Overwhelmed By The College Search, Application, And Admissions Process?
Our Consultants Are Here To Guide You Every Step Of The Way.
Getting ready to apply to colleges is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. You’re likely asking yourself, “How do I know what colleges are right for me? What should I write my essay about? Can I afford to go to my dream school? When should I start applying to schools?” Don’t stress, these are all common questions – and ones we can help you navigate!
Our experienced college consultants work one-on-one with students developing personalized admissions plans to find the schools with the best fit and assist with the application and admissions process. We can help you with:
• College search
• Managing your timeline and process
• Application management and assistance
• Essay guidance
• Interview preparation
• Financial aid application
• Final selection
We have proudly worked with over 750 families and counting and invite you to read what they have to say about their experiences. Here is one example of a student from Chicago, IL who we helped find and attend a school that was her best fit. Her name has been changed to maintain her privacy.
A SIGNATURE COLLEGE COUNSELING CHICAGO, IL SUCCESS STORY
Melissa is a brilliant, humble, kind, and diligent young lady who attended a public school in Chicago, IL. She wants to become a pediatric physician; this has been her desire and focus most of her life, which is of no surprise. Although she has struggled with some health issues, anyone who meets and gets to know her would never know, as she manages her life from commuting to and from school via the subway each day, takes the most rigorous classes offered, and is successful at everything she does. Never searching for a pat on the back, Melissa just does it, day in, day out. Her maturity is awe inspiring, and although we rarely say this, her dream to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S. is something we felt was well within her grasp.
HIGH SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT AND EXTRACURRICULARS
Melissa had a high school resume like none we had ever seen. We always say that we want an admissions counselor to review a student’s resume and be able to explain their interests and passions. Melissa’s resume does just that. Her volunteer work is focused and deep. We counsel students on their activity section to have depth, not breadth: do what you love and you will do more of it. Melisa’s activities exemplify this. Volunteering and being in youth leadership positions at world-renowned children’s hospitals, attending international forum’s, founding and spearheading a 5K walk-a-thon year-over-year to fundraise for her chosen cause, the Co-President and Co-Founder of a club at school that focuses on chronic illnesses and those with disabilities are just some of the activities in which she participates. In addition, she enjoys playing on the varsity soccer team and for more fun she is a member of the bowling team. On top of all this, Melissa has attended summer programs at Tulane and Johns Hopkins, as well as Loyola of Chicago.
UNCOVERING WHAT MELISSA WANTED IN HER COLLEGE CHOICES
When we started Melissa’s college search, the entire U.S. was her platform, although she preferred the east coast, west coast, and midwest. She was focusing on pre-med, which essentially means that she will be majoring in some form of the sciences, since her goal is to attend medical school. As for a campus, Melissa wanted to consider schools in or near a city or one that was integrated with the town. She wanted a more down to earth student body that was focused and more liberal leaning. Her family was open to cost. Melisa was striving for the most selective schools in the country, but understood that she needed to find schools that fit her that we knew she could get into, given the growing reduction in acceptance rates at the most selective institutions. Melissa scored a 36 on her ACT, which we were absolutely thrilled with.
CREATING A LIST OF TARGETED SCHOOLS
Melissa’s list had a range of schools that included highly selective institutions, as well as schools we knew she could get into and where she would be happy to attend. Her list was vast, and ultimately she had well over 45+ essays to write to apply to all of them. It was her goal to apply to one institution early decision, meaning that if she got accepted she would have to attend. She knew this was her best chance at getting accepted at the most selective schools on her list. Her list of schools included:
Safety Schools: University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois
Target Schools: New York University, Tulane, University of Michigan, Boston University
Reach/Wildcard Schools: Northwestern, UC Berkeley, Dartmouth, Brown, Stanford
THE END RESULT
Melissa ended up applying early decision to Brown University, their PLME program, which is Brown’s version of the direct admit to their medical school after completing your undergraduate curriculum, which is intensely selective. Melissa gained acceptance to Brown and was put on the waitlist for their PLME program. There is no doubt in our mind that Meliisa will succeed at whatever she chooses to do. We feel incredibly fortunate to have gotten to know her and helped her through her college journey.
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.
