Selective Colleges and Universities Receive Record Number of Applications
Dear friends,
I open this month’s letter with a request: help us spread the word about Lakhani Scholars, our $10,000 scholarship of coaching services awarded to high achieving, low income high school sophomores. This 3-year scholarship, serving these students through college applications, is central to our mission to help bridge the gap of access, which has only ballooned during the pandemic. You can assist by encouraging low income candidates to apply, and by notifying those in your networks who work directly with eligible students. Applications open on March 1. The deadline is May 1.
Lakhani Scholars has helped secure full financial aid scholarships for Lisa David to George Washington University and Fernanda Padilla Colin to Rice University. Lakhani Scholars is a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are 100% tax deductible. If you’d like to sponsor a scholar, you can do so here.
Meanwhile, the education conversation this winter centers around record application numbers at selective colleges, which I spoke about with the New York Times and NBC News. It is no surprise that temporary test optional policies due to the pandemic have created a massive increase in candidates. What fewer people are aware of is that excellence in testing, even in a test-optional pool, remains an effective way to stand out amidst the competition, evidenced by stronger acceptance rates among those who submit testing. There is also eager anticipation out there about the Biden administration’s upcoming policies on student loan forgiveness, which I spoke about in detail with Marketwatch.
Despite what will be record low acceptance rates at selective schools, our students are accruing tremendous results. We’ve already congratulated admittees to Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management, Columbia Business School, and undergraduate acceptances to Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, Dartmouth, U Chicago, Michigan, Indiana Kelley School of Business, Fairfield, Pitt, Purdue, ASU Honors, and Penn State, among numerous other superb schools. We remain excited for those awaiting decisions, from boarding school to graduate school.
For students who are in the thick of responsibilities, we are cheering you on. We’ve already seen juniors raise SAT scores by over 500 points, and a number of students putting in the work for excellence in grades—particularly valuable given the elimination of SAT Subject Tests. For current sophomores, reservations for summer intensive SAT or ACT coaching are in full swing, plus planning for admissions preparation across the board—LSAT, GMAT, or GRE growth for grad school applications, and SSAT or ISEE planning for students preparing to apply to independent/boarding schools in fall. See my comments to US News for tips on the MBA application timeline in particular. This is all alongside students developing earnest character stories that lead to powerful personal statements and college essays, the writing process for which begins this summer. Every student’s ambitions are unique—feel free to contact us to schedule a more personalized discussion.
Finally, a standardized testing problem of the month below. Happy solving!
Hafeez Lakhani
Lakhani Scholars: Spread the Word!
On the heels of a life-changing Early acceptance to Rice University by Lakhani Scholar Fernanda Padilla Colin, we are proud to announce that applications for the next class of Lakhani Scholars will open March 1. Students selected for Lakhani Scholars will receive 35 hours of free coaching during their sophomore, junior, and senior years including High School Career Coaching, College Admissions Coaching, and elite SAT/ACT Coaching—a $10,000 value.
Help us spread the word! We are seeking the most talented sophomores who demonstrate financial need. We welcome applications from students residing anywhere in the USA, including from DACA or undocumented students.
Kindly save and share this photo to any qualified candidates or organizations via email, text, or social media channels.
The deadline for applications is May 1st, 2021.
Resources:
High School Juniors: t-minus 8 months
We are just under eight months to November 1, which is when the vast majority of our students submit Early applications to college. A few priorities:
Academics: with test-optional policies on the rise and the elimination of Subject Tests, grades and course selection come back to center focus. Without putting undue pressure on students, the intricacies of a transcript will now be more closely analyzed. To what degree is a student challenging himself? Is there an uptrend in grades? Is the student moving the needle for herself in improving her marks?
Fulfillment in learning: Lest we get caught up in “comparing” transcripts and splitting hairs between A-’s and A’s, we should remember that teacher recommendations will remain vital tools in college admissions as well. A student will be evaluated just as much on her contribution to a classroom as on her results.
APs:
For students whose schools offer APs: AP exam results, especially with Subject Tests eliminated, will carry more weight now, particularly in differentiating between the many “A” students out there. I advise students to give preparation for these exams serious focus now through May. Contact us if you’d like expert support.
For students at the many independent schools that do not offer APs: don’t fret—you will be looked at in the context of courses and credentials your school does offer. That said, if you for example feel you’ve learned Calculus at a high level, or the full curriculum of AP US History, you can easily register for a voluntary AP exam to capture your expertise. Those exams begin May 3 so if taking independently, registration needs to be complete ASAP.
Coaching: we have experts on our team who are MD/PhDs, former Wall Street traders, published writers and more, coaching subjects from Academic Writing to Art to Economics to Physics. Contact us if you feel you could use some high powered help.
Summer planning: Our most successful rising seniors take advantage of summer in three ways:
“Icing on the cake” testing: some of you will be done with testing by the time summer begins. Congrats. Others will want just one more sitting to add a handful of points. As such, plan wisely for ACT dates on July 17 and September 11, and for SAT dates on August 28 and October 2. Every summer our most senior coaches get fully booked, so it’s wise to reserve in advance.
Elevating one’s character story: By now, you hopefully have an idea of your contribution to the dinner table conversation; this summer is your chance to take it to the next level. We’re always fans of initiative: contributing to independent research, coding an app, elevating your level of responsibility in whatever pursuit you’ve been cultivating over many months. Every story is unique. Contact us if you’d like to discuss how you might put an exclamation point on your most sincere interests.
Early drafts of college essays: Hemingway famously said that every writer should burn his first novel. That is, we must forge past first drafts to get to the really good stuff. Our Overall Narrative curriculum—how we help students identify the “he’s the one who…”—centers on the adage that “writing is rewriting." Our most successful students (all those acceptances in our opening letter!) set a deadline of September 1 to have college essay drafts at 90%. To reach such a goal, it’s wise to set aside 4 to 6 weeks of summer to focus on college essays. Contact us to book one of our expert college essay coaches.
Resources:
Grown & Flown: How Your Teen Can Snag a Powerful Recommendation for College Applications
Digital Journal: Making the Best University Application During the COVID Era
Sophomores: Halfway Point of High School
Sophomores, do you realize that by now, half of your high school story is written? Over this next year and half, you’ll continue to cultivate a fulfilling high school career while, one step at a time, you begin to tackle college responsibilities. It is wise, then, to have a customized timeline in place, the most important takeaway from our famous goal-setting meeting.
Summer 2021:
SAT/ACT intensive: students who are able to forge the most significant SAT/ACT increases—we’ve coached SAT gains as large as 600 points—are those who are able to dedicate intensive time over summer. These are skills based tests, not so different than building a skill like tennis. Can I study all night tonight and be a great tennis player tomorrow? No way. But if I put in 50 to 100 hours of preparation when school is not competing for my attention, I can grow my skills tremendously. Our most senior instructors get fully booked every summer so reserve your expert coach in advance.
Test-optional: The data shows that test optional policies most benefit colleges seeking more low income and first generation students, who are often the best candidates for choosing test-optional. Wondering if test-optional is right for you? Contact us to discuss.
Defining one’s character story: Through sophomore year, I’m a big fan of “breadth,” investing oneself in a variety of interests, through school and independently. Then, summer before junior year, I want to see a student begin to focus on “depth." Sophomores, this is your summer. Begin to think about the character pursuits that have most mattered to you, and ask yourself how you might achieve that next level of depth. Contact us if you’d like to hear examples of how we’ve helped other students cultivate new layers to their character stories.
Resources:
Graduate School Candidates: Know Your Timeline
Law School: rolling applications open in early to mid September. If you are thinking about applying this fall, you should be moving on LSAT or GRE, to leave 1-2 months for work on your personal statements. Contact us for guidance on deciding between LSAT and GRE, or to book one of our expert test coaches.
Business school: first round applications are due in early September, so a plan of action needs to be in place from now to reach GMAT or GRE goals, and to then formulate a school list and excavate intriguing personal statements.
Medical school: AMCAS applications for following year admissions open in early May. If your MCAT journey is still in progress, feel free to contact us to discuss how we can help you reach your goal scores.
Other graduate study: as with any admissions goal, it’s wise to get testing out of the way before finalizing a program list, making note of deadlines, and working on personal statements and other components such as recommendation requests. Contact us to create a customized plan to reach your desired program.
Resources:
Crain's New York: Hafeez Lakhani is Helping Students Apply Themselves
GMAT Mentors: An Interview with Expert Test-Taker, Hafeez Lakhani
Transfer Applicants
For current college students who do not feel settled, a short window remains to complete transfer applications, with some deadlines March 1 and others rolling into late spring. Contact us to discuss if a transfer application is right for you.
Resources:
New York Times: How to Write a Good College Application Essay
Boarding School & Independent School
The most successful candidates take care of SSAT or ISEE improvement over summer, then approach coaching for personal statements, applications, and interviews in the fall, ahead of application deadlines between November 1 and February 15. Contact us to discuss a school list and a plan of action.
Resources:
New York Times: Considering College? Maybe You Should Invest in a Coach
Problem of the Month: SAT Reading
1. The description in the first paragraph indicates that what Ethan values most about Mattie is her:
A) fitness for farm labor.
B) vivacious youth.
C) receptive nature.
D) freedom from worry.
2. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous
question?
A) Lines 1-4 ("Mattie...farm")
B) Lines 4-8 ("He had...anyhow")
C) Lines 8-10 ("But it...hearth")
D) Lines 11-13 ("She had...will")
Source: CollegeBoard.org