APPLICATION ONRAMP
APPLICATION ONRAMP
(Class of 2026, Class of 2027, and Class of 2028)
Getting into your dream school takes more than just a strong GPA and test scores, especially for the most selective schools. It’s not just a math equation! (SAT + GPA does not necessarily equal admission.) It takes a focus on what makes you special, exploring and demonstrating your interests. The Application Onramp is all about amplifying the things that you’re already doing to deepen, broaden, or “unique-ify” your activities. We help you build your brand, and that brand is how admissions officers will remember you.
How do we do this? In so many ways!
» Passion projects: Helping start or grow a club, foundation, business, or blog
» Identifying summer programs and/or relevant internships
» Course selection (we examine what each student needs based on their intended major and interests; the differences between AP, IB, and other programs; and what it all means in the context of your student’s school and applications)
» Advising about standardized testing (discussing timing; how best to prep; how to select between the ACT or SAT; the differences between test-blind and test-optional and whether those are good choices)
» Suggesting academic and/or research opportunities
Onramp begins slowly and builds as students advance through high school. For students joining us in 11th grade, it includes everything provided in the earlier grades, just amped up for the high school junior. Joining us in the second half of 11th grade? We'll catch you up! (11th grade is definitely NOT too late.)
No matter when you join, we help create a customized action plan centered around your specific interests and goals. We help students intentionally select the coursework, activities, and opportunities that they enjoy AND that are most impactful on their college application.
When should we get started? Is 11th grade too late?
Shouldn't every student take the most rigorous courses possible?
How many clubs should students join? Is more better?
We work with you to create customized action plans centered around your interests and goals — ensuring that your choices (classes and extracurriculars) are impactful, both in terms of interest exploration AND in terms of college admissions.
It’s more fun! It’s more time-efficient! And it’s more specialized to YOU. We help you find what you want to do and do it in meaningful ways. This gives you an edge, making you stand out from all the other smart high schoolers who are also applying to “your” school.
Think you know what you want to major in? We'll help you test that theory (“I want to be an engineer!”) before applying to school.
If you don’t know what you want to major in, we help you develop some of the attributes that admissions committees find desirable: leadership, community engagement, quirky weirdnesses.
We help our students build the case for why they should be admitted, even when other students (possibly with better scores) are not. Start a club, take a class, volunteer, or do an internship — let's choose the activities that make sense for YOU.
BUILDING MADISON'S BRAND
Our student, Madison (not her real name!), had years of experience in band — but she wanted to be a museum curator. How does a drum major demonstrate interest in museum curating? High schools don't offer these courses!
We helped her think about how she could transition from music to museums. The skills she'd developed in band and other musical activities were transferrable; she just needed some help demonstrating that. Leadership, working in and for a community, and determination all served her well in band — and would serve her equally well in curation.
We helped her find online courses to take (and certificates to earn) from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, and the Sorbonne in Paris. We also helped her create a website that detailed current and upcoming shows and events at her local museums and cultural societies. She was also shadowed her county's Director of Cultural Affairs.
What happened next for Madison? We'll continue her story in Application Launch...
Read the Rest of Madison's StoryBUILDING DAVID'S BRAND
David (not his real name!) played football, a top player in his small high school — but he wasn't recruitable at the college level. He loved the game, though, and he also loved the idea of going into business. We considered his interest in exercise and nutrition, his love of the game, and his desire to keep football in his life in some way.
We helped him find courses in sports analytics and statistics, both of which tied together the ideas of sports and business. He developed a website exploring the business of sports: the financial considerations, the importance of running backs, and how salary caps and recruiting impact any particular team.
As he was thinking about these issues, he was exploring and identifying his real interests. The research he did to support website served as a proof of concept — after all, how could he know what sort of "business + sports" career he wanted coming straight of out high school?
How did this work out for David? Click here to read more of his story in Application Launch...
Read the Rest of David's Story