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January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Curtis

Hong Kong

The Swimmer

Claremont McKenna

Client: Curtis

When we first met Curtis, he defined himself as a swimmer. He swam for his school, swam for a club program, competed in international swim meets, and became an assistant coach to younger swimmers. He tested his skills by traveling to San Francisco to compete with the elite Terrapin Swim Team.

The competition made Curtis a stronger swimmer every day. He returned to Hong Kong with incredible confidence and a desire to swim in college. His father had attended schools in New England while his mother had familiarity with the West Coast, so Curtis pursued schools on both coasts. All seemed fine until Curtis started coming up short of breath in his practices and was eventually diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. As a result, Curtis felt that he had to make a decision to pursue a college swim program or pursue a college. The Short List saw things differently and began suggesting schools where he might be able to do both. Curtis eventually found Claremont McKenna, a Division III school where he might be able to swim if he felt the desire, but where, more importantly, he would receive a great education. He would also have access to four other nationally ranked schools in the Claremont system.

Curtis knew Claremont McKenna was among the most selective liberal arts colleges in the U.S. He traveled to the school to attend an information session and take a tour, met the admissions rep when she visited his high school, and developed an email dialogue with the admissions staff. His efforts paid off: When The Short List spoke with the Claremont McKenna representative at a national college counseling conference and mentioned an interested student from Hong Kong, the admissions rep interjected, “Oh, you mean Curtis!” Curtis had made an impression in person, but now needed to do the same in his application.

He wrote about his love for swimming, the challenges he encountered, and the many lessons he learned along the way. He discussed other activities that rounded out his life and his love for learning. The Short List could see this was no longer just about his college application, but a true celebration of the young man Curtis had become. He applied Early Decision to CMC because he felt certain it was his school.

The Short List encouraged Curtis to have other applications ready…just in case. In the end, he didn’t need them. Curtis is now happily settling in at Claremont McKenna, and may yet join their swim team someday.

January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Connor

Ohio

The Golfer

Emory

Connor

Connor began his college journey with The Short List focused on academics. A senior from Ohio, he had excelled as a student and was also captain of the golf team two years in a row. He was passionate about golf, but academics was the driving force behind his college list. Connor’s busy schedule with golf had not left much time for college visits, so he had only taken a few campus tours. The Short List helped Connor realize that looking at college websites was fine, but nothing would beat seeing the campus in person.

Connor planned to pursue engineering or pre-med in college. The Short List suggested he consider a few schools he had not previously, one of which was Emory University in Atlanta. We believed the 3-2 engineering program Emory offers in conjunction with Georgia Tech, as well as Emory’s strong pre-med program, would each be an equally great fit for Connor.

During the fall of his senior year, The Short List helped Connor prepare for a weekend visit to the school and encouraged him to reach out to the golf coach prior to arriving on campus. Connor knew of Emory’s competitive golf program and grew increasingly excited about the prospect of playing for the team. He reached out to the coach and was able to spend time with the coach and members of the team during his visit.

The Short List worked quickly to help Connor produce a quality application in order to meet the Early Decision deadline. Following what he called a very successful trip, Connor moved Emory to the top of his list. We helped Connor continue building a relationship with the coach, and it was through this communication that the Emory golf coach encouraged Connor to apply Early Decision. Connor realized Emory offered an opportunity for a great academic school, but also one where he could play golf, so he jumped at the opportunity.

The Short List worked quickly to help Connor produce a quality application in order to meet the Early Decision deadline.

During the weeks Connor waited to hear back from Emory, The Short List continued working with him on other applications, but it turned out he would not need them. Connor was accepted Early Decision to Emory University and will join the golf team next fall. The Short List is proud to have helped Connor realize his dream of attending a strong academic university as a scholar-athlete.

January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Cameron

Washington DC

The Music Producer

New York University

Client: Cameron

Cameron was certain about two things when he contacted The Short List in the fall of his senior year: he wanted to pursue his passion for music production and he wanted to attend an urban university. Having grown up in Hong Kong, with family in France and Spain, Cameron felt it was important to study on a multicultural campus with access to a bustling city. As an accomplished musician, Cameron also wanted a university with a vibrant music scene both on and off campus. Music technology is such a unique program that Cameron was having trouble finding schools that met all his criteria.

The Short List knew Cameron had to be strategic in his approach. He had a full schedule between his International Baccalaureate curriculum and extracurricular activities, including his DJ work and performing. Cameron was finding it difficult to devote the necessary time to preparing for the SAT or ACT, so we connected him with The Short List Test Prep Division, which introduced him to strategic tools for taking the test.

The Short List knew Cameron had to be strategic in his approach.

Cameron was unable to travel from Hong Kong to the US to visit college campuses, so he began to doubt whether he would be accepted. The Short List looked for other ways he could make connections that would demonstrate his interest. We coached Cameron on how to reach out to admissions staff and relevant academic departments. We also helped him identify admissions receptions being held locally, and prepped him to speak with each area representative. One college very quickly stood out: New York University. Cameron was certain NYU was his school. The Short List helped Cameron prepare and submit his Early Decision application and required materials to NYU while also preparing applications for other schools on his list. He was overjoyed when he received an Early Decision acceptance to NYU’s prestigious music technology program; he emailed The Short List to say, “I can’t wait to attend NYU! I just want to say thank you for the whole process and the time you spent with me. I was stressed out, and I ‘over-thought’ a lot. Thank you for calming me down every single time. I wouldn’t be accepted to NYU without you!”

January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Connie

Washington DC

The Equestrian

George Washington University

Client: Connie

Originally from England, Connie attended high school in the United States, just outside New York City, when her parents’ work moved them across the Atlantic. We had worked with Connie’s older brother, so she was somewhat familiar with the process. She liked the idea of the US liberal arts curriculum, but she also missed England, her extended family, and friends and wanted to explore schools in both the US and England.

Connie took a rigorous course load in high school; joined various activities, including her school’s championship field hockey team; and became a leader in a service organization working with homeless individuals in New Jersey and New York City. However, Connie’s true love is riding. She spent most afternoons and summer days at her local stable, which Connie affectionately calls “the barn.” During her junior year, Connie’s family helped her buy a 10-year-old horse named Homer that everyone believed could never be trained. Connie spent countless hours with Homer, showing him affection, grooming him, and building trust. Homer gradually allowed Connie to ride him, a feat that astonished everyone at the barn.

The Short List helped Connie research schools with flexible pre-veterinary or pre-medicine programs. She considered schools as far as away as California and as close as New York City. She knew she wanted an urban environment so she could secure internships at local hospitals and enjoy cultural offerings. She also wanted a school where she would either be able to come home to visit Homer or where she might eventually be able to board him close to the school. England slowly fell out of consideration as she narrowed her list down to urban schools on the East Coast in the US. We encouraged Connie to visit the schools to determine the right fit.

The Short List helped Connie research schools with flexible pre-veterinary or pre-medicine programs.

Connie’s last college visit was to The George Washington University in Washington, DC, a school mostly known for social sciences, including government, international relations, and political science. However, The George Washington University Hospital sits right next door, a real benefit for this urban school. The school is also on a direct train line to Connie’s hometown and Homer. None of this was lost on Connie when she sent The Short List a text that read, “I love this school, and think I want to apply Early Decision!”
The next weeks were spent writing essays, completing her supplement, and submitting all the required documents. We also showed Connie how to build a relationship with the school even before submitting her application. It all paid off when Connie received her Early Decision acceptance. She says she got the best of everything: an urban school, strong science programs, a nearby hospital, and an easy train ride back to Homer.

January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Genesis

New York

The Pianist

Bryn Mawr College

Genesis

Genesis attends a public high school in New York City made famous by the TV movie From Homeless to Harvard. Her school does not have a college counseling office, so The Short List has been providing pro-bono services to her school for all of our 15 years. Each year, we help students research schools; take them on college tours; and provide help with test prep, applications, and filing for financial aid. Most of the students are children of low-income, immigrant single parents and will be the first in their family to attend college. Their families never ask where their child will go to college, but rather how they will ever be able to afford college. Genesis’ situation was no exception. Genesis will graduate at the top of her class. She is one of the most determined students we have come across, a personality trait that apparently was born in her. Genesis grew up loving church music. She begged her mother to buy a piano but was always told there was no money in the family budget. Imagine Genesis’ surprise when she opened her Christmas gift one year and discovered a keyboard. She learned how to play by watching YouTube artists until she finally felt confident enough to approach her church’s music director, who saw her potential and invited her to practice with the church band. Genesis worked hard to learn the music by ear. The church wanted to support her efforts and one day showed up at her home with a piano. Genesis now plays twice a week for her 1,400-member congregation.

The Short List took Genesis to visit 10 suburban schools. Genesis also took a local college psychology course during her junior year of high school, and she began to understand how music could be used in therapy. She wanted to find a school that would give her the chance to continue studying psychology but also to learn how to read and study music. Ultimately, she wanted to find a way to combine the two interests. Having grown up in New York, Genesis also wanted to experience life outside the big city but stay close enough that she could easily travel home to visit family.

The Short List took Genesis to visit 10 suburban schools.

We saw her incredible potential and pushed her to reach for the stars. She had fallen in love with Bryn Mawr College, one of the sister schools to the Ivy League. She loved the empowering all-women environment, the emphasis on the social sciences and arts, and partnership with other nearby elite colleges. She gambled and applied Early Decision. Six weeks later, Genesis sent a simple text: “OMG, I got in!” Bryn Mawr too saw her great potential by offering her a scholarship. It is not difficult to understand the burden the scholarship lifted and the opportunity that Genesis now has in front of her.

January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Ethan

Hong Kong

The Community Organizer

Cornell University

Ethan

Crossroads Group, a partner organization that provides writing assistance to students in Hong Kong, introduced us to Ethan when he was a high school freshman. He was a serious student in school and a member of the Boy Scouts outside of school. He had an opportunity to travel to Nepal with the Boy Scouts to work on a Habitat for Humanity build. The work was tough, dirty, and not at all what he expected, but he had a great trip leader who sat the scouts down when they began complaining and explained the significance of their work for the village. His leader’s words had an enormous impact on Ethan.

Ethan returned to school eager to join his school’s Habitat for Humanity Club. He expected weekly builds and trips but soon discovered the Club was mostly focused on fundraising. He advocated for trips knowing they would help build new membership. He used their Halloween Haunted House and Christmas Gingerbread House fundraisers to educate younger Club members about the real mission of Habitat for Humanity. Ethan finally convinced the Club to fund a trip to Cambodia and will lead this year’s trip to Indonesia. Ethan also chose to join his school’s annual service trips, traveling to India, Vietnam, and the Himalayas over the course of his sophomore, junior, and senior years. These trips exposed him to the realities of extreme poverty and social injustice.

Back in Hong Kong, Ethan worked toward his Eagle Scout rank. His Eagle project was to build a supply room for a local orphanage. He decided to stay with the Scouts to mentor younger members after achieving his Eagle. It seemed Ethan was committed to improving the lives of others in every way possible.

During the nearly four years we worked with Ethan, we helped him plan numerous college visits. As his passion for community service became evident, we recommended Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology, whose mission is “to improve lives by exploring and shaping human connections to natural, social, and built environments.” Ethan and his father traveled to Ithaca almost as an afterthought, but Ethan’s identity is so grounded in service that we weren’t surprised he fell in love with Cornell.

Ethan worked hard on his application and The Short List made sure every word connected the dots of his story. He also wrote a supplement so clearly directed to the College of Human Ecology that we weren’t surprised when he received a Cornell Early Decision acceptance. Sometimes a school is better because of a student, and sometimes a student is better because of the school. In Ethan’s case, we believe both will be true, and the world will also be better as a result.

January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Anne-Claire

France

The Artist

Cambridge

It is rare that we work with teenagers who are singularly focused on a specific profession, but Anne-Claire was the exception. She was absolutely in love with art, and she was always clear that she wanted art to help shape her career.

Anne-Claire is French and, in Paris, was surrounded by some of the finest art museums in the world. As a young girl, she moved to Barcelona and was struck by both the beauty and oddity of Gaudi’s architecture on the grand Paseo de Gracia Avenue. She would spend hours outside contemplating the distinctive nature — inspired, organic shapes and forms that characterize his famous buildings. Her family also moved to London, where she became acquainted with the national Museum and was captivated by the Portrait Gallery. She began to keep a sketchbook and design costumes based on the many images she saw in the galleries. Finally, Anne-Claire discovered the world of modern art when her family moved to new York City while she was in high school.
Anne-Claire looked to The Short List to help her find schools that would allow her to explore her passion for connecting art with the world around her. We introduced her to a former career client who had secured a job at Sotheby’s. She saw the business side of art and was smitten. Anne-Claire wanted to explore schools in both the United States and United Kingdom. While most U.S. colleges require students to explore many academic areas through a core curriculum, students in England enter a specific college with a singular academic focus. Anne-Claire was open to both options as long as the schools had strong art history or art management programs. She made it clear that she would not apply Early Decision to any school because she wanted to keep her options open.

The Short List helped Anne-Claire research her list of schools and programs, and then plan her visits. She was keen to have interviews so she could better understand each school’s philosophy. We took her through our interview prep, helped her formulate questions, and then role-played many of the questions she was likely to encounter. She received tremendous feedback from several schools indicating that her interest and background made her a strong candidate. Anne-Claire was accepted to many premier schools. She chose to attend Cambridge University in England, where she will spend the next three years at Christ’s College reading the history of art.

January 27, 2018June 12, 2018

Anthony

China

The Environmentalist

Pitzer

Client: Anthony

Anthony attends an international school in Shanghai, China. Although he is Chinese-American, he has spent his entire life in Asia. He was determined to follow his older sister and study in the United States. She attends school outside Philadelphia, so at first Anthony considered East Coast schools, but he also wanted to visit schools in California.

Anthony is a bright student who is very involved in service and environmental activities. He was an officer in his school’s Roots and Shoots Club, participated on Habitat for Humanity trips to Mongolia and Malaysia, assisted the Jacaranda Foundation by teaching AIDS orphans, and returned to Mongolia to plant trees. At school, he worked with club members, students, and faculty to draft the school’s new eco policy and helped write a proposal for energy-efficient lighting, water- saving faucets, proper compost disposal, better use of natural lighting, and improved insulation.

The Short List recommended several California schools that have some of the United States’ strongest environmental science programs. Anthony’s parents could not be absent from work long enough to travel with him. However, two of Anthony’s closest friends were living in Hong Kong and also working with The Short List. To the great relief of Anthony’s parents, their families agreed to take Anthony with them on a West Coast college tour we helped organize.

The Short List recommended several California schools that have some of the United States’ strongest environmental science programs.

For Anthony, Pitzer College really stood out. Pitzer is part of the Claremont Colleges that also includes Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps. Students can take classes at all five colleges, giving students a university feel. Pitzer emphasizes activism, building community service and advocacy into every program.

Before visiting Pitzer, Anthony signed up for an interview. During his visit, he saw that he would both learn in the classroom and be able to continue his work in the community. Anthony communicated with the school throughout the fall, and his Early Decision application outlined why the school’s environmental science program was right for him and how his interest and desires would be right for Pitzer.

There was no doubt Pitzer knew of Anthony even before he applied and clearly understood his reasons for applying. Anthony received his acceptance eight weeks later. Fittingly, Anthony’s mother had to convey the good news to him because Anthony was out of town helping others.

January 26, 2018June 12, 2018

Alexandra

Dominican Republic

The Triplet

Barnard College

Alexandra is a triplet, lives in the Dominican Republic, and has older siblings attending college and graduate school in the U.S. When she began working with The Short List at the start of her junior year, she was determined to carve her own path through the process. She knew she wanted to attend college in the U.S., but that was the extent of her certainty in the college search process. In working with Alexandra we were very impressed with her energy, her engagement in the community, and her passion for life.

Alexandra grew up participating in political rallies and events, and world affairs were a regular topic at family dinners. She helped edit and produce two award-winning films for an advocacy film festival. She attended a summer course in international relations at Brown University, returning home determined to continue exploring the subject in college. As we helped her research majors for college, it became clear she wanted to find a way to combine international relations with her political and film interests, so we encouraged her to consider Barnard, one of Columbia University’s four undergraduate colleges. Barnard offers exactly what she was looking for: a vibrant campus where she could study political science, international relations, film studies, and human rights in an empowering environment.

The Short List worked with Alex to craft an application that highlighted her strengths and the interests that set her apart.

Alexandra had some concerns about applying to Barnard. Her older sister attends Barnard and her family spends a lot of time in Manhattan. She wanted to be sure she would not miss the opportunity to break out on her own by staying too close to her family. Her test scores presented another concern—they were not as strong as she would have liked despite her solid academic record. The Short List recognized Alexandra is bright, accomplished, and very determined, and felt she would be able to overcome these concerns if she really wanted to attend Barnard. She just had to find a way to communicate her passion for the school and the unique qualities she would bring to their next matriculating class.

The Short List worked with her to craft an application that highlighted her strengths and the interests that set her apart. She had an impressive resume with a wide range of experiences. We helped her identify the themes that threaded all of her activities together to tell the school a cohesive, distinctive story. We also showed her how to develop a relationship with her colleges. It was exciting to see Alexandra’s confidence grow throughout the process.

Alexandra decided to apply Early Decision to Barnard and eagerly awaited their decision. December arrived, and she was thrilled to receive an early acceptance. We are confident she will continue to forge her own path as she pursues her passions over the next four years.

January 26, 2018June 12, 2018

Alex

Florida

The Best Buddy

Duke

Client: Alex

When Alex first came to The Short List in his junior year, we knew that he was an exceptional student. He was second in his class, had already taken seven AP courses, and was a member of three honor societies. We were amazed to learn how many activities Alex was also involved with: varsity and club soccer, student government, community service, and a few clubs at school. It quickly became clear Alex’s challenge was going to be time management.

Additionally, we knew that Alex had ambition but had yet to discover his true passion. As we got to know Alex, we learned he had a growing enthusiasm for his work with the Best Buddies Club at his school. Alex had developed a close relationship with his “buddy.” As we worked with Alex, he began to recognize he had a strong passion for working with students with intellectual disabilities and was determined to help other students experience a friendship similar to the one he and his buddy shared. He became president of the club in his senior year and grew the membership from five students to 150 active members. Ultimately, Alex’s work with Best Buddies gave him a strong curiosity about brain development, and he became interested in pursuing neuroscience.

Alex decided to apply Early Decision to Duke University, and The Short List worked with him to prepare his application.

Attending a public school in the Tampa area, Alex did not have many opportunities to attend college information sessions and had not yet visited any campuses. The Short List helped Alex begin to develop a college list and identify college presentations in his area that he could attend. We also knew it was important for Alex to visit some college campuses. Given the demands of his schoolwork, many activities, and two summer jobs, this was not an easy task.

Alex visited several schools in North Carolina at the start of his senior year and immediately fell in love with Duke. When stepping on campus, he felt he had “found his people.” More than that, Alex was taken with the strong science offerings at Duke and the opportunities to do research. Alex decided to apply Early Decision to Duke University, and The Short List worked with him to prepare his application. We realized that while he had great breadth of experience, it was important that he demonstrate the depth of his commitment to his activities as well. We worked with him to develop strong essays that conveyed his passion and involvement, and we went through extensive interview preparation.

Alex was accepted Early Decision to Duke University and will be matriculating this fall.