What You Provide The College

Grades - What courses should you emphasize, should you take AP/Honors classes, how important are grades, how you can compensate if you don't have top grades

Test Scores - SAT vs ACT, do all colleges require them, the three essential areas to train yourself for test success, the optimal number of times to take them,  what to do if some scores are much higher than others - are you required to send all your scores to a college

Activities - Since many students applying will have great grades and test scores, activities are one of the key ways to differentiate yourself.  What are the best activities to impress a college, what are the three key metrics they are looking for

Essay - How to choose a winning topic, what are the three key things admissions officers are looking for, why you need to grab their interest immediately

Recommendations - How to choose the ideal people to ask for recommendations, what are the fifteen areas that you will be evaluated, the value of 'prestige' recommendations

Interview - How should you prepare for the interview, why your interview can mean the difference between your being a strong candidate and a borderline candidate, what are the key items that interviewer is looking to find out about you

What They Are Trying To Measure

Achievement - Learn how can you demonstrate achievement?  What should you emphasize?  Why ‘recognized awards’ are much better than local awards.

Leadership - Selective Colleges are looking for future leaders.  Learn why this is so important to them, how you can use this to your advantage, and different ways you can demonstrate this

Seriousness of Purpose - Learn why this is important to selective colleges, and how to demonstrate this, but also why you shouldn’t ‘sweat it’ if you don’t yet know what you want to study or major in.

Passion - How have you demonstrated your passion for learning?  Selective colleges want people who have the training, stamina, and passion for the climb.

Authenticity - The admissions committee wants to hear students' authentic individual voices, not what students think the committee wants to hear. Learn why college admissions officers are so very good at ‘sniffing out’ if an application is not authentic.

Character and Social Consciousness - Selective colleges are increasingly interested in students that exhibit good character and social consciousness.  Learn how is this playing out in the college admissions process, and what types of questions colleges will ask you to demonstrate this.  Also, learn how colleges are increasingly looking at your social media to learn more about you as a candidate.

Likeability - Likeability matters in highly selective college admissions and it comes through in many different areas of your college application. Learn how you can use this to your advantage throughout your application.

What Are Their Decision Criteria

Ability To Handle the Academic Work - Selective colleges want to accept students who will graduate.  In fact, the graduation rates at Selective Colleges are significantly higher than for other colleges.  Learn what the colleges are looking for and how you can demonstrate this.

Contribute To The Student Body Experience - Selective colleges know that the student experience is a combination of the quality of professors and facilities they provide, but also the interaction of students with other exceptional students.  Learn how colleges evaluate this on your application so you are prepared to highlight what you bring to the table.

Enhance The Schools Reputation - Colleges are not merely institutions of higher learning, they are also big business. Learn why college presidents are so motivated to increase their college’s reputation, and the different ways you can demonstrate this as both a student and future graduate.

Uniqueness, Special Circumstances - There are certain things about you that are unique and special that you may want to share in your college application.  This module will focus on how to best share this information.