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Month: October 2020

Test-Optional Colleges and You

Admission / By Ivy Scholars Publications

As we’ve already discussed (twice even), the college admissions process has been heavily impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. SATs were often cancelled, as were ACTs, and many students around the country were unable to take any standardized tests at all. Those who did manage to take these tests often did so much later than planned, …

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How Colleges Judge Applications

Admission / By Ivy Scholars Publications

As you complete the tests, fill out the required forms, and draft the perfect essays, you may wonder: “What do colleges even think about all this? What does it all really mean?” While the requirements placed on students are clear, the things colleges actually care about in an application are more difficult to uncover. In …

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COVID-19 and College Admissions

Admission, COVID-19 / By Ivy Scholars Publications

You’re probably well-aware by now of the drastic impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on everyday life. Nearly every facet of society has been upended over the past 9 months, and the college admissions process is no exception. Parents and students have been left confused and under-informed whilst admissions departments work around the clock …

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College Essays in the Time of COVID-19

COVID-19, Essay / By Ivy Scholars Publications

The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted every aspect of modern life, and as we covered in a previous blog post, that extends to the college application process as well. Even though many things have changed in the process, others have stayed the same, more or less, and among those is the importance of the essay. Due …

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 5/5

Wendy Y.

Parent

Below is my son's review. He was accepted to his dream Ivy League school!

From an admitted student's perspective, I am incredibly grateful to have met Sasha - he has been instrumental in helping me achieve my educational dreams (Ivy League), all while being an absolute joy (he's a walking encyclopedia, only funnier!) to work with.

Many people are dissuaded from seeking a college counselor because they think they can get into their desired college(s) either way. Honestly, going that route is a bit short-sighted and can jeopardize your odds of acceptances after years of hard work. The sad truth is, the American education system (even if you attend a fancy private school and ESPECIALLY if you go to a public school) doesn't really tell students how to write a compelling and authentic application. Going into the admissions process alone, without speaking with an advisor, is like going to court without a lawyer - you put yourself at a significant disadvantage because you don't have all the facts in front of you, or the help you need to negotiate the system.

That said, you need a good lawyer just like you need a good college counselor. And that's where Sasha distinguishes himself from the crowd of people claiming they'll get you into Harvard. I came to Sasha worried about and frankly dumbfounded by the college admissions process. I was unsure what to write about and how to go about drafting the essay that perfectly captured my passion, interests, and self. And I was highly skeptical that anyone could really help me. But, damn, did Sasha prove me wrong. From the beginning, Sasha amazed me with his understanding of the process, and ability to lend clarity and direction to me when I desperate needed it. After interviewing me about my background, experiences, activities, outlook, and vision, he helped me see qualities about myself I had not previously considered 'unique' or 'stand-out.' This process of understanding myself was so incredibly important in laying the groundwork for the essays I eventually wrote, and I'm certain I would've drafted boring, inauthentic essays without it.

Looking back, Sasha's talent is that he can see where your strengths lie, even when you don't see them. The truth is, although we don't always realize it, everyone has a unique story to tell. Sasha helped me see mine, and with his big-picture insight I was able to write the application that truly encapsulated my life and vision. He inspired me to dig deeper and write better, challenging me to revise and revise until my essays were the most passionate and authentic work I had ever written. As clichéd as that sounds, that's really what universities are looking for. In retrospect, it makes sense - in the real world passionate (not simply intelligent) individuals are the ones who make a difference in the world, and those are the individuals colleges would like to have associated with their brand.

In the end, I was accepted to the college of my dreams, a feat I could not have achieved without the direction Sasha lent to me. Essays (and the personal narrative you develop through your application) matter so much, and can literally make or break your application. I have seen so many of my 'qualified' friends receive rejections because they wrote contrived essays that didn't truly represent who they were; conversely, I have also seen so many friends with shorter resumes accepted because they were able to articulate their story in a genuinely passionate and authentic way - I fall into the latter category.

As a former admissions officer at Johns Hopkins, Sasha knows what types of essays jibe well with universities, an invaluable asset to have in the admissions process. He is responsive, flexible, creative, positive, and witty. For anyone who is serious about going into the college admissions process informed and prepared, I highly recommend Sasha.