Caroline Koppelman
Rejected Early Decision from Columbia 2023

Getting a rejection in the Early Decision round is definitely not easy. But the good news is, it’s really just the start, and that one rejection has no bearing on how you’re going to do with other, similarly competitive schools. The thing about Early Decision is it comes alone and it comes first. It’s sometimes easier to tolerate a rejection when it’s preceded by several acceptance letters. College admissions are extraordinarily competitive these days and the Ivies are just more competitive than any other time or place in history. That’s it. It doesn’t get harder. And Columbia in particular has just a 4% acceptance rate! So, if you’ve been rejected in the Early Decision round, don’t despair. We have some advice about how you might go forward. (And don’t worry, it’s really not that much more work!)

Caroline Koppelman
Deferred by Harvard — Now What? (2023-24)

If you’ve been deferred by Harvard, you are not alone. Harvard is notorious at this point for deferring an enormous percentage of early admission applicants. While most elite colleges with early admissions programs, like early decision and early action, only defer students they are seriously considering for the next freshman class, the statistics Harvard has released on early admission suggest that they take a very different approach.

Caroline Koppelman
Writing the “Why This College” Essay

Even though every college has slightly different supplementary application materials, you’ll likely run into a variation of one question more than any other: “Why do you want to attend this school in particular?” It’s every institution’s way of saying, Let’s cut to the chase. Why us?

Caroline Koppelman
How to Write an Amazing and Unique Common App ...

If you’re here, you’ve likely already taken a look at the Common App essay options, felt a little bit of existential doom, and fought the urge to take a long nap (and honestly? Relatable).

Caroline Koppelman
The Best Guide to College Application ...

No two college supplements are the same, but there is one question that shows up again and again. Why our school? If you are applying to multiple schools with supplements you will probably have to write multiple essays on this exact topic (no, you can’t just reuse the same one). While word counts and specifics can vary, these essays always follow a similar structure and goal. After reading this blog post you’ll be set to answer all of them.

entrepreneurship

Impressive High School Internships in Entrepreneurship

We work with our clients to get ahead of the competition by building impressive resumes. Part of this requires cultivating a highly specific brand centered around a niche academic area. Entrepreneurship is a great specialty to pursue throughout high school. We recommend aligning your classes and extracurriculars around the area and then applying directly to programs and majors that are a natural extension of your specialty. One way to strengthen your resume is to land an impressive internship.

Best Colleges if you Want to Start a Business

If you already know you want to start a business, where you go to college really matters — especially if you want to build a big business with investors, dozens or even hundreds of employees, and a big fancy office with a big fancy chair. Even if you aren’t eyeing that comfy chair behind a big desk, if you want to start a business in the next few years you should plan to build up your entrepreneurial credentials while pursuing your undergrad.  

How to Build Out Your Extracurriculars for Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship. Not just an impossible-to-spell word! It could also be… your major. We don't want to lie to you. Entrepreneurship as a major can be a risky choice. Schools read that and think Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. Not because of your clear genius, but because you kids are more prone to dropping out of college to pursue your dreams. So how can you counteract these malicious, untrue stereotypes? By proving you’re in it to win it. How can you prove you’re in it to win it? Extracurriculars.