Imagine taking the personal connections and interactions that occur every day on the likes of Facebook and Twitter... and bringing them to bear on an education. To a large extent, this hasn't been done yet, but the potential is profound. In a new report by the Center for Community Survey for Student Engagement, two-year programs aren't taking advantage of the tools at their disposal -- plenty of growth is still possible. Kay McClenney, director of the CCSSE, says, "Colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could."

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL), my top pick for 2009, has been an education provider for over 30 years," says Kevin Kennedy, a specialist in quantitative and momentum analysis.

The editor of The Coolcat Report explains, "The company's revenues and earnings have been steady despite the negative economy."

The advisor continues, "Apollo Group provides academic access and opportunity to more than 350,000 students through its subsidiaries, which include University of Phoenix.

"Other divisions include the Institute for Professional Development, College for Financial Planning, Western International University, Meritus University, Insight Schools and Apollo Global. It also owns Aptimus, a provider of innovative digital media solutions.

"The company's educational programs and services are provided at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels in 40 states and the District of Columbia; Puerto Rico; Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; Mexico; Chile; and the Netherlands, as well as online throughout the world.