Preparing for standardized exams is one of the most important and time-consuming parts of preparing to enter college or university. However, this is not the only thing on which we work with families and students. The college application process involves a lot more than exams. Our tutors and administrators have years of experience navigating university admissions, and we use that expertise to make individualized plans for each student we work with. Aside from test prep, Occam Education’s college admissions consulting for high school students involves a few more important details.
Final Year University Admissions Consulting: Fall
- Helping students select universities based upon career or study interests. As early as possible into the student’s final year of high school, we will meet with them to discuss their dream schools and their career paths. From here, we will help them to narrow down their choices and to recommend other schools that would be a good fit for them.
- Identifying requirements and deadlines. Admissions deadlines can vary from October Early Action deadlines to as far out as regular admissions in March or April. Preventing late applications is critical. We will work with students to keep track of deadlines and prioritize what to work on for each application.
- Helping students craft essays. Authentic, interesting, and of course, unique, essays are arguably one of the most important parts of a student’s application. A well-crafted essay can increase a student’s chances of getting into a selective school, especially if their grades or test scores are average. The essay also helps admissions readers know if their programs are a good fit for the applicant.
- Preparing for interviews. Some schools will request an interview with a student. If this is something that applies to them, we will work with them to prepare for it so they know what to expect.
- Sending test scores. Both before and after the student takes a test like the ACT or SAT, we will work with them to make sure their scores get where they need to go. This involves making sure they have all school codes that they wish to send their scores to, and sending their scores electronically through exam websites after they complete it.
Final Year University Admissions Consulting: Spring
- Submitting the Certification of Finances. This document, which is separate from applications, is required for all international students attending college or university in the US. This will require you to provide information about the student’s income, sponsors, emergency funds, and any applicable restrictions from your home country.
- Submitting their applications. When the student has completed all materials, we will help them submit their applications to each school in a timely fashion. We can contact applicable parties to make sure this process goes smoother. This will ensure that all materials get where they need to go, and further, that the school is not requesting the wrong things.
- Tracking application progress. While this is not always a big task, sometimes a student’s recommender can submit something late, or their school may have a delay in processing something. This doesn’t affect their chances of getting admitted, per se, but it might affect Early Decision or Early Action. We will help make sure these issues don’t become problems.
- Visa application assistance. When applying for a visa, we help with deadlines and understanding the type of visa you need (generally J-1 or F-1 for the US). It is critical to get the visa process started 2-5 months before a student arrives.
There are a lot of things to keep track of throughout a student’s final year of high school. The last thing you should have to worry about is paperwork.
