How We're Different
We use large datasets and textual analysis to get a better picture of what specific schools value and look for in the admissions process. With our use of technology and data, our work and effort in college counseling goes well beyond traditional efforts.
School Selection
Admissions Laboratory
Who knows more about what a college is really like.. a student at the school or a 60-year-old admissions counselor? With our extensive database of student surveys from over 200 colleges and universities, we are able to suggest a "fit list" of schools. Our process eliminates the bias of counselors or advisers who are not on college campuses and also matches high school students with the college environments they are looking for by comparing their "wish list" with what students at those schools say the experience is really like. Our use of data also provides us merit scholarship information, so we can help families target the best aid institutions.
Traditional
Help identify and select schools based on the college counselor’s personal experience, often supplemented by guidebooks.
Strategy Aid
Admissions Laboratory
While we provide traditional college counseling services, we also present specific application strategies for each and every school. In a holistic admissions environment, different colleges place varying weight on different sections of the application while often looking for specific personality traits in applicants. Through our use of data, our analysis of college websites, and other industry sources, we help students tailor their approach and application for each individual school in ways that enhance the odds of acceptance.
Traditional
Assist in choosing the SAT/ACT, course selection, ED decisions, and application deadlines.
College Essay
Admissions Laboratory
While we also provide traditional essay help, our analysis of college websites and keyword searches, as well as our understanding of the specific student characteristics colleges are looking for, allows us to provide essay topic guidance well beyond our peers. Our working group includes professional editors who have spent long careers helping individuals best represent themselves in multiple formats, including essays.
Traditional
Help students choose a good topic and craft a quality essay.
Interviews
Admissions Laboratory
While we provide traditional interview prep services, our understanding of which colleges truly value interviews allows students to take a more tactical approach, interviewing where advantageous but avoiding situations that could present more harm than reward. When we prepare students for interviews, our database of the non-cognitive variables and specific traits different colleges care about most allows us to help students convey the points they need to make and best present their strengths.
Traditional
Prep students for interviews through mock interviews and sample questions.
Letters of Recommendation
Admissions Laboratory
In addition to helping students prepare materials to aid their letter writers, our data- and analysis-driven understanding of what specific colleges are interested in enables us to help students choose the moments in their school, team, or community experience that will have the greatest impact. We are also aggressive in helping students get letters from the maximum allowable number of writers, and we are helpful in highlighting the most relevant parts of students’ successes.
Traditional
Prepare materials to provide school counselors, mentors, and teachers.
Pre-Application
Admissions Laboratory
In the holistic admissions process, colleges seek to learn more about students than ever before. Because of this, at many schools, communication highlighting the strengths of a candidate can begin long before an application is submitted and reviewed. Our school level data and understanding of preferences allows us to help students communicate with their target schools effectively (in letters and emails) long before an application is submitted. With our school specific understanding of admissions drivers, we can help students highlight the strength of their candidacy and gain recognition with the increasingly important regional representatives at many of their target schools before an application is sent.
Traditional
Unknown
Post Application
Admissions Laboratory
From the standpoint of economic returns and in contrast to our peers, our databases and analysis give us a good picture of the long-term return parameters, risks around specific colleges and universities, detailed views of the average aid amounts, and changes in aid policy. We can help families who are interested in the economic returns of college make intelligent economic decisions. As it relates to the application itself, we believe that the college application process does not end when an application is submitted. We work with students to continue communicating with colleges after submission, highlighting positive post-application developments and news. When it comes to waiting lists, we feel that the best way to get off them is to not be on them in the first place — but we still work to get our students off the list.
Traditional
Help students decide on schools and financial aid packages and work to get students off waiting lists.