How students got there

The challenge

She was a strong student, but her interests read as a general pull toward AI and computer science that didn't yet set her apart. Her activities were meaningful but local, without the regional or national recognition applicants to top programs often bring, and she hadn't yet found a focus that was truly her own.

What we did

We drew out her story from her personal experiences with the healthcare system. We helped her find wet lab experience, which let her write about specific problems in biomedical engineering rather than computer science in general. Then we reframed her activity list so the depth of her local work came through. After decisions, we guided her waitlist letters for UCLA and UChicago. Then we mapped each offer against her long-term goals.

The outcome

She was admitted to Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering, which admits an estimated 4% of applicants, below even Hopkins’ 6.1% overall admit rate. She also came off the waitlist at both UCLA and UChicago. Even after decisions, she was torn, and her family deliberated at length between UCLA, the safer choice close to home, and Hopkins. We encouraged her to take the risk if Hopkins truly felt more aligned with her goals. She committed to Johns Hopkins.

The challenge

Georgetown was her top choice, and it requires test scores. Her 1360 SAT sat below the range of most admitted students, so the rest of her application had to carry more weight. She was also leaning toward Georgetown College, assuming it would be less competitive than the specialized schools, even though her interests were all about international affairs.

What we did

We showed her why her story fit the School of Foreign Service far better, and shared what Suhani knows of Georgetown’s deeper values from her time there. We wrote essays that showed how her interests and goals align with those values, reframed her activity list to make that fit clear, and applied Early Action.

The outcome

Despite an SAT below the typical range, she was admitted Early Action to her top choice, Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and committed there.

The challenge

He knew almost nothing about US admissions. Like most systems outside the US, the one he knew was built around test scores and a pitch to the university, not a personal story.

What we did

We built a college list that offered more than the top universities in his country, and demystified each step. We showed him that a personal statement is not a statement of purpose. We framed his independent research at the intersection of space and medicine prominently without making it his whole story, and dug into the personal experiences behind it. We also worked through financial aid together with his parents.

The outcome

He was admitted to Columbia with full financial aid and selected for the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program.

The challenge

International applicants compete for very few seats. His research was strong, but his recommenders needed to show its depth to readers who would never meet him.

What we did

We built detailed brag sheets and a recommendation strategy so each letter spoke to a different side of him, from his biological research at RSI to his commitment on the soccer field. Alongside the letters, we developed essays that told the story behind his research in his own voice.

The outcome

He was admitted to five of the seven colleges he applied to, including Harvard and Stanford, and committed to Harvard.

The challenge

Studying in the US or Canada was only possible with full funding, which meant first winning a competitive national scholarship.

What we did

We worked on her national scholarship essays, then built a list across the US and Canada that matched her rare combination of interests in computer science and neurology, and developed application essays built around that intersection to set her apart.

The outcome

She was admitted to nine universities, every one fully funded, including direct admission to computer science at the University of Washington. She committed to Rice.

The challenge

Her grades sat well below what most students at strong engineering schools bring. Aiming only at reach schools would have been a gamble, and a list built around rankings would have missed what she actually wanted to study.

What we did

We were honest about where her GPA stood and built a list of respected engineering programs that matched her core interests. We brought her leadership and independent projects to the front, showing how even work outside CS built the problem-solving and people skills of a strong future engineer. Then we made her essays the strongest part of every application.

The outcome

She was admitted to 14 universities, including respected engineering programs at Virginia Tech, RPI, Rose-Hulman, WPI and Pitt, each one a real fit for what she wants to do.