Your number #1 priority this summer is to prepare for your official standardized test at the end of August or beginning of September.
This is what you should do:
Let me remind you why I recommend this strategy in case you start to waver on implementing any of these steps:
As a college admissions counselor specializing in students with big ambitions (e.g. Ivy League, Military Service Academies/ROTC, Athletic scholarships), I have seen dreams realized, shattered, and everything in between.
Case Study
In this case study, I reveal what goes through a college admissions officer's mind as they review an application. What do they care about, what do they disregard, what jumps out, and what factors might seal the deal (for good or bad)?
In this blog, I review Erin's profile. Erin is a junior at a public high school in CA. She's an elite soccer player, near straight-A student, member of student government, and involved in community service.
Sound familiar?
Many parents of talented 9th and 10th-grade athletes tell me similar stories. They want to know their child's chances.
Here's how the story goes:
Hi, Phil. I've heard you're the expert in helping kids get into highly-selective colleges by mentoring them early in their high school careers. Can I tell...
The Dream
Many young athletes today aspire to play Division I sports in college. This dream is fueled, in part, by the prospect of securing the ever-elusive "full-ride athletic scholarship".
The dream often originates as early as 3rd or 4th grade, when young athletes are shunted onto "elite" travel teams if they show above-average skill for their age. Unfortunately, once this train leaves the station - it's hard to get off.
For the next 4-6 years, most weekends and holidays are dedicated entirely to the sport - no matter the cost, travel, time, or energy required. And the beat goes on for years - with an unwavering devotion. Parents and children are equally afraid to step off the train for the fear of missing out.
Though rarely admitted in public, most parents mistakenly assume that their child is on a path to some type of athletic scholarship. They don't really know what this means exactly - and are afraid to ask too many presumptuous questions - but they sure hear a lot of chatter...
In this episode, I review some of the reasons why a teenager might be less-than-enthusiastic to begin thinking about the college admissions process in 9th or 10th grade. I then give suggestions on what a parent can do to help turn the tide.
As a college admissions counselor specializing in students with big ambitions (e.g. Ivy League, Military Service Academies/ROTC, Athletic scholarships), I have seen dreams realized, shattered, and everything in between.
Case Study
In this case study, I reveal what goes through a college admissions officer's mind as they review an application. What do they care about, what do they disregard, what jumps out, and what factors might seal the deal (for good or bad)?
In this blog, I review Pete's profile. Pete just finished his junior year at a big public high school in NY. He has a pretty good GPA. pretty good SAT score, has taken pretty hard classes, is a pretty good lacrosse player, and has pretty good extracurricular activities.
Are you getting my drift?
Pete is "pretty good" at just about everything. This is the profile of a lot of high school students these days. That's why we call him "Pretty Good Pete". He has a closely-related friend named "Pretty Good Pamela."
The question...
Wait, what?
"Wait, what? Jimmy got into Berkeley? Are you serious? My son has the same GPA and SAT scores - maybe even better. He took just as many weighted classes as Jimmy. Why didn't my son get in? They both have the same profile."
This is one of the most common questions I hear from the PrepWell community and from random people around the water cooler, lacrosse field, and locker room.
I'd like to shed some light on this question by comparing three students that I counseled privately this year in my Private Mentoring program.
[FYI: I run a program where I work closely with a handful of PrepWell Academy students who opt to move from the online program to a full-service program in junior year].
What accounts for the difference in outcomes?
There are several factors at play here (e.g. extracurriculars, leadership, letters of recommendation, demonstrated interest, major preference, parental involvement, etc.)
However, I believe the biggest difference-maker is when a student...