The Best U College Admissions Consulting

  We often hear from parents and students anxious to find the right ways for a student to ‘stand out’ in the admissions process. Sometimes, parents are looking for us to advise students to join more school clubs, and take on formal titles in those clubs and sports. It’s not uncommon for these same well meaning students to believe that their resume or activities list is a matter of arithmetic, that somehow the right number of leadership roles and volunteer hours will unlock acceptances. If there is one piece of advice we can offer, it’s to put down the calculator and  get curious – Read on for our take on how curiosity is almost always at the core of a great application. The most compelling activities lists evolve over time. Unfortunately you cannot sit down in 9th grade and map out a “perfect” activities list. In fact, there’s no such thing. What we can say is that  the strongest activities lists and most compelling applications tend to begin with a student’s own curiosit...

  Across the country, many high school students and their families are being asked to plan their course selections for next academic year. The classes you choose in HS become a key piece of your college application. Here’s what we want every student & family to know–  Context is Everything  The classes on your transcript will never be assessed in a vacuum. An admissions reviewer will always be  reading a student’s transcript in the ‘context’ of the high school  they attend. This is to say that the admissions officer will pay close attention to what coursework and programs are offered at a student’s high school and will want to understand what portion of those rigorous and advanced offerings a student took advantage of. If there are limited advanced offerings at the school, this will be taken into consideration and will not negatively impact the applicant. This doesn’t mean the most rigorous program is right for every student, but it is important to understan...