Success Stories

Lilly

Background

Lilly and her parents did not know how to approach the college admissions process in the U.S. Being from Singapore, they were unaware of all of the steps in the application process. Lilly did not know how to demonstrate her talents and interests in the sciences.

Details

International student
Unaware of how to navigate the US college admissions process
Interested in science, but wasn't sure how to demonstrate STEM interest to colleges
Began working with Top College USA sophomore year of high school

Top College USA Services

10th Grade Initial Consultation
40 Hour Sophomore Program
Tutoring

Top-Choice Schools

Stanford University
UCLA
MIT

How Top College USA Helped

Lilly's counselor explained all aspects of the college admissions process to Lilly and her parents. Through her program with Top College USA, Lilly worked with her counselor and tutors to:

Choose rigorous high school courses that matched her interests in the sciences and humanities.
Create a testing schedule consisting of relevant standardized tests. Lilly took three SAT Subject Tests: Biology, Math II, Chemistry.
Took SAT/ACT diagnostic. By doing this, Lilly learned that the SAT was a better fit for her than the ACT.
Increase her SAT score by 350 points through her work with the Prep Scholar online program and Top College USA tutor.
Understand how she could make an impact outside of the classroom, using her interest in science. Top College USA helped Lilly find summer programs that matched her interests and allowed her to showcase her talents.
Research, select, and apply to 8 schools, a range of great-fits that included reach, target, and safety schools.
Craft a personal statement about Lilly's independent science research and how spending summers in the US immersed her in American culture and allowed her to gain independence to assure that she would hit the ground running when she started her bachelors program.

Lilly was accepted to Stanford, Class of 2020.

Jack

Background

Jack came to Top College USA after realizing that his college counselor at his private school in Singapore was not providing the help he needed to finalize his essays or his applications. He had participated in his high school’s application program, but his parents were concerned because they did not think his essay reflected his unique character and personality. Jack’s SAT scores and high school course load also failed to match his artistic and academic capabilities. Additionally, Jack had done minimal research to find the schools that would fit him best academically and socially.

Details

Participated in his high school's college application
Interested in the arts and humanities, but had trouble developing his interests in high school
SAT scores did not match his academic capabilities
Needed help identifying schools that fit his specific interests in philosophy

Top College USA Services

12th Grade Initial Consultation
12 Hour Senior Program
Tutoring

Top-Choice Schools

Stanford
UCLA
USC

How Top College USA Helped

Jack had participated in his high school's college application program, but his parents were concerned because they did not think his essay reflected his unique character and personality. Jack's SAT scores and high school course load also failed to match his artistic and academic capabilities. Additionally, Jack had done minimal research to find the schools that would fit him best academically and socially. Through his program with his Top College USA counselor, Jack was able to:

Define his interests in art and Buddhism, allowing him to express himself properly in his extracurriculars and college essays.
Create an independent philosophy curriculum that led to his decision to pursue a philosophy major in college.
Utilize test prep and test-taking strategies that helped Student J raise his SAT score by 170 points in just one month of tutoring.
Brainstorm essay topics that suited his personality. He settled on an essay on how Buddhism affected his perception of the world.
Work with his counselor to improve his interpersonal and interview skills for meetings with college deans, instructors, admissions officers, and alumni.
Develop a suitable list of reach, target, and likely schools through careful research and an appropriate application timeline in order to maximize his chances of admission.

Jack was accepted to Stanford, Class of 2020.

Karen

Background

When Karen first came to Top College USA, her main concern was writing “The Essay.” In her Initial Consultation, Karen’s counselor explained the US process at length, and how the application essays were just one part of her applicant profile.

Details

International student from Singapore
Interested in science and chemistry
Wanted to improve her SAT and ACT scores
Needed guidance writing college essays
Needed help identifying extracurricular activities to showcase her interest in STEM

Top College USA Services

11th Grade Initial Consultation
18 Hour Junior Program
Research Services

Top-Choice Schools

UCLA
UCSD
Stanford

How Top College USA Helped

When Karen first came to Top College USA, her main concern was writing "The Essay." In her Initial Consultation, Karen's counselor explained the US process at length, and how the application essays were just one part of her applicant profile. Through her program with her Top College USA counselor, Karen was able to:

Identify ways to present her best self and write personal, compelling supplements without sacrificing the quality of her personal statement.
Plan a challenging course load with her counselor, focusing on classes that matched her interests, such as AP Physics C.
Set grade and test score goals that would help her stand out in the application process, particularly in her challenging STEM courses.
Develop a realistic testing schedule, and identify studying and test prep methods that would help improve her grades and test scores.
Make a habit of weekly teacher visits to identify which teachers would be the best to approach for recommendation letters.
Identify different extracurricular activities, such as the Chemistry Olympiad, she could participate in as a way to showcase her interest in science and chemistry.

Karen was accepted to all three of her top choice schools and choose UCSD.

Peter

Background

As an international student, Peter needed assistance understanding the US admissions process. His extracurricular activities lacked focus, and he needed help selecting the right courses that aligned with his interests in business and history

Details

International Student
Interested in business and history, as well as international studies
Needed help developing his extra-curricular activities
Needed help with SAT and ACT prep
Unsure about where he wanted to apply

Top College USA Services

11th Grade Initial Consultation
35 Hour Junior Program
Tutoring

Top-Choice Schools

USC
UCLA
Penn

How Top College USA Helped

As an international student, Peter needed assistance understanding the US admissions process. His extracurricular activities also lacked focus, and she needed help selecting the right courses that aligned with her interests in business and history. In his program with her Top College USA counselor, Peter was able to:

Plan a challenging course load and develop a standardized testing schedule.
Work with Top College USA's expert tutors to identify which standardized test best suited his needs and establish realistic score goals and a comprehensive tutoring plan.
Identify new extracurricular activities, like Model UN and National Honor Society, to help him develop his interests and stand out. Peter also became involved in non-profit work with Direct Relief.
Identify a summer program at USC that helped him expand his interest in business.
Created grade goals for his courses and a plan to achieve those goals.
Write detailed, compelling essays for her college application that drew on his personal experiences as a multiracial international student.
Gain insightful feedback on his progress and his application essays during the Roundtable Review process.
Develop a strategic application plan in order to maximize his chances of admission.

Peter was accepted to USC, Class of 2019.

Jill

Background

Jill and her parents did not know how to approach the college admissions process in the U.S. Being from Singapore, they were unaware of all of the steps in the application process. Jill thought she wanted to go into the business side of innovative technology.

Details

International student
Unaware of how to navigate the US college admissions process
Interested in business and virtual reality
Began working with Top College USA junior year of high school

Top College USA Services

11th Grade Initial Consultation
18 Hour Junior Program
Tutoring

Top-Choice Schools

UCLA
USC
UC Berkeley

How Top College USA Helped

Jill’s counselor explained all aspects of the college admissions process to Jill and her parents. Through her program with Top College, Jill worked with her counselor and tutors to:

Choose rigorous high school courses that matched her interests in technology and business.
Took SAT/ACT diagnostic. By doing this, Jill learned that the SAT was a better fit for her than the ACT.
Increase her SAT score by 240 points through her work with Test Prep Scholar online program and Top College USA tutor.
Understand how she could make an impact outside of the classroom, using her interest in technology.
Top College USA helped Jill find summer programs at USC and Stanford that matched her interests and allowed her to showcase her talents.
Research, select, and apply to 8 schools, a range of great-fits that included reach, target, and safety schools.
Craft a personal statement about Jill's independent study in VR and how she implemented some of these techniques into telling the stories of a non-profit to increase awareness and engagement to the betterment of the children it serves.

Jill was accepted to UCLA, Class of 2020.

Alex

At first I thought Top College USA would be unnecessary due to the fact that my current high school has excellent college counselors. I was pleasantly surprised when I began my sessions with [my Top College USA counselor]. I truly believe I would not have achieved early acceptance to Emory University without the guidance of [my counselor] and the entire Top College USA team. Skyping with [my counselor] helped answer any questions about the college process, alleviate stress, and polish my college essays. Being a senior and attempting to achieve the highest grades of your high school career while simultaneously applying to college is a very daunting and stressful task. Top College USA helped me manage my time and map out a plan, which immensely brought down my anxiety about the process. I believe that Top College USA's strategy in editing each student's college application allows for the production of the highest quality essays. Working with one's individual counselor, along with receiving notes from the rest of the Top College USA counselors allowed for me to make sure my essays were the best demonstration of myself. I love Top College USA because it is completely full service. Not only did I receive help on my college essays, but I was also aided in presenting myself in the best way possible throughout my entire application. I would highly suggest using Top College USA to any student applying to college! I don't know what I would have done without the extremely talented and knowledgeable Top College USA team.

Alex was accepted to USC, Class of 2021