Personal College Planning: Sophomore year (10th Grade)
5 Sessions-Unlimited Internet and Phone
- Create and review high school class plan for next three years
- Analyze and assess the student's current academic, extracurricular, and personal records
- Take an interest inventory to focus activities over the next 3 years: investigate various majors
- Set plans for upcoming summer:volunteer, internships, summer school
- Set standardized testing plans for the next years
- Build a strategically-organized personal resume (activity list)
- Participate actively in class and build solid teacher relationships for future recommendations
- Begin developing a list of colleges and universities to research and consider
- Discuss possible financial options for college-start early
- Visit key college websites (and student blogs) to gain a sense of various campus cultures
- Begin to work on essay writing skills. Also begin writing a series of essays that might be used in the application process.
- Develop study and organizational skills: filing systems, both digital and paper
Personal College Planning: Junior year (11th Grade)
5 Sessions-Unlimited Internet and Phone
- Ensure UC a-g requirements will be met; review transcript and class selection for balance of high school years
- Set testing schedule for the entire year: PSAT/NMSQT; ACT or SAT; AP exams; SAT Subject tests.
- Stay committed to two solid extracurricular activities; depth of commitment is esteemed by Admissions officers
- Should there be special materials to submit with your application (CDs, portfolio of art, music performance samples) pull together over the summer
- Review and edit list of top colleges: have reach, target, and safeties in mind
- Write up why you want to attend a particular college. You'll use this in the supplement
- Visit, tour, attend information sessions and interview (if possible) at colleges of interest during spring break
- Determine college funding. Use web and college sources to determine costs
- Sign up for summer courses, internships or jobs
- Review and update activity list
- Begin initial drafts of Common Application and Personal Statement essays Download Sample College Planning
Application Consulting: Senior year (12th Grade)
6 Sessions-Begins Summer Between Junior and Senior Year
Session 1
Overview of application process; Transcript evaluation; Review college selection process; Understanding college deadlines and timetables.
Session 2
Go over college requirements; Revise college list; Discuss student/parent preferences; Elements of successful resume (Activity List); Tips for internet college research.
Session 3
Students review Common Application; Discussion of letters of recommendation; Selecting recommenders/specifics to include; Correlation of essay topics based on individual college selection list; Initial essay development organizing and clustering; In-depth essay planning.
Session 4
Tips for outstanding essays; Review rough drafts of Common Application for cohesion and mechanics; Discuss revisions necessary to polish each essay; Position the application at each school; Final review of essays.
Session 5
Ongoing review of essays for organization, cohesion and mechanics; Final application revisions/check essays for Impact; Confirmation for letters of recommendation; Review essay requirements; Completion of supplementary essays.
Session 6
Final review of each application to assure completeness and accuracy of data; Timetable for submitting each application; Assure all special supplements are sent: art portfolio, music samples; Checklist for following on wait lists and acceptances.
2009-2010 Admission Acceptances
- Cornell University
- Columbia University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Cal Tech
- Rhode Island School of Design
- MIT
- Rice University
- NYU
- Tufts University
- Occidental College
- Carnegie Mellon
- Johns Hopkins
- Northwestern University
- University of Michigan
- Emory University
- UCLA
- UC Berkeley
- UC San Diego
- All other UC Campuses
- USC
- Boston University
- Boston College
- Babson
- George Washington University
- Bucknell University
- Case Western Reserve
- Wake Forest
- Pepperdine
- University of Rochester
- University of Pacific
- Purdue University
- Syracuse University
