BY TAKING AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH, OUR COLLEGE CONSULTANTS IDENTIFY THE BEST FIT SCHOOLS AND MAXIMIZE ADMISSIONS POTENTIAL
If you’ve found us, chances are you’re overwhelmed by the college admissions process or wondering where to even start. That’s OK. We’ll let you in on a little secret – almost all students feel this way. But, you’ve come to the right place for help. Our experienced college consultants will help you navigate your admissions journey – from selecting the high school classes that will boost your admissions chances to finding the schools that best fit YOU to the entire application process.
When you work with Signature College Counseling, you get the benefit of a personalized admissions plan that is geared to your academic credentials and the aspects of college life that matter most to you. Our team can assist you with:
• College search
• Managing your timeline and process
• Application assistance
• Essay guidance
• Interview preparation
• Financial aid applications
• Final selection
We have worked with over 600 families and counting and invite you to read what they have to say about their experiences. Here is one example of a student from Princeton in Mercer County, New Jersey who we helped find and attend a school that was her best fit. Her name has been changed to maintain his privacy.
A Signature College Counseling Princeton, NJ Area Success Story
Alexa, who attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School near Princeton, NJ, is a quiet, mature, diligent, independent and expressive young lady who wanted to major in economics and possibly computer science at a school that had a strong liberal arts curriculum. Her transcript was excellent with her course rigor being at the top of the spectrum and her grades being all A’s with a few B’s. She wanted to be within four to six hours from home, but would consider schools outside of that area if they were a solid fit for her. Alexa’s writing was one of the best I had ever seen with the 600+ students we have worked with over the years. We – particularly her essay coach – were in awe of how she expressed herself through her writing. She won 1st place in a poetry contest with over 100 entrants, which exhibited her talent. In addition, her attention to detail, sense of responsibility and ownership of her college admissions journey showed her level of maturity that was far greater than her years.
High School Involvement and Extracurriculars
Alexa was very involved in various activities that ran deep. She was highly involved in Model Congress throughout high school, winning many team and individual awards. Her 10th grade Language Arts teacher asked Alexa to be an assistant when she was in 11th grade to her 10th grade students to help grade her student’s essays. Her Computer Science teacher also asked Alexa to assist with his 9th grade Introduction to Computer Science class. She was heavily involved with Girl Scouts from a very young age and completed her Gold Award in 11th grade. One of Alexa’s activities that was near and dear to her heart was her trip to India where she developed and taught an introductory programming course to 30+ underprivileged eighth grade students. She was able to give back to those who were in need and saw the excitement and joy they experienced.
Uncovering What Alexa Wanted in a College
Alexa was open to attending college in any type of environment, whether it be more rural with a small town to being completely urban, where the city is your campus. She didn’t want a very large school with 25,000 plus students; she felt a small to midsize school would fit her best. Her family was open to cost, so we could consider all schools regardless of price. Alexa wanted an innovative, motivated, creative and diverse student body, especially given that the high school she attended was predominantly families of Asian Indian descent. The name or prestige of a college was of somewhat importance to her and her family.
Alexa had excellent test scores, scoring a 1510 on her SAT, which was a huge plus, and given that her grades and course rigor were excellent and her activities were deep and thoughtful, we knew she would have a vast array of college choices.
Creating a List of Targeted Schools
Alexa’s list had a range of schools that included:
• University of Richmond – She loved the area, the campus, student body and liberal arts based curriculum
• William and Mary – Her favorite school during her college search. Beautiful surrounding area in Williamsburg, VA, very social and thoughtful student body, politically active while respectful of others opinions and thoughts
• Hamilton College – A heavy writing school in a small town, liberal arts based and highly competitive to get into
Alexa also applied to Colgate, Emory, Boston College, Boston University, Lafayette, Rochester, Barnard and NYU. She did include a few very large schools – University of Michigan, Rutgers (since she was a resident of NJ) and University of Wisconsin – in case she changed her mind about the size school she wanted to eventually attend.
The End Result
We were thrilled with Alexa’s choices. She was accepted to Colgate, Boston College, Lafayette, Boston University, University of Rochester, Hamilton, Rutgers, College of William and Mary, University of Richmond, Barnard and the University of Wisconsin. The two colleges she was deciding between as her decision came to a close was the University of Richmond and Hamilton. College of William and Mary, which was her favorite throughout the process, seemed to have dropped off of her list.
In the end, she decided to attend Hamilton and is flourishing today.
If you are looking for help with the college search and admissions process, our consultants are ready to help. Call or email us today to learn more.
