'Emily was a junior in high school when we relocated to America from the UK. Many of her subjects did not translate easily into the US school system, and she was all over the place academically. We worked with Sam for a few months between her junior and senior year. He got her set up quickly with the SAT process and essay writing. She got into her top school at Columbia University early decision! Thank you to Sam for holding our hand throughout the admissions process' -Elizabeth
COLUMBIA - CORNELL - STANFORD - UPENN - TUFTS - HOPKINS - DUKE - MIT - CARNEGIE MELLON
are just a few of the schools to which our students were recently admitted in 2024!
Admissions are only getting harder each year, with many top college acceptance rates falling in the low single digits! The process, which can seem very random, daunting, and overwhelming, can in fact be simplified if working strategically.
For that reason, at Priority-Q, we provide a comprehensive admissions coaching package - for first-year undergrads, transfer students and grad students. Our tutors offer personalized and individualized strategies for each student across all the areas evaluated by the admissions committees.
Read more about our unique detailed below:
1) Standardized Testing
While the SATs/ACTs were eliminated for a few years, they are now strongly advised (or even required) by many schools again. Such exams are the only standard benchmark across all applicants (opposed to GPAs and course selection - which vary from school to school), and are the first metric many colleges look at in the selection process.
Preparing well in advance is proven to increase ones score. Many students struggle with the SAT and the timing. Our tutors work diligently with our students, going over their strengths and weaknesses - while conducting a plan of action to ensure they succeed on their exam. We typically guide students for about four to six weeks before the exam date. This has proven to be extremely effective, and we are proud that our average SAT scores for 2023-2024 have been 1530 (out of 1600) and our average ACT score have been 33 (out of 36) - ensuring all of our students are starting strong in the initial round of the selection.
2) School Selection
We construct a list of top tier, mid tier and safety schools for each student - in addition to carefully choosing one school for Early Decision (binding) and as many as possible for Early Action (non-binding) and Regular Decision. We ensure that each school is a strong fit, both personally for the student (geographical location, climate etc.), but also academically. Certain schools are more flexible in terms of elective requirements, while some have rigorous and fixed curriculums.
'I am interested in humanities but also sciences, should I apply to the engineering college?'
'If I know really want to study law, should I consider going to the UK rather than wait until grad school?'
'Should I really major in biology if I am interested in doing pre-med, or can something else help me stand out?'
'My dream school doesn't offer my dream major, but it does offer an independent major. Is this worth applying for or is it too risky?'
These are just a few of the questions that arise in conversations between students and tutors when narrowing down a list of schools.
3) Personal Statement and Supplemental Essays
The personal statements are one of the only places in the application process where students are evaluated in a more holistic setting. Some students like to be very formal and academic, while some enjoy taking a creative liberty and using the essays as an opportunity to highlight certain qualities they feel someone must know about them.
We work alongside students throughout their writing process to ensure they have strong, well balanced statements that give a clear, and exciting narrative of who they are, what they've done so far, and what they hope to achieve moving forward.
Students will write and revise their essay multiple times, receiving ongoing constructive criticism and editorial comments from their regular tutor and at least one more tutor for an external opinion.
4) Interview Preparation
Depending on which school you apply to, you may be required to go through an interview process. Sometimes the process can be very straightforward. In the US, typically, most students meet with a local alum from your town. This is a way to demonstrate interest in the school and ask good and thorough questions. We guide students on how to hold such conversations, what sort of questions to ask, when and how.
Students applying to UK schools (Oxford/Cambridge), can expect the interview to convey a lot more significance, requiring them to talk about their intended subject in a highly nuanced form, from many different perspectives. Our tutors will supply you with suggested reading list, and guide you through a series of mock interviews.
5) Extra Project and Portfolio
While the essays are one point of intellectual and personal synthesis in your application, demonstrated interest and self initiative are just as important. For that reason, depending on your interests, we will craft a plan of study that will help you conduct a small independent project or portfolio that will reflect exactly this.
Making the decision to transfer institutions is tough. The reasons behind transferring vary, yet whether it is social, academic, or a bit of both, at Priority-Q we navigate our students throughout the complexities of transfer process.
1) Personal Statement
We help students write a strong statement as to why they wish to transfer. This essay addresses both the sound academic reasons for transferring, as well as the personal ones. We also use this area in the application to craft a narrative: highlighting your academic maturity since high school, explaining your academic development and exploration of different fields in your first year in college - and how this has led you to wanting to transfer to a different school. We ensure to address why transferring to a new school will help you accomplish your academic and professional goals.
2) School Selection and Supplemental Essays
In addition to the personal statement, we guide students in crafting a list of reach, target and safety schools. As the number of admitted transfer students is usually quite limited in top schools, we make sure students clearly demonstrate to the admissions committee that they are fully aware of their academic requirements should they transfer, and demonstrate an academic path to show they can fulfill the college's general requirements in addition to their major.
By doing this, our students remove any shed of doubt the admissions committee may have, and show that they hold a high level of academic aptitude.
Students will write and revise their essay multiple times, receiving ongoing constructive criticism and editorial comments from their regular tutor and at least one more tutor for an external opinion.
1) Statement of Purpose
We help students write a detailed statement of purpose, explaining why they wish to pursue graduate studies, and why they are specifically interested in their area of study. Drawing on students' undergrad experience, and relevant professional experience, we also use the statement of purpose as a space to address both their personal, academic and professional goals, and explain why graduate studies and higher education is critical at this moment in their trajectory.
2) School Selection and Supplemental Essays
We guide students in crafting a list of reach, target and safety schools. We make sure students clearly demonstrate to the admissions committee that they are fully aware of their academic requirements and explain how taking these courses in grad school will help them in the future. We also guide students, if needed, on how to reach out to faculty members to ask for potential research supervision.
3) GRE Prep
We prepare students for all sections across the GRE exam should it be required for admission.