This is the process of developing a unique application persona that will stand out.
Developing strong passions—either academic or extracurricular—is key. We will help you identify areas of interest and expand on them in ways that increase your knowledge of a specialized field and give you concrete achievements to demonstrate those interests.
Sometimes it's strategic for students to take online classes
outside their high school. Whether adding a class that doesn't
fit in your existing school schedule, retaking one, or taking
an elective for fun or a strong grade, our online high school
classes can meet your admissions needs.
For example:
- Advised student to take AP Statistics online since school
limited number of total APs
- Recommended student take Digital Media to demonstrate interest
and earn a strong grade
Testing is a crucial part of the application. We'll help you plan
standardized tests in advance to remove the stress, select tests
that are a strategic fit, set practical goals & an achievable
timeline, and provide prep to grasp key concepts, learn testing
strategies, and earn a competitive score.
Examples
- Selected SAT Subject Tests and strategized timing for student
- Advised student to take practice ACT and SAT tests to see which
one she was naturally better at
Make an impact with your activities through leadership,
achievements, and sustained involvement. We'll help strategize
ways to focus and deepen your extracurriculars. Find meaningful
activities by joining summer programs, clubs, community service,
internships, or starting original activities like a club,
company, or blog.
Examples
- Coached student on how to start a company
- Helped student expand tutoring non-profit to other high schools
School breaks are an important time to advance academic and extracurricular interests. We'll help you plan these breaks to maximize time off, including strategizing, researching, and selecting summer programs. We'll also assist with editing and preparing up to three summer program applications each year.
Examples:
- Helped student get into LaunchX
- Helped student get into Yale Young Global Scholars
Strong major and university options are essential. We will help you explore potential majors and universities early on in the process. We will guide college major research assignments, create an inspirational school list, conduct school research projects, and plan your campus visits.
Examples:
- Connected student with Biology major candidate in college
- Taught student about potential career paths as Political Science major
Relationships with your recommenders matter. We will help you cultivate relationships with your mentors, teachers, coaches, and guidance counselors. We will provide teacher relationship training, strategize who and how to ask, and help you craft letter of recommendation packages complete with a cover letter, your resumé, and an outline for each recommender.
Examples:
- Taught student how to ask for help from English teacher
- Drafted cover letter and outline for student’s History teacher recommendation
We will help you build your personal skill sets. From time management to study strategies to public speaking, our team is dedicated to helping you improve. Our Academic Skills Preparation, Social-Emotional Learning, Public Speaking and Debate, Leadership and Innovation Lab, and English Communication Courses will teach you the skills you need to succeed.
Research papers with professors in top Universities are valued by admission officers as they demonstrate student’s commitment and intellectual curiosity. Similarly, Internships with top companies on projects with tangible impact demonstrate clear leadership traits.
This involves everything from choosing the right set of colleges to filling out a compelling application.
Your counseling team will advise you on conducting school research, creating a balanced school list with reach, target, and safety schools. Together, your team will also make Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision plans. Your final school list will be a reflection of your academic, personal, and extracurricular profile as well as your family’s preferences.
Your counseling team will create a comprehensive schedule and timeline to guide your work throughout the process. We know that students are busy and that putting concrete timelines in place removes stress and increases success levels. Once your timeline is created, your Progress Manager will help make sure that you move forward according to the schedule.
Your team will help you create a compelling Application Persona and overall application strategy. Your Application Persona will create a cohesive narrative that drives the individual components of your application. We will also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, fill gaps in your profile, and implement strategies to help you stand out from other applicants.
Your team will help you fill out all of your applications from beginning to end across all application portals and systems. It’s imperative that students do not overlook the details and instead, take advantage of every section of the application. Once completed, we will review your applications to make sure that there are absolutely no mistakes.
Your team will help you craft your personal statement and supplemental essays from scratch to perfection—no matter how many rounds of edits it takes. Before you begin writing your essays, your counselors will guide you through a brainstorming and outlining process, assigning various writing exercises along the way. You will then turn your outlines into first drafts, which will be edited by your Graduate Coach. With each draft, we will focus on editing for structure, content, tone, style, school fit, and of course, grammar.
Your counseling team will help you craft impressive honors and activities lists that demonstrate your interests, abilities, and most importantly, impact. Through the editing process, we guide students to emphasize leadership, tangible achievements, and sustained involvement. At the same time, we will make sure that your honors and activities support your Application Persona.
Your counseling team will help you prepare a list of potential recommenders, brainstorm what the letters should say, and build relationships with them. We will provide teacher relationship training, strategize who and how to ask, and help you craft letter of recommendation packages complete with a cover letter, your résumé, and an outline for each recommender.
Your Former Admissions Officer will read your entire application and evaluate it the same way he or she did while working in the admissions office. We will review every section of your completed applications and provide feedback on school fit, competitiveness, content, style, and grammar/spelling.
Interviews can be stressful! Your counseling team will prepare you to make a lasting impression during your interview. We will help you strategize answers, advise you on what to wear and body language, practice with mock interviews, and coach you on how to appropriately follow up. After completing our interview preparation, our students are confident and ready.
Trying to get off the waitlist? Our guidance doesn’t stop after you hit submit. Your counseling team will advise you on strategies for getting off of the waitlist and will help you craft letters of continued interest, if applicable.
Your counseling team will help your family make the final decision on which school you will attend. We will consider your offers, potential major and career paths, goals, and where you will be most happy and successful.
