Our Value-Add
With the admissions process becoming more and more competitive, it can be increasingly difficult for students to set themselves apart. While well roundedness is of utmost importance, including competitive test scores, extracurricular activities, and a rigorous academic schedule, we believe that, in addition to an extraordinary talent and passion, the college application essay is the single most important component of the application process. At Austin College Prep Consulting, we'd like to help you nail it.
Our Principal Instructor is a graduate with Honors from Stanford University as well as a graduate from the Harvard Kennedy School. With first-hand experience navigating the admissions process to top tier universities, Austin College Prep Consulting is uniquely qualified to help you do the same. Top tier universities differ markedly in the emphasis placed on the writing sample due to the large pool of applicants and the high academic achievements that they bring to the table.
What top tier universities are really looking for cannot be found solely in test scores, GPA, or class rank. What they are truly search for - character, intellectual curiosity, determination to change the world, and deep passion - is found in the written word. Your greatest asset in applying for college lies in letters of recommendation and your personal essays. The majority of your future classmates are valedictorian, straight A students, have transcripts full of Advanced Placement courses, as well as and a great deal of extracurricular activities. However, what is written from your tone of voice and from your own experience paints the truest picture of who you are and how you are different than the pack. This is the picture that they must see if your application is going to rise to the top.
Let Austin College Prep Consulting help take you that extra mile.
The Personal Statement - What They're Saying
Harvard University*
"Test scores and grades offer some indication of students’ academic promise and achievement. But we also scrutinize applications for extracurricular distinction and personal qualities. [emphasis added].
Students’ intellectual imagination, strength of character, and their ability to exercise good judgment — these are critical factors in the admissions process, and they are revealed not by test scores but by students’ activities outside the classroom, the testimony of teachers and guidance counselors, and by alumni/ae and staff interview reports."
Stanford University**
"We view the Stanford Writing Supplement as your opportunity to tell us about yourself by describing some of your favorite personal activities and social interests and writing thoughtful and insightful short essays. The Stanford Writing Supplement helps us to understand your individual experiences and insights. [emphasis added]
No two applicants in our pool are the same, so we take great care to ensure we review your application within the context of your surroundings. The information you provide about yourself on the Stanford Supplement assists us in interpreting and evaluating your transcript, test scores, essays and evaluation letters." [emphasis added]
MIT***
"Not to reiterate myself too much from the previous blog that I wrote, but the effective essay, IMO, is the essay that really shows who you are, where you're coming from, and what your loves are - in your own voice. Both the "world" and the "challenges" essay are structured so that it's focused on you and your stories. Use these opportunities to tell a story - to convey who you are. There's no need to repackage your tale in fancy rhetoric or educated vocabulary. Just as we see in world literature: often the best stories are, really, the simplest stories."
"Test scores and grades offer some indication of students’ academic promise and achievement. But we also scrutinize applications for extracurricular distinction and personal qualities. [emphasis added].
Students’ intellectual imagination, strength of character, and their ability to exercise good judgment — these are critical factors in the admissions process, and they are revealed not by test scores but by students’ activities outside the classroom, the testimony of teachers and guidance counselors, and by alumni/ae and staff interview reports."
Stanford University**
"We view the Stanford Writing Supplement as your opportunity to tell us about yourself by describing some of your favorite personal activities and social interests and writing thoughtful and insightful short essays. The Stanford Writing Supplement helps us to understand your individual experiences and insights. [emphasis added]
No two applicants in our pool are the same, so we take great care to ensure we review your application within the context of your surroundings. The information you provide about yourself on the Stanford Supplement assists us in interpreting and evaluating your transcript, test scores, essays and evaluation letters." [emphasis added]
MIT***
"Not to reiterate myself too much from the previous blog that I wrote, but the effective essay, IMO, is the essay that really shows who you are, where you're coming from, and what your loves are - in your own voice. Both the "world" and the "challenges" essay are structured so that it's focused on you and your stories. Use these opportunities to tell a story - to convey who you are. There's no need to repackage your tale in fancy rhetoric or educated vocabulary. Just as we see in world literature: often the best stories are, really, the simplest stories."
US News and World Report
Top Colleges and Universities 2014 - Find out which schools rank the highest and learn about acceptance rates, freshman retention rates, and graduation rates.
Grab Their Attention
Stanford shares opening lines of applications that grabbed their attention.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a high school student in possession of a good résumé must still be in want of a personal essay. In the best of times and the worst of times, first impressions matter. Any student who hopes to be the hero of his own life will strive to write a great opening line.
The undergraduate admissions staff, while evaluating students on their total merit, take notice of the first lines that make essay-reading a particular pleasure."
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a high school student in possession of a good résumé must still be in want of a personal essay. In the best of times and the worst of times, first impressions matter. Any student who hopes to be the hero of his own life will strive to write a great opening line.
The undergraduate admissions staff, while evaluating students on their total merit, take notice of the first lines that make essay-reading a particular pleasure."
* http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/harvarddean-part1/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
**http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/freshman/apply.html
***http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/show_dont_tell_the_college_ess
**http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/freshman/apply.html
***http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/show_dont_tell_the_college_ess
Disclaimer
Although Austin College Prep Consulting is committed to the success of every student, we make no guarantees with respect to the following:
Although Austin College Prep Consulting is committed to the success of every student, we make no guarantees with respect to the following:
- Austin College Consulting Prep does not guarantee that students will be admitted to the school(s) of their choice.
- Austin College Consulting Prep does not guarantee the award of financial aid and/or scholarships.
