Support Packages

Essays-only Support is an excellent option for applicants who have personalized admission support at their high school, but are looking for feedback on their essays. However, the college application process is no easy feat especially given the time commitment required from the applicants in one of the busiest years of high school. In addition, Essays-only Support puts the responsibility of determining the application angle, setting the narrative, understanding how different pieces of the application support each other, etc., on the applicant. This will invariably require an understanding of how all parts of the application, including the extracurricular activities list and family background, work together with essays to help the applicant stand out. Ensuring the applicant is able to submit not only their best work but also the most compelling application to each school will require extensive planning, preparation, and oversight—included as a part of Comprehensive Support and Full Application Support.

Full Application Support is best for applicants looking for complete support from the planning stage through application submission. On the other hand, Comprehensive Support is the most common option and covers support outside of the Essays-only package.

The writing portion of the application will be the most time-intensive component of this process. The bulk of our coaching will revolve around crafting and honing a compelling narrative and developing the voice of the applicant. This will require considerable work before and during the writing process. For example, ten schools will require submitting up to thirty supplemental essays. (On average, each school requires three supplemental essays in addition to the personal statement.) Each essay will need to go through at least 4-5 drafts. And since supplemental essays have a limited word count, this will require extensive planning and follow-through from early summer through submission.

In addition, supplemental essays represent each school's unique evaluation criteria. Schools will be looking closely at these essays to further gauge the applicant's interest and commitment to their respective schools. Every supplemental essay, in addition to the personal statement, must be top notch. Ill-prepared essays cannot be submitted, as inadequate essays will give the admission staff an easy justification for not considering the applicant further. If essays are too short or are not well written, the admission staff may believe that the applicant procrastinated, may not be a great fit for the school because key elements are missing, or is simply not committed to entry into their institution.

If the applicant is able to manage the logistical aspects of this process, Essays-only Support and Comprehensive Support will be the right option. Otherwise, we recommend Full Application Support in which we take the leading role in the whole process. Full Application Support, as a more personalized option, will relieve the applicant of the responsibility and stress that accompanies the logistical aspect of the application process. The burden of this on the applicant cannot be underestimated, as our role in alleviating this stress through Full Application Support cannot be overstated. By ensuring the applicant is on track from the start, we make sure there is enough time to refine every essay and submission. With Full Application Support, we take charge of the process on our end by notifying the applicant of due dates for drafts, providing the support needed to ensure all documents are submitted on time, and by being there when anything comes up at the last minute, etc.

When it comes to personal statements, while the same essay may be used as a template for multiple submissions, we recommend writing an essay tailored to each school and program. In instances where admission is granted for a specific college, instead of the university as a whole, tailoring the personal statement to each school will be critical in demonstrating the applicant's interest and increasing their likelihood of admission. Especially at highly selective institutions, every aspect of the applicant (not only what is in the application but also their background, school and family context) will be closely examined. Hence, whether the applicant wants to apply to one, five, ten, fifteen or twenty schools, every submission must be completed with the utmost attention to detail—one application at a time. Crafting every application in a manner that showcases the applicant in the best light will require considerable time, engagement and effort from both the applicant and the consultant. In other words, since every school's admission committee is making a decision on every applicant independently, each submission must be prepared in the same manner that ensures maximum potential for the best outcome.