College Applicants
This program consists of 1-1 weekly meetings with students and Daniel Strom, who guides students through every aspect of the college application process.
How We help:
Developing a Balanced School List
Students should have at least two likely (safety) schools on their list to ensure that they have options down the road. In addition to this, we typically recommend 3-4 target schools and 3-5 reach schools. With Daniel’s experience as a former admissions representative at Northwestern University, he has an extensive understanding of what individual colleges are looking for when analyzing students’ high school profiles, courseload rigor, test scores, activities, and letters of recommendation.
Assistance with Financial Planning
Daniel and his team have done substantial research on financial aid and merit scholarships, and have compiled the data of 5,000+ colleges. This software lists each college’s net price tuition calculator, average need-based financial aid award offered, average merit scholarship award offered, and the average net price of tuition by income bracket.
Crafting an Application Brand
The best way to stand out in the application pool is to have a genuinely distinctive Application Brand, one that no other student could possibly replicate! Here is an example of a generic Application Brand:
“I enjoy reading. In my free time, I volunteer at different charities. I hope to be a doctor.”
This Application Brand isn’t specific and doesn’t tie their skills and interests together. This will make it impossible to write strong application essays that truly represent the student’s essence. Now, here is a revision of the same Application Brand:
“I am a loyal philanthropist who publishes children’s books about mental health care. I hope to start a non-profit medical facility that offers free medical care for low-income families.”
With this Application Brand, the student successfully explains the interrelations between their interests. This Application Brand serves as a compass to guide the student through every aspect of the application.
Personal Statement Brainstorming and Revising
Once we have developed a solid Application Brand, we will use it to brainstorm and revise the Common App Personal Statement and UC essays. Successful essays are often a reflective narrative in which the student showcases the traits and interests listed in their Application Brand. By staying “on brand,” admissions committees will have a better sense of who the student is. With this said, the essays are not the place to reiterate responsibilities and achievements from activities, but rather a chance to highlight learning experiences from said activities.
Supplemental Essay and Revising
Most colleges require additional essays that are specific to that school. A commonly required supplemental essay topic is “Why do you want to attend [COLLEGE NAME]?” These essays must be concise and specific to the student’s Application Brand. For example, writing that a college has a high ranking is not going to help in this essay. Instead, it would be wise to write about the college’s unique courses and student organizations that align with the student’s Application Brand.
Activities List
Students need to be strategic while writing their Activities List, as it only allows for 150 characters (including spaces!) for each activity. There are multiple strategies to maximize the Activities List’s impact, including highlighting results-oriented accomplishments and bundling extracurriculars.
Interviews
As a former admissions interviewer at Northwestern University, Daniel is equipped to help students excel in the interview process. Through multiple mock interviews, Daniel helps students explore each college’s mission statement and how they can express a proper “fit” within that mission statement. One key to college interviews is not only explaining what the school can do for you but also what you can contribute to the school.
Letter of Recommendation Requests
It is essential for each letter to highlight specific elements of the student’s Application Brand. But how can we do this if students do not write the recommendations? While students cannot write their own recommendations, they can request that their recommenders mention specific examples that verify a student’s Application Brand. With Daniel’s guidance, students craft a thoughtful cover letter to be sent to each recommender to ensure that it is representative of the student’s Application Brand.
Waitlist and Deferral Support
When students are waitlisted or deferred from a college, it is crucial that they remain in contact with the admissions team and write a thoughtful Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI). Even for universities that don’t take demonstrated interest into account when making admissions decisions, the LOCI can be the tipping point to push a waitlisted or deferred student into the admit pile. With Daniel's help, students craft an LOCI that reinforces their Application Brand, their informed interest in the college, and meaningful updates that may impact their candidacy.
