Mina From New Paltz NY

Experienced College Consultants Known for Achieving Excellent Results

We guide students and their families through every step of the college search and application process. Whether you are a high school freshman or rising senior, we believe that it is never too early or too late to seek assistance with the college admissions process. Our team of experienced consultants and coaches are here to assist you with everything from school selection and essay guidance to application assistance, interview preparation and financial aid.

Every student receives customized advice on how to best follow their academic and social desires so that they can enjoy a rewarding college experience. After all, the college journey is all about you! Student-athletes pursuing the recruitment process, as well as artists and budding architects who must submit portfolios showcasing their work, can benefit from our expertise.

We work with families throughout Ulster County in person, through Zoom, over the phone and through email.

Here is one example of a student we worked with from New Paltz, New York. Her name has been changed to maintain her privacy.

A Signature College Counseling New Paltz, NY Success Story

Mina attended New Paltz High School in New York and is an independent, diligent and focused young lady who was interested in our environment, wanting to attend a college that was green in its philosophy. She enjoys playing her guitar and has a passion for classical Indian dance, which she trained for and performed in for the better part of her life. Mina’s parents did not limit her choices by the cost, so her options were more plentiful than most.

Gathering the Student Profile to Start the College Search

Mina had a solid 3.8 GPA (93 unweighted in her core courses), taking a significant number of AP courses. She also loved the French language and continued this throughout high school through level 6. She scored well on her SAT (a combined score of 1470) after receiving private tutoring.

In the first half of her high school career, Mina participated in tennis and lacrosse, then chose to focus her efforts on other activities that she enjoyed more. She continued her involvement with her classical Indian dance, which took up a significant amount of her time, and was active in the Mathletes and French Club. Mina had various community service activities with minimal involvement. She worked during the summer months as a lifeguard and also during a portion of the school year at a local restaurant.

Narrowing in on Important College Features

Mina considered herself an outdoorsy kind of person, going hiking frequently in the New Paltz area, which is filled with trails. She knew she wanted a scholarly and diverse student body that was more liberal in its social and political tendencies and which shared her passion for discovering new interests. Mina desired a college that would provide plenty of school spirit and had a town that offered a significant amount of opportunity to explore. She wasn’t interested in a completely urban area and wanted to be sure that a traditional campus environment was where she would like to call home. In addition, she was fine with being a plane ride away from her Hudson Valley home.

dentifying Colleges that Fit Socially and Academically

Initially expressing an interest in biology and potentially attending medical school down the road, Mina’s world changed when she took AP Computer Science and was invited by her teacher to be a teaching assistant for his class. She realized that her career focus was no longer pre-med and wanted to pursue her passion for computer science.

Mina had high aspirations with the schools she wanted me to consider when researching colleges for her. She wanted to apply to Brown, Cornell and UPenn, which we both knew was a significant stretch, as it is for everyone who applies. Since her dad attended University of Michigan, she also wanted me to place this school on her list, which was well suited for her. This one I felt confident in her being accepted.

In addition to the Ivy League schools and University of Michigan (Go Blue!) that Mina wanted to apply to, I added University of Vermont, knowing how much she enjoyed the outdoors and how environmentally conscious she is – and I felt that she would probably be invited into their honors college. Then, Mina did a 180 degree turn and decided that it was also OK to apply to urban schools. So, I selected George Washington University, Boston University and Northeastern. In addition, Mina wanted to consider universities up in Canada, specifically McGill up in Montreal, which is also an urban school. I advised her that the Canadian higher education system is different than here in the US in that many students live off campus and commute.

The End Result

In the end, Mina got accepted into the majority of her schools and decided to attend her dad’s alma mater, University of Michigan. She’s majoring in computer science, is headed into her junior year, and loves where she is at. I could not be happier for her.

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.