Meet the Student Founder

Frequently Asked Questions

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How did you come up with the idea for Bannerstalker?

The phrase "Banner stalking" existed long before I ever attended W&M; it refers to students repeatedly checking the status of a class on Banner in hopes someone dropped it. I realized that computers tend to excel at these types of tedious tasks, and so my Sophomore year, Bannerstalker was born.

How does Bannerstalker work?

You simply sign up, select your CRNs, and then pay by credit or debit card. Bannerstalker will continuously check the status of your CRNs and notify you when a seat becomes available.

How often does Bannerstalker check the classes?

Once every five minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What happens if multiple students are stalking the same class?

Whenever a class changes from closed to open (or vice versa), Bannerstalker sends out simultaneous notifications to all students who are stalking it. Whoever is able to register for the class first on Banner will get the class. Of course, if you don’t get the class right away, you’ll receive notifications again later the next time the course opens up.

If I don’t get in the first time, do I have to pay again?

Nope! Bannerstalker will continue to diligently notify you each and every time your class’s status changes, until you choose to remove it.

Can I pay more to be notified first?

Nope! We decided that it would be unfair to offer different levels of service. Bannerstalker is meant to take the stress out of registration, not cause more frustration.

Why isn’t it free? Five dollars is too expensive!

If too many people used Bannerstalker, everyone would get notified about their classes at the same time, which would defeat the purpose of the service. Also, it costs time and money to develop and run a website, and the small fee ensures that we are able to provide the highest level of service possible. That being said, if you’re not satisfied with your purchase, let us know and we’ll refund you your money.

Is Bannerstalker secure?

All traffic to and from Bannerstalker is encrypted with HTTPS/SSL, so no one is able to eavesdrop on your connection. Furthermore, all credit card transactions are made securely using Stripe. The payment process happens in your browser between you and Stripe, which means that Bannerstalker will never have direct access to your credit card information.

Media

Bannerstalker has garnered its fair share of press over the years. Take a gander at the conversations spotlighting our program!

“New Banner watching site,” The Flat Hat

“Bannerstalker: $5 anxiety relief?” The Flat Hat

“Bannerstalker.com offers students method for tracking open courses,” The Flat Hat