here that was provided by your teacher. Once you’ve clicked “Join,” a drop down of your teacher's classes will appear. Then select your classes. This code allows you to join classes at your school. It gives your teachers the ability to view your profile and write recommendations for you.
How do I invite a teacher or a friend?
There are two places where you can invite a teacher and/or friend to join Cirkled In. In your account, on the left panel there is a profile completeness circle. Under that circle are 3 invite buttons that you can click to send the invitation.
You can also go to the “Profile Activities” tab on the far-right and scroll down to the first and second options: “Invite a Friend” and “Invite a Teacher.” Click on the blue “Send Request” button and enter the name and email of the person whom you wish to invite. You can include a personal message as a part of your invitation if you wish.
How do I enter courses in the “High School Achievements” section of the “High School & Beyond” tab?
You can add and modify courses in the Life Story tab under the “Academics” category. You can include the AP, Honors, and regular courses you’ve taken by adding them in each grade level. They will then appear automatically in the “High School Achievements” section.
Who can see my information in the “High School & Beyond” tab?
People who you share your profile with will be able to view the information in this tab. This is useful to give teachers, counselors and admissions officers an idea of your future goals and aspirations. This section is shown only if you are in grades 9th - 12th or if your latest entry in the Academics category falls within these grades.
I started a parent account on Cirkled In, but now my child is old enough to maintain his/her profile. Can I transfer the account to him/her?
Yes. Cirkled In promotes students taking ownership of their learning and showcasing their activities and talents through their Cirkled In profile. As they become mature and computer savvy, families can allow kids to access and maintain their own portfolio. To allow access, login to your parents account, then click on the down arrow next to your name in top right corner. Click on "Settings.” In front of each student's name, click on "Edit Options" and select "Allow Student Access.” Enter your student's email address and a temporary password and select "Save.”. Your student now has access to their profile. Students will have access only to their account, they will not be able to view or edit their siblings' accounts.
On which platforms is Cirkled In supported?
Cirkled In can be used on any internet-connected device: smartphone, tablet, phablets, PCs and Macs. Cirkled In is supported on all browsers that support HTML5 such as Internet Explorer (ver 11 or higher), Chrome, Firefox, Safari etc. Cirkled In does not have a mobile app right now but you can easily access and work on your profile on your smartphone simply by pulling up the website on your browser. We will be releasing a Cirkled In app soon.
How do I upload a file in my profile? (VIDEO DEMO)
Go to the Life Story tab and select one of the 7 categories in which you would like to upload an attachment (Academics, Supplemental Learning, Summer Activities, Music & Arts, Sports, Volunteering, Internship & Work Experience). Choose an entry for which you want to upload a file and click on the paperclip icon in the right corner. From there, you can select a file directly from your computer. Once you have selected your desired file, click the blue “Upload” button and your file will immediately be attached to your profile.
What can I use my Cirkled In profile for?
Cirkled In is a “storytelling platform” that lets you highlight yourself and your life narrative in one secure place, then share it along with your college or job applications. On Cirkled In, you compile all your activities, both inside and outside of school, complete with pictures, videos, awards, and recommendations. This makes it easy for admissions officers and hiring managers to learn what makes you unique!
Who can see my profile?
Cirkled In is completely private and secure. There are only 3 ways for someone to view your profile. First, you can share it with anyone you choose simply by clicking the blue “Share Profile” button in your profile. Second, if your school is using Cirkled In, then your teacher can view your “Life Story” and “High School & Beyond” tabs in order to write recommendations for you and help you plan your post-secondary journey. And third, Cirkled In works with accredited colleges and universities who are interested in discovering and recruiting best-fit students. If you match with a college in our network, that college may be able to see your profile as well. But no one can find your profile on any search engine, so don’t worry - your friends won’t be able to see any personal information. You can start your Cirkled In profile in any grade and keep adding to it all the way through college. And it’s yours to keep forever.
I participate in a lot of individual activities that aren’t associated with an organization - like cycling, rollerblading, ice-skating etc. Where do I record these?
Activities should be captured under the category they belong to, even if they are not associated with any organization. For example, cycling, rollerblading etc. should be recorded under Sports category. Individual piano activities should be under Music & Arts category.
If an activity is part of an after-school club, where should I record it?
There is no wrong answer to this question. Activities can be captured wherever you feel it fits. Our recommendation is that if an activity spans over a year and beyond one grade, record it under its own category. For example, if you’ve done choir or orchestra during multiple grades, put that under your Music category so that you can show your progress over time. For after-school activities like 4-H, Girl Scouts, YMCA, etc, the Supplemental Learning category is a good place to record this.
Where do I capture clubs like Debate Club, National Honors Society?
There is no wrong answer to this question. Clubs can be captured wherever you feel it fits.
Clubs can be added to each grade under the Academics section. If you participate in the same club across multiple grades, that club should be added to all those grades. For example, if you participate in Debate club all through high school, you should add it in each grade entry from 9th - 12th. This way you’re able to demonstrate your progress and commitment throughout multiple grades.
If some clubs like the National Honors Society are related to volunteering services, you can also add that to your Volunteering section.
Cirkled In gives you flexibility in terms of where to record all your activities, accomplishments, and passions. No matter where you record it, it will be there for you showcase your talents to recruiters and admission officers when you share your profile.
I am a recent graduate, how can I carry my account with me?
Good news – you don’t need to leave your account behind and lose all your work. You can just add your personal email address as alternate email address and continue using the account post-graduation. To add an alternative email address:
Go to “Settings” page from top bar drop down right after your name.
Add “Alternate Email #1” that you can use to login into your account. You can add up to 2 alternative email addresses. See screenshot below.
And that’s it! You are all set.
How many attachments/photos should I add to my profile?
In order to make your story come alive, you are welcome to upload as many photos as you like in the top summary section of your profile. We recommend at least 3 and up to 10 photos in the top picture carousel. These photos, along with you profile picture, will give teachers, college admissions officers, and hiring managers a quick visual summary of who you are before scrolling down to your Life Story. Remember that “a picture is worth thousand words!” And they catch admission officers and recruiters’ eyes in an instant.
Within the Life Story tab, you can upload as many attachments as you wish in order to represent your achievements in each grade level. This includes photos or documents that demonstrate your accomplishments. Adding 2-4 attachments for each grade level is a good start to creating a profile that will accurately tell your story.
How do I preview my profile?
You can preview your profile using the blue "Preview" button in the Summary section at the top of your profile. This will generate the version of your profile that is visible to people you share your profile with.
How do I edit my email on Cirkled In? (VIDEO DEMO)
It’s easy to switch email addresses for your Cirkled In account! Click on your name in the top right corner of the homepage to make a drop-down menu appear. Click “Settings” and click on the blue box that says “Edit email.” Type in your new email and click on the blue “Change Email” button to save.
How do I log new activities? (VIDEO DEMO)
Go to the Life Story tab and select one of the 7 categories in which you would like to enter an activity (Academics, Supplemental Learning, Summer Activities, Music & Arts, Sports, Volunteering, Internship & Work Experience). Click on the blue “Add” button on the top right of that section and begin filling out each field - such as the program name, school, state, and description. Don’t forget to click the blue “Save” button when you are finished.
How do I add images to the picture carousel at the top of my profile? (VIDEO DEMO)
Go to the very top of your profile page and click on the plus sign in the top right corner. Click “select image” to upload photos from your computer. Select the image(s) you wish to upload and then click the blue “upload file” button.
How do I increase my profile completeness? (VIDEO DEMO)
Your profile completeness is not determined by how many activities you do. Instead, it’s based on how many details you share for each of the activities you enter. So whenever you add a new entry, make sure to fill out each field, add an external link, upload a PDF or Word file, and add an image to that entry...
How can I share my profile? (VIDEO DEMO)
You can share your profile with anyone using the blue "Share Profile" button in the Summary section on top of your profile. Simply enter your guest’s name and email address in the popup box, and click “Send.” They’ll receive an email and a link to view your profile. When you send a link, all sections marked as "Public" will be visible to your guest (you can hide any sections you don’t want to share simply by changing the setting from “Public” to “Private” in each category). You can also copy/paste the link to your profile into any application, or you can download and attach a PDF of your profile with any application or email. In the PDF, you can select the categories you want to add. And you’ll see who has viewed your profile simply by going to the “Profile Activity” tab and checking out the list of viewers there.
How do I upload images in the Life Story tab?
To upload an attachment within the Life Story tab, click the blue “Add” button in the top right of the section in which you would like to include a photo. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the section and click on the grey “upload attachment” button. From here, you can select and upload files from your computer. You may also click on the paperclip for each entry to add more attachments.
How do I search for colleges on Cirkled In? (VIDEO DEMO)
Go to the “My Colleges” tab on the navigation bar below your “Academic Snapshot.” There, you will see 3 tabs, “My Fav Colleges”, “My Fav Searches”, and “New Search”. Click on “New Search” and you will be directed to another page specifically for colleges. Use this search engine to look up a certain college or use the filters on the left to find colleges that meet your preferences.
How do I add colleges to my Favorites list? (VIDEO DEMO)
Go to the “My Colleges” tab on the navigation bar below your “Academic Snapshot.” There, you will see 3 tabs, “My Fav Colleges”, “My Fav Searches”, and “New Search”. Click on “New Search” and you will be directed to another page specifically for colleges. Use this search engine to look up a certain college or use the filters on the left to find colleges that meet your preferences. Once you have picked a college, click on the little heart featured in the top right corner of the college image and make that heart pink! This indicates that you have now favorited this college and it will appear in your College List.
Who can see my information in the “My College List” tab?
Only you can view the colleges you add to the “My College List” tab. This section of your profile is for your personal use to plan for your future and research different schools.
What does the scholarship selection timeline look like?
Scholarship submission due dates are the last day of each month. After that it takes 6 weeks to finalize the winner. You will get a notification the following month if you are a shortlisted candidate.
Also your Cirkled In profile is for more than scholarship. It helps you showcase your best self for all your applications - whether that’s college, a job, an internship, a scholarship, a place in a competitive program, or anything else you’re applying for. Your secure profile is the place for you to compile, track, and share all the skills and experiences you have had throughout your school life, both inside and outside of the classroom, that make you a unique and special person! You can share this profile with all your applications and increase your success rate by presenting yourself in the best possible light!
How come I cannot see the ‘Apply Now’ button?
Sometimes students accidently create a "Parent" account instead of a "Student" account. In that case, you won’t see the “Apply Now” button. To check this, please follow these 3 quick steps:
Go to https://www.cirkledin.com/scholarships/ Check the text on the image. If it says "Only students can apply. Please have your student login and submit their application," then this account is a "Parent" account. In this case you will not see the "Apply Now" button. Parents can not apply to the scholarship, only students can. If it is a "Parent" account, please send us an email and we can change the account type to "Student." *If this is not your case, please let us know that as well and we will walk you through what to do*
When will I know if I am selected as a winner for the scholarship prize?
We get a large number of applications for each scholarship. We shortlist the top 5 candidates and conduct final reference checks with their teachers and parents. This process typically takes around 5-6 weeks after the scholarship due date. If you are the winner, we will make sure we connect with you - either via email or phone.
How do I apply for the scholarship? (VIDEO DEMO)
On the Cirkled In homepage (www.cirkledin.com), you will notice a banner at the top that says "Apply for Our Scholarship." Click that and you will be taken to the scholarship website. Click the “Start Here” button, and if you are not already logged in or signed up on Cirkled In, you will be directed to the signup/login page. Once you have logged in, click the “Apply Now” button and a small window with the prompt question and a text box will appear. At the bottom of this window, you will also see the different ways for you to increase your chances of earning the scholarship! Enter your answer to the prompt question and click Apply. You’ll want to continue to work on your profile all the way up to the scholarship deadline, even after you’ve submitted your answer to the prompt question.
What do different Privacy Settings mean?
We have designed the student platform with seven sections such as Academics, Supplemental Learning, Summer Programs, Sports, Music and Arts, Volunteering and Internship(s). To give you full control of your profile visibility, we have added privacy settings at every level. Each of the seven sections can be made "Private" or "Public".
"Private" setting means "for my eyes only". No one but you as the account holder can see the section marked as Private.
"Public" setting means "For me and my guests". When you send a link to the profile to your guest, they can see public sections of your profile.
Is my information secure on Cirkled In?
Safety and security are at the top of our priority list. We’ve built in multiple layers of security in order to protect you and your information.
First and foremost, Cirkled In secured with https, which means that it’s encoded with an SSL (Secured Socket Link) certification from an independent third party.
Second, each user's password is encoded with a security code. And third, no profile is searchable by search engines.
Additionally, each file attachment can only be viewed when you are logged in on the platform. Only you and your invited guests can view your attachments.
Finally, you as the user control the privacy settings on your profile. You have the flexibility of making each section Private or Public. Only public sections will be visible to your invited guests.
Where can I change the Privacy Settings?
You can change each individual section's privacy setting on the "Life Story" page after you login. You can also go to your Settings and change the privacy setting for all sections with just one click.
Is my data secure on the ‘About Me’ section of my profile?
This information is only used to select students by colleges to fill their specific need. For example, colleges may be looking for low-income students to fill certain spots or looking for students who may come from upper middle-class family. Similarly, parent’s education is something colleges are always interested in while filling in their freshman class. There is no right or wrong answer here.
Colleges want to have a well-balanced freshman class, so they look for various demographics as part of finding best-fit students. This information from students’ portfolio is not shared with anyone. It’s only used when colleges search for certain criteria. Colleges or schools’ teachers only see “My Life Story” and “High School and Beyond” portion of the students’ profile.
We take students’ data privacy very seriously. Our CEO started this company when she had a painful admissions process with her daughter. Privacy was top of her priority list as she built the company and till date, that remains our number one priority. Our goal is to make the best-fit match between students and colleges creating win-win for both sides.
Is it secure to include my address, birthday, and other personal information?
Yes, your basic information, including your address, birthday, religious affiliation, and citizenship status will not be visible to the people you share your profile with. This information is mainly used to match you with opportunities from colleges and universities. For example, a college may have a goal of recruiting a certain number of bilingual students, so they may reach out to students with that background. Another example is that some colleges may have special scholarships for certain income levels, which may be offered to you if you qualify.
What is subscription?
Subscription is a paid service that we are providing for students who purchase it and subscribers will have access to extra features and enhancements to their profiles.
What are custom profiles? How do I use them?
Custom profiles are for users who want multiple versions of their profiles to share so that they can have a specific profile for different applications if they choose to. This is similar to the private/public dropdown on each “life story” section, but now you can have multiple of these. Custom profiles are editable on the settings page. You can edit these profiles and use the link to share with others.
Can I still use Cirkled In for free?
Yes! We will not be taking away the free usage of our users, but there will be limitations involved from being a free user versus being a subscriber.
Does being a subscriber increase my chances of winning the scholarship?
No, being a subscriber does not help with your chances of winning the scholarship. We do not want to give any leeway with users who pay for the subscription because we believe it would be an unfair evaluation of the students that apply for the scholarship.
Is your payment information secure?
Yes, the safety and security of our user’s information is of top priority. We work with distinguished 3rd-party companies, such as Stripe, to ensure that your information is protected.
Can I cancel at anytime? If so, how?
Yes, we hope to never see you go, but if you would like to cancel your subscription you can do so in the “pricing page”. Alternatively, if you click “settings” then click on “edit subscription”, you are able to cancel your subscription and will not be charged for your next cycle (monthly or yearly), but you will be able to use the features until the end of your current payment period.
When does my card get charged?
Your card will get charged on every interval of the subscription that you paid for. So, for example, If you subscribed on the 4th of January and you purchased the monthly then you would get charged again on the 4th of February and if it was the yearly option you would get charged on the 4th of January of the following year.
How can I upgrade or downgrade my subscription?
You can upgrade/downgrade your subscription on the “pricing” page or you can go to settings and click the edit subscription button to redirect you to the pricing page. Here you will be able to select which version you would like, while saving the previous information you entered. When upgrading, we prorate the cost so that you are paying for the upgraded features from the time you upgrade rather than for the entire billing cycle (where applicable).
Do you offer refunds?
As part of our ongoing process to offer the best features and services, we do not offer refunds. So please make sure to review your order (i.e. subscription plan) before confirming and let us know if you have any additional questions.
If I downgrade subscriptions, can I still keep all of my files and custom profiles that I’ve already saved?
Your files will still be on your profile, but you will not be able to upload more attachments. As for custom profiles, they will still be maintained by us, but they will not be editable or accessible unless you upgrade back to the subscription level you were on before.
When can I send more pdfs when I share my profile?
We reset the counter after every quarter or every three months. The amount of pdfs you can send depends on the subscription level you have chosen. Pdf counters do not carry over to the next quarter so use them strategically.
If my subscription ends and then I upgrade back again later, will I still have all of my information from when I was previously subscribed?
Yes. We do not delete any of your information and so if you were to re-subscribe all of your existing information will still be there.