Meet Our Clients – Page 3

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Sara

Washington DC

The Advocate

Columbia

Sara (Washington DC)

When Sara, a University of Michigan alumna, engaged The Short List to help her with her graduate school search, it was the second time we had worked with her. Her family first engaged our services when she was a senior in high school.

Sara was working at a prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm and studying for the LSATs, so we began to explore law schools together. She had majored in psychology and envisioned a career advocating for young people in the courtroom. However, the more we worked with Sara, the more we began to feel law school might not be the correct path for her.

The Short List challenged Sara to think more deeply about why she wanted to pursue law. She has always been a driven individual with a very clear direction, one of the reasons she was always successful in her academics and extracurricular activities. A feeling of uncertainty was new for her.

The Short List challenged Sara to think more deeply about her chosen major and find the right path for her.

Sara grew up in an affluent town and graduated from one of the country’s premier public high schools, but she always felt pervasive pressure throughout her schooling, especially among the female students. Like many of her peers, she experienced feelings of self-doubt and struggled with low self-esteem. Even now, she attributes her success to the counseling she received in high school that helped her work through the challenges of those years. in discussing these experiences with The Short List, Sara began wondering if she should instead be a psychologist working with teenage girls.
Sara found an internship at The George Washington University Hospital and worked closely with a clinical psychologist. The deeper she delved into the profession, the more certain she became that psychology was the right path for her. She considered several schools, researched their programs, and visited their campuses, narrowing the list down to six schools to which she planned to apply.

We could see that it would be important for Sara to communicate her own teenage struggles in her essay and describe the steps she undertook from counseling to internship that led her to pursue psychology as a profession. Sara was accepted to several of the nation’s top psychology programs and settled on Columbia University, where she will have the opportunity to pursue one of several tracks as she moves deeper into the program.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Phoebe

England

The Lacrosse Player

Duke

Phoebe attended one of our fall UK presentations at her boarding school in England. We outlined the opportunities of US education, but Phoebe mostly heard that she could be a scholar- athlete and continue playing lacrosse at the college level. Phoebe is an outstanding student and a gifted athlete. In addition to playing lacrosse for her school, Phoebe also plays for her county team, a UK regional team, and, most impressively, England’s U19 National Team.
Phoebe was well known in England but not in the United States. Whenever her national team competed in international tournaments, she saw that all the great players attended or graduated from US colleges. Phoebe became determined to do the same.

Our first effort was to help Phoebe raise her visibility with US coaches. The Short List showed her how to begin building relationships. We suggested putting together a recruiting video for her top schools. We also stressed the importance of campus visits and meeting one-on-one with coaches. We then helped her put together a weeklong college tour.

The Short List showed her how to begin building relationships.

On her first day, she visited the Duke campus. The coach and players were away at a tournament, but Phoebe was able to evaluate Duke’s academics. She went on to visit several other schools and meet with their coaches but kept returning to Duke academics as the standard against which she measured all the other schools. Phoebe wanted to return to Duke for another visit to meet the coach. We looked at the various summer recruiting camps and, as luck would have it, her national team was scheduled to compete in the US at the same time Duke was scheduled to hold their summer camp. She ended up spending two days at Duke, meeting with the coaches and players. The head coach pulled Phoebe aside at the end of the camp and told her how impressed the staff was with her. Phoebe was thrilled to receive these words of encouragement from a coach whose team is ranked among the best in the country.

Phoebe spent the fall semester considering her options. The Duke coach did not make it easy. She told Phoebe she would have to get into Duke on her own merit but, if accepted, she would have a place on the team. Duke had a binding Early Decision program, which meant that Phoebe would have to commit without having something in writing from the coach. Phoebe and her parents decided it was worth the gamble because of Duke’s strong academic programs. She was clearly excited six weeks later when she emailed The Short List: “The dream has come true! Thank you for all your help; I couldn’t have gotten this without you! (A rather excited and over- the-moon) Phoebe.” A day later, the coach sent Phoebe a note welcoming her to Duke’s nationally ranked team.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Paula

Spain

The Wall Streeter

University of Pennsylvania

Client: Paula

When The Short List met Paula, she was at the top of her game academically. She had consistently earned high marks in every high school subject and on all of her standardized tests. Having lived in New York, New Mexico, Germany, and Spain, Paula has a world-wise perspective and speaks four languages fluently.

We had already worked with Paula’s older sister, but we quickly figured out there was nothing “cookie cutter” about Paula. She was on her own path, and her dream was clear and specific: She wanted to turn her love of math into a career on Wall Street.

Paula came to The Short List having identified 25 potential colleges but no top choice. The Short List worked with Paula to narrow down her list through research, college tours, and information sessions. She discovered the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania, an interdisciplinary course of study in business education, language training, and liberal arts. Paula’s enthusiasm for the program made it clear she had discovered both the perfect program for her and a clearer sense of direction.

The Short List worked with Paula to narrow down her list through research, college tours, and information sessions.

For her Personal Statement, Paula wanted to write about her love for the board game Monopoly. The first draft explained how Paula’s various strategies for playing the game had allowed her to remain the undefeated champion for years in her family, but the essay lacked a real sense of what Paula could offer to the Huntsman Program.
The Short List worked with Paula to use Monopoly as an extended metaphor for her life, comprising the many places she had lived, her fluency with languages, and her dreams of turning calculated risks into big Wall Street profits. Paula’s risky choice of an essay topic paid off. She will join the class of 2015 in the Huntsman Program.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Sara and Grace

New Jersey

The Thoughtful Twins

Cornell, Univ of Pennsylvania

We were introduced to Sara and Grace by our summer planning consultant, Jill Tipograph. Jill had worked with the twins in organizing amazing summers and activities that extended beyond the summer.
We sat down with Jill, the twins, and their parents. The twins shared a passion for science and a desire to pursue careers in medicine. At first, the two seemed so similar that it was a challenge differentiating them. Luckily, the family engaged our services early enough that we had time to help each define her own path.

We agreed that we would work with them separately and asked them not to discuss our efforts between them. We then delved deeper into their backgrounds, and began to get a better sense of each sister’s personality. Sara loved music and community service. She played violin in her school’s orchestra and became the senior leader of the Fundraising Council and Debate Club. She also spent summers researching at Brown and Columbia Universities, and volunteering with the community blood bank. With Jill’s help, Sara had organized a violin program for a community center in the Bronx. She collected used instruments and spent months teaching the children how to play. She even directed a show they put on for their parents. Sara’s efforts were always directed at helping others.

The Short List helped each of the sisters compile a list of colleges that addressed their individual interests.

Grace loved science but felt conflicted because she also loved literature, writing, and the classics. In school she joined the Writer’s Workshop Club and became the editor for her school’s literary magazine and newspaper. Outside of school, she attended summer science research programs at Penn and Columbia, and writing workshops at Johns Hopkins. Grace pursued both science and writing with equal vigor.

The Short List helped each of the sisters compile a list of colleges that addressed their individual interests. Grace wanted to find a school that would combine her love for science and writing, while Sara wanted a school that would allow her to pursue science and human ecology. Each had a clear favorite: for Grace, the University of Pennsylvania and for Sara, Cornell. Through multiple meetings with admissions personnel and faculty, each girl found an advocate at her school who agreed to write on her behalf.

Both schools announced their early decisions on the same day. Grace opened her decision first and the family recorded her jumping up and down at news of her acceptance to Penn. The camera kept rolling as Sara received her acceptance to Cornell. When they called The Short List with the news, both girls were over the moon as they shared their news—separately.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Sera

Switzerland

The Rower

Yale

The Short List had worked with Sera’s older brother, but we could immediately see that Sera’s process was going to be different because she was considering rowing in college. Sera’s mother had been a rower and encouraged Sera to pick up the sport in high school. She joined a top Swiss club and soon became one of the best rowers on the team. The summer following her sophomore year of high school, she and her French rowing partner qualified for French Nationals. The French national team coach expressed interest in her trying out for his team. Although he was disappointed to learn Sera was neither French nor living in France, she decided to make sports recruiting a part of her college process. The Short List helped Sera start reaching out to US coaches. Almost immediately, the coaches responded with great interest. Sera felt both thrilled and overwhelmed by the attention, so we looked for ways to reduce the stress for her and her family.

We encouraged her to stay focused on her academics and rowing, and then worked with the family one step at a time, beginning with planning a college tour during the fall of Sera’s junior year. We helped set up and prep her for meetings with admissions and coaches, and she returned from her visits filled with excitement. She had fallen in love with several of the schools. The coaches said they needed to see test scores before moving forward. Sera met with The Short List test-prep counselor, who determined that she showed greater promise for the ACT. This helped Sera focus on just one test. As it turned out, her ACT scores more than met the qualifying scores needed.

The Short List helped Sera submit a quality application with all of her supporting documents by the end of September.

The spring and summer were filled with rowing meets, including a return to French Nationals. This time the US coaches present took note. One coach even traveled to Switzerland to meet with Sera’s coach. Sera visited a few more schools at the end of the summer and narrowed her list to two schools. Both had given her the green light from admissions, which meant she would have to choose between them. Although it was tough to turn another Ivy League school down, Sera felt that Yale was the school for her.

The Short List helped Sera submit a quality application with all of her supporting documents by the end of September. She received a “likely” rating letter from Yale by the middle of October that ended, “…we are proud to welcome you as a member of the Yale family.” Sera had to wait until December for her official acceptance, but the weight had been lifted and she began to enjoy her senior year free of admissions angst sooner than most of her classmates.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Nicholas

Thailand

The Global Nomad

University of Virginia

Client: Nicholas

Nicholas has lived in Jamaica, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, and Thailand. Never a local and never a citizen, Nicholas became a “third culture” kid—a global nomad who combines elements of several different cultures to create his own unique identity.

His diverse upbringing gave Nicholas interests in history, political science, and international relations. He knew he wanted to attend school in the U.S. but didn’t know whether a small liberal arts college or a large university would be best. Believing a college tour could help him decide, The Short List helped Nicholas research schools and plan a trip; he asked us to focus on schools in or near Washington, D.C. The trip helped Nicholas see advantages in both small and large schools, and he decided to apply to both.

Streamlining Nicholas’s upbringing, experiences, and academic interests into a singular story was challenging. He designed an activity sheet with subcategories that told parts of his story in fascinating ways. He wrote an activity essay highlighting his Model United Nations leadership and experiences traveling in Asia. His personal statement brought it all together as he shared what it meant to be a global nomad.

Nicholas set his sites on an elite small liberal arts college and an acclaimed public university. To have a chance at both, he took the risk of not applying Early Decision. Nicholas was accepted to both his top-choice schools and made the decision to go big. He is now part of the proud tradition of the University of Virginia, experiencing what all UVA students call “first year,” learning about secret societies, and living in an international dorm on one of the most beautiful grounds in America.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Ned

California

The Consultant

Harvard Business School

Client: Ned

Ned began applying to MBA programs in the fall of 2009. He spent much of that fall working on his applications, visiting schools, interviewing, and, sadly, receiving denials or wait list notifications. Ned contacted The Short List in summer 2010 when he felt that the acceptances he had received were not the right fit for him. After reading Ned’s applications and hearing about his admissions interviews, we realized he had missed opportunities to communicate his entire story and many of his strengths.

The Short List emphasized to Ned the risks of turning down the schools that had accepted him. But, in every exercise where we had Ned prioritize his options, “applying again” came out on top. Ned decided the only choice that would make him truly happy was to “go for it,” whatever the outcome, so we advised him on how he could best improve his chances. We asked Ned to contact his schools to see what would have made him a stronger candidate. We also encouraged Ned to focus on fewer schools so he could put together quality applications and build up demonstrated interest. He decided there were just four schools that had programs strong enough to merit interrupting his career.

Although the young entrepreneurial company Ned worked for was receiving great press, they were also going through repeated layoffs. Ned was constantly adjusting to different management styles. We urged him to take on more responsibility at work in areas that would make him a stronger participant in the MBA classroom. We also helped him explore opportunities outside of work where he could leverage his experience to help others. Finally, we worked with Ned on how to better share his story in his applications. Ned returned to each campus to learn more about their programs and cultivate relationships. When invited to interview, Ned used our advice and walked into each interview with greater confidence.

He even completed one interview through Skype due to conflicts with his work schedule that prevented his traveling back to the school. In the end, Ned’s renewed effort made the difference when he was accepted to Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Ned submitted his deposit, was busy wrapping up things at work, and had plans for a relaxing summer when his last acceptance came through. Ned made a significant change of direction and instead enrolled at Harvard Business School.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Natt

Thailand

The Environmentalist

Dartmouth College

Natt spent much of his life commuting between Bangkok and Hong Kong, two cities populated by skyscrapers and dense traffic. One of Natt’s favorite pastimes was taking walks with his father and their dog. It was on the trail behind his home that Natt felt most at peace.

Natt was amazed at the abundance of opportunities to explore nature when he arrived at his US boarding school freshman year. At the end of his sophomore year, he jumped at the opportunity to spend his entire junior year in the school’s environmental program. He lived on a separate campus and took interdisciplinary courses that covered all aspects of environmental science. His program explored the political, social, and ethical considerations of environmental policy. The deeper he delved, the more connections he made across all the disciplines. He wrote an extensive research paper on the environmental economics of the fishing industry. He ended the year determined to explore colleges with strong environmental programs.

The Short List helped Natt discover a number of rural East Coast schools that would allow him to pursue his environmental passion and give him access to the great outdoors.

The Short List helped Natt discover a number of rural East Coast schools that would allow him to pursue his environmental passion and give him access to the great outdoors. He toured campuses and narrowed the list down to a select few, with Dartmouth standing out. Dartmouth “Green” goes beyond the school’s moniker and colors. At Dartmouth, Natt discovered a campus deeply committed to the environment. Most students begin their Dartmouth experience on a freshman orientation outdoor trip. All students use the College’s unique quarter D-Plan to explore their interests both in and outside the classroom. Natt began to see himself as a member of this close-knit community, so he decided to apply through their binding Early Decision program.

Natt wanted to write a unique essay for his applications, and he initially worried more about creativity then content, missing the opportunity to tell his environmental story. The Short List encouraged him to focus more on communicating his message, detailing his unique junior year, and connecting the dots for the admissions committee. We prepped him to do the same with his activity list and his interviews. Natt also asked his teachers and counselor to communicate the same message in their reference letters. Dartmouth got Natt’s message loud and clear and offered him a spot in the class of 2020. Natt has already started stocking up on his “green” Dartmouth merchandise.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Nancy and Tim

Turkey

Multiple Classmates

Tufts, NYU

Clients: Nancy and Tim

Nancy’s family works for the State Department and has hosted several international community presentations for The Short List. We met Tim at the presentation they organized for us in Istanbul, Turkey. It was clear from our first meeting that Nancy and Tim were good friends. They had just returned from a school trip to Nepal and were eager to share their experiences with us. They also shared their stories.

Nancy’s family moved from Bangkok, Thailand, to Istanbul at the start of her junior year. She found that the quickest way to make friends after each move was to become involved and that was how she discovered theatre. Arriving in Turkey was no different, and she found herself quickly cast in a school production. She also began to take up guitar and singing, and soon began considering a life in the performing arts. She began looking for schools with strong acting programs.

Nancy and her mother traveled back to the United States in the spring of her senior year for several interviews and auditions. She rehearsed her songs and monologues while we helped her prepare her resumé and prep for her interviews. She returned a week later and waited for the results.

When Tim came to The Short List he was very clear on a few things: he wanted to have an urban college experience at a school with a strong international student population. Having lived in Paris, Madrid, and Istanbul, Tim was accustomed to a diverse and cosmopolitan community. He had always enjoyed math and science in school and had a real passion for technology. So as he started thinking about a college major, he realized it had to be something that would incorporate math, science, and technology, and focused on schools with computer engineering.

Tim was also able to make a trip to the US, so we worked with him to maximize his campus visits and prepare him for his interviews at a number of schools that met his criteria. Later, as Tim worked through his college essays, we pushed him to reveal the interests and passions he had as a student and individual. He was able to express himself in beautiful essays that were infused with his wry humor. The only question that remained was whether his colleges would recognize his unique qualities.

When April finally arrived, both Nancy and Tim received news that they had been accepted to top universities. Nancy is now a freshman in NYU Tisch School’s nationally ranked acting program, and Tim is just hours away in Boston at Tufts University where he is enrolled in their highly acclaimed engineering program.

January 28, 2018June 12, 2018

Michael

New York

The Younger Brother

Tufts University

Client: Michael

The Short List has worked with many siblings, including many sets of twins and younger siblings who have watched an older sibling go through the process. Even among siblings, every student is different.

We worked with Michael’s older brother three years ago and met Michael, then a high school freshman, at Zach’s graduation dinner. Michael asked if he might be able to work with The Short List, too.

We started working with Michael in his sophomore year, which gave him plenty of time to plan out the process. He was studying Latin at the time. After traveling to Nicaragua for a sophomore community service spring break, during which he was frustrated by not being able to communicate with the people he was trying to help, Michael decided to switch to Spanish so he could return to Nicaragua the following spring and converse with the villagers.

He arrived back in Nicaragua a year later and many of the villagers greeted him by name. They shared stories about their lives, families, and aspirations, and Michael began to understand the true benefit of language. Michael enrolled in a Spanish course that summer to accelerate his learning and allow him to enter Spanish III as a senior. The Nicaragua trips and summer program had changed his thinking about what he wanted to study, so he took his time exploring colleges and applying.

Michael’s relaxed strategy paid off; he was accepted to almost every school to which he applied.

Michael began to look for strong language and economics programs that would allow him to continue studying Spanish and economics in the third world, especially Central America. Michael’s relaxed strategy paid off; he was accepted to almost every school to which he applied and elected to attend Cornell University. He wrote, “I intend to continue learning Spanish and study abroad in one of Cornell’s many Spanish-speaking programs. Cornell requires all study abroad classes to be taught in the language of that country, which will unquestionably aid in my ability to speak Spanish fluently one day.”