Some students begin working with me only in 12th grade, so I’ve listed the services for this year separately. The focus is on key preparation stages from the current point in time until application deadlines, aiming to significantly enhance the competitiveness and credibility of the college application.
1. Strategy & Overall Planning
- Review the student’s current profile and develop an actionable activity plan that can be completed within the limited time available, to boost the credibility and impact of the application.
- Review 12th-grade course selections to ensure the right level of academic challenge while maintaining GPA and balancing extracurriculars.
(Note: Only applicable to new students who haven’t yet missed the course selection deadline.)
- Assist in creating a campus visit and college application timeline with an actionable execution plan.
2. College List & Material Preparation
- Guide students in creating an initial college list of around 15 schools across different tiers (Reach, Target, Safety).
- Review parent/student questionnaires required by schools to maximize the quality of recommendation letters and gather valuable content for essays.
- Advise on choosing appropriate teachers for recommendation letters, and provide strategies for approaching them, including helping edit background info (e.g., a draft letter).
3. Essay Writing & Revision
- Brainstorm essay topics with the student for all colleges on their list.
- Revise the main personal statement and supplemental essays for the first 15 schools.
- Essays will be refined repeatedly until student and I am both satisfied.
- Essays for schools beyond the initial 15 can be self-edited by the student or supported through additional services.
(Note: The University of California system counts as one school; UK universities like Oxford/Cambridge count as one.)
4. College Application
- Carefully review college application content, focusing on:
- 5 major awards
- 10 core activities
- Other key materials: personal statement, activities list, awards, supplemental essays, etc.
- Assist in selecting impactful supplementary materials to enhance the application's overall competitiveness, such as:
- Resume
- Video uploads
- Research abstracts
- Maker portfolios
- Review the student’s college application forms to ensure alignment with the overall application theme and consistency across all materials. Ensure all materials consistently convey a clear and compelling application theme.
- Detailed feedback will be provided for each item, highlighting areas for improvement.
(Note: Some schools do not use the Common Application (Common App), such as the University of California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Georgetown University. UK universities like Oxford and Cambridge also have separate systems.)
5. Deeply understand the target school
- Connect high school students with college students to gain insider information about a particular school or major.
6. Interview Preparation
- Provide training on interview techniques and content planning.
- Conduct formal mock interviews to enhance performance and strategic responses.
7. Ongoing Support & Progress Management
- Provide real-time support, answer questions throughout the application process.
- Closely monitor application progress with a goal of completing all materials at least two days before each deadline.
- For deferred or waitlisted applications, offer follow-up advice and actionable plans.
For students with specific needs (e.g., arts, athletics, international applicants), services can be further customized.
This program is fully customized based on the student’s needs. I do not set a fixed frequency for communication with students; it is entirely arranged based on each student's individual needs. Some students prefer a fixed weekly call, while others schedule meetings as needed. When academic progress and extracurricular activities are going smoothly, we may go a month without contact. However, during critical decision-making periods—such as course selection or choosing between activities—more frequent, even daily, communication may be necessary.
$15,000 per academic year (Grade 12).