These facts might surprise you:

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• The UC System ditched the SAT requirement.

• Harvard rejects a quarter of applicants with perfect SATs.

• U Penn and Duke reject most high school valedictorians. 

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You're probably wondering, "then what do admissions officers care about?"

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Well, here's What Admissions Officers Care About: 

Universities want to know what you have done with your life so far.  Because if you proved yourself to be a leader or successful during high school, you're likely to be successful in college, and after you graduate, winning fame and fortune for the university. 

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But they can't see any of that in your SATs or grades. Only in the activities you pursue outside of class ("extracurricular activities").

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This is the #1 part of the application that overseas applicants and their high school advisors underestimate.

 

Even big companies like China's New Oriental get this section wrong. 

 

In fact, American universities' emphasis on extracurriculars is different than anywhere else in the world, even the UK.

 

The Myth Of The Well Rounded Student:

After a lecture, a student came up to me and said he was applying to several top universities. His parents were proud that they pushed him to volunteer with 4 organizations, join 5 clubs, and take the Yale Summer Program. 

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But I told him he was not going to get into any of the schools on his list. Why? Because taking more classes and joining more clubs is not impressive. It doesn't show me what he is truly interested in, or that he can become successful in that area. What does the Yale Summer Program add to his resume other than demonstrating that his parents are wealthy and he wasn't sure what to spend his summer doing, so they signed him up to keep him busy? 

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Worst of all, he was applying to engineering programs and had very little engineering experience on his resume. 

 

Unfortunately, his applications were nearly due. But we talked about creating a last-minute project to help strengthen his "personal brand" of being passionate about engineering. 

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I also showed him how to demonstrate that even though he has very little experience in engineering, he has demonstrated the qualities an engineer needs through his other activities: strategic thinking, teamwork, communication, etc. 

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So please -- before it's too late -- start planning your personal brand. Your passion area. Think of how to show universities who you are, rather than merely telling them in your essays. 

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What This Package Includes: 

For Seniors -- I will help you plan one last activity to help prove to the admissions office that you are a passionate, driven young leader. We will likely have to get creative, which is why many students have found my advice and guidance invaluable.

 

Plus, I will help you write out your activities list so that it soars past the competition. Many students don't realize how impressive some of their activities can be to admissions officers if described the right way. 

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For Juniors and younger students -- it is never too early to plan your activities! Together, we will devise the perfect summer activity to show universities you are passionate and a leader. That means coming up with your "personal brand" and demonstrating it through your summer activities and hobbies. Even shy students can demonstrate leadership by simply not following the crowd. 

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"Why Can't I Do This On My Own?"

Many students plan their extracurriculars and write their activities list on their own. However, given how critical this section is to your application -- and considering many professional advisors do not know how to creatively foster a student's interests in a way that demonstrates leadership and passion -- I highly recommend taking at least an hour to talk with me.