Application Strategy With HS Senior

The Game: A Guide to Elite College Admissions

For the first time, we analyze the profile of a current HS senior targeting three top colleges: WashU, Vanderbilt, & Michigan.
While this student possesses a strong academic foundation (perfect GPA in 15 APs, 34/36 ACT, ranked #1 in HS class), he significantly lacks the type of extracurricular profile, depth, and admissions “hook” that will differentiate students targeting highly selective institutions.
Given the student is already in the process of applying to colleges and cannot fundamentally alter much of his profile at this very late stage, what can we do to help?
In this deep dive episode, we devise a comprehensive strategic plan for the student’s applications that will make best use of the strengths he does possess at the time of application, as well as leverage other strategic factors and late-stage candidacy building opportunities to maximize the student’s chances of admission despite many significant obstacles.
In particular, we cover the following:

• Student Profile & Analysis
• The Missing “Hook” Problem
• Strategic Positioning: Factors & Liabilities to Consider for Direct Admit Business/Engineering
• Analyzing Student’s Responses to Common Essay Prompts
• Devising New, Optimal “Hook” For Student
• Late Stage Resume-Building: “Low-Hanging Fruit” Opportunities Still Available to Reinforce The Hook
• Decision Planning: Optimal Use of Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2, & Early Action
• Overall Application Psychology + Strategy
• Optimal Reporting of Test Scores (ACT, AP)
• Personal Essay: Content Considerations, Reinforcing Hook, Traps/Cliches, and Structure
• Activities/Honors/Additional Information: What To Include, Order, Relevance to Hook, and Writing Compelling Descriptions
• WashU Supplement: Major Selection & Why The Hook Isn’t = Major Per Se
• Optimal “Why Major” Essay Response: Content, Structure, Considerations
• Optimal “Community” Essay Response: Approach for Diversity vs. Non-Diversity Students, Why So Many Students Write “Cliche” Essays, and Devising Outside-the-Box Answers
• Submitting Q1 Senior Grades

“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

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