College Admissions Counseling

Counseling starts with multi-year academic plans, focusing on the big picture while addressing the most minute of details. We partner with students from beginning to end, addressing every aspect of their college admissions strategy.

Facets of CAC:

  • academic planning/course selection

  • extracurricular activity guidance

  • college research & selection

  • summer program & internships

  • college applications & essay writing

  • application strategy

  • interview preparation

Our Approach

For students in middle school, a four-year high school plan can be set into place. The student then begins enrichment study in preparation for their high school plan. For high school students, we assess their academic profile then build a bridge from where they are to where they want to go. Our process is far more personal than typical college admissions counseling. Instead of focusing on superficial traits and general college attributes, we focus on intellectual curiosity, personality, and exploration. Our students are not only allowed, but encouraged, to build a college plan that fosters academic and career discovery.

A key component of our college admissions process is putting the student’s voice and personality into their application. We do so by removing the attention to them as students and instead shifting that attention to them as individuals. This allows for a far more authentic and personal, and reflective and introspective presentation.

Our Students Have Gained Admission to:

  • University of California Los Angeles

  • Yale University

  • University of Michigan

  • Cornell University

  • University of Notre Dame

  • Georgetown University

  • University of Chicago

  • Brown University

  • Washington University in St. Louis

  • University of Pennsylvania

  • Boston University

  • Northwestern University

FAQ

  • Absolutely not. In the United States, we have so many colleges to choose from (perhaps too many). The most important thing to think about is fit and resources. Assess whether a school provides the social and academic community you are looking for. Please read more about our college admissions philosophy here.

  • The chances of admission are determined by many factors including: GPA, course selection in high school, course continuity and relevance, extracurricular activity, test scores, academic/non-academic achievement and accolades, application essays and more. Because the diversity of schools in the US is so large, the college admissions experience can vary greatly from student to student: from a simple procedure to one of the most mentally grueling experiences. Starting earlier (ideally 8th or 9th grade) and having a well-thought out, detailed, and comprehensive plan with a qualified advisor can yield impressive results.

  • Most high school seniors do not know what they want to study, even if many are under the impression they know the general direction they’re moving toward. This is not only okay but should be the case. College is perhaps the biggest opportunity a student will have in life for self-discovery and academic exploration— it should be taken advantage of. Regarding college admissions strategy, it is better to have a well-articulated plan, in terms of what courses one chooses, which extracurricular activities they partake in, and what the message being put forth on an application says to colleges. However, these are not lifelong decisions. Instead, they should be looked at as a shorter-term, strategic pathway.