Crack the Code.
What do colleges want? They’re looking for individuals: young people who have challenged themselves academically, pursued their strengths and genuine interests—both inside and outside the classroom—engaged with their community, and maybe even taken some risks. Whatever else these students know, they first and foremost know themselves.
98% of my students are accepted into one or more of their top-choice schools.
My Services
I offer comprehensive, 1-on-1 support for college planning and applications. You can also choose from a range of optional educational-support and extracurricular services for high school students.
College Applications
Grades 11–12
Comprehensive college application support to 12 schools. (Any/all UCs count as 1).
No hours limits.
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In an initial 90-minute meeting, we will establish a plan to ensure a successful and minimally stressful college application experience. In addition to a review of the student’s high school record and college goals, the session will also cover:
Understanding the application process, its terms, and timelines,
Surveying potential majors that align with academic and career goals,
Identifying the best teachers to ask for recommendations, as well as potential sources for supplementary letters,
Preliminary brainstorming of personal statement and other application essay topics.
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The “best” school according to Reddit may not be the best school for you. Starting with academic and personality assessments, we will create a roadmap to help identify an optimal range of schools that are just the right fit for you. We will also strategize the most advantageous plan for applying to schools, including Early Decision and/or Early Action.
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Essays are a crucial element of an application package because they offer a rare opportunity to present yourself to admissions committees as complete individual.
I am with my students at every stage in the writing process, from identifying key values and representative life moments to finding suitable narrative forms and creating vivid scenes and all the way to pushing through that final proofread.
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Different schools and programs require different sets of supporting material. I’ll help you navigate a maze of deadlines and specific requirements, including
Brag sheets,
Music, art, and other supplements,
Any necessary extra application help, such as deferral letters, and
College interview preparation.
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I’ll proofread every application so you can click “submit,” confident that everything is complete and error free.
Ivy Plus option
Aiming for the Ivies? Statistics shows it’s a numbers game: Students with a real shot at top-ranked colleges need to apply to at least 7 to have a 90%+ chance of getting into at least one. Get that extra support and boost your odds.
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Receive as much application and essay coaching as your student needs to maximize their chances of acceptance at Ivy and equivalent colleges. A typical student uses 30–50 hours of coaching.
Extended application support to all 15 top-ranked schools.
College Admissions Counseling
Grades 8, 9, and/or 10
Students have just four years of high school to develop a compelling profile—grades, courses, activities, summer plans, testing, and more. Act early to maximize your time and get the edge on the competition!
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The first meeting will be a 90-minute session with the student and family, in which we create a unique high school plan that reflects the student’s passion and goals. The session will cover:
Planning high school course selection to lay the groundwork for a successful academic track for all four years of high school,
Setting a preliminary timeline and preparation plan for standardized testing, including the SAT or ACT and AP tests,
Surveying academic interests and possible majors or careers,
Exploring ways student can demonstrate leadership and deepen extracurricular activities, including community service, throughout the school year, and
Surveying summer plans that compliment the student’s academic focus and/or extracurricular interests.
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The key to the middle school and early high school years is exploration: learning about college majors and careers, reflecting on interests, and trying out new activities. To facilitate this process, the student will take a series of assessments that gauge personality type, learning style, and multiple intelligences. These will allow the student to understand his or her unique abilities and provide a roadmap to begin exploring academic and other interests.
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Guided by the assessment battery and the student’s history, we will choose an academic focus or college major, which will determine the selection of activities and academics. For example, a future biology major might enroll in a summer research program or find a volunteer position at a hospital. This focus might change throughout the course of high school, but by 11th grade the student should have good idea of what he or she wants to study.
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Nearly as important as the academic record for college admissions is a student’s “personal score”—that is, a student’s ability to succeed beyond academics. Data suggests that at top colleges, a student with a strong personal score is 10x more likely to be admitted! Developing a passion, making an impact, and demonstrating leadership through meaningful extracurricular activities is the basis for a strong personal score. I will help students find means of pursuing their strengths and interests that will showcase their unique story.
Crucial to a successful extracurricular profile are summer plans. I will work closely with students to identify valuable summer opportunities and programs that will bolster their profile, guiding them though all aspects of the summer application process including essay editing.
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To implement this process, we will meet in four 90-minute sessions (late summer, Nov/Dec, March, and June). Meetings are intended to help the student make the most of their high school experience to best prepare them for college success. Beginning in 11th grade, meetings will be monthly.
Get started, today.
Jump start your college plan
with these additional services for high school students.
Mentored Research
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Complete a research project and get published. Produce meaningful work related to your student’s interests, improving their college applications and helping them select a major.
Work 1-on-1 with a PhD candidate or postdoc at a top research college. Project scoped based on interests. Matched with one of 1,500+ mentors covering every field imaginable.
Work with a publication specialist and editor to identify and submit a 15–20 page research paper to a high school or college-level journal for publication.
Complete in 3 months in 5–10 hours per week. Publication takes 1–3 months.
Receive a formal written evaluation from your mentor, plus a certificate of completion.
Internships
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Complete an internship with the leadership team at a startup. Produce meaningful work related to your student’s interests, improving their college applications and helping them select a major.
Work 1-on-1 with a leadership team member at one of hundreds of vetted startups. Project scope based on interests and company needs.
Complete in 8 weeks in 5–10 hours per week virtually. Internships available across many industries and fields (software development, business).
Receive a recommendation letter from your kid’s mentor, plus a letter of completion.
AP Test Prep
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Get the best AP Exam scores your student is capable of. A typical student increases their scores by a full point for each exam. Start 4–8 weeks before your test date.
Customized tutoring plan.
Work 1-on-1 with an assigned tutor(s) 1 to 3 times per week. Complete practice problems within the Practice Portal.
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English: Language, Literature
History: US History, World History
Math: Precalculus, Calculus AB, Calculus BC
Science: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics 1, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles
SAT Prep
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Get the best SAT score your student is capable of. A typical student earns a 200-point score increase on the SAT. Start 8–12 weeks before your test date.
Customized tutoring plan based on your student’s strengths and weaknesses identified in their diagnostic assessment and throughout the program.
Work 1-on-1 with an assigned tutor 1 to 3 times per week. Complete practice problems and exams within the Practice Portal that adapt to your student’s strengths and weaknesses.