It’s just one page, but it shines a light on the essential you. Captivate the admissions committee or a scholarship board with your high school resume. In this session, you’ll learn what academic achievements to highlight and which job skills will accentuate your professionalism. You’ll discover how to focus on your credentials in a format that makes you stand out from the crowd.

The Common App activities section is an opportunity to demonstrate your talents and interests. It’s more than a resume, though; it’s also a writing challenge. We’ll teach you how to develop a theme within the Activities section. Are you a burgeoning engineer? Be sure to emphasize your robotics experience. Do you lean towards law? Position your Debate membership and Junior Statesmen of America legislative work front and center. And if you missed the boat on activities in high school, let’s talk. Working or providing childcare for your family counts; it’s impressive and it shows admissions officers your mettle.

Ready or not, here it comes! Your college essay. And it matters – a lot. You’re prepared to wow the admissions committee with your authentic self – clever, unique, incredible. And then…the pressure of a blank screen, the anxiety of a paragraph waiting to be written, the consideration and rejection of a hundred cliché topics. But somewhere down deep, beyond the stories of the game-winning goal and that volunteer trip to Guatemala – is the story of the real you. It will take a bit of introspection as we dig into details and spin your stories into several solid ideas, through which you can build your winning essay.

Yes! We’ll look over y0ur shoulder. We’ll note your dangling modifier and suggest a semicolon or two. We’ll propose ways to build momentum in your piece, zhuzh up your storyline, and polish the imagery needed to capture your personality with perfection. Submit the completed draft of your personal statement; we will review it word for word and line by line for structure, organization, tone, voice, and mechanics. Then, we’ll discuss it with you; offering even more strategies for improvement.

SAT. ACT. GPA. FERPA. College application forms are a dizzying alphabet soup of acronyms and abbreviations. In this session, we’ll decode the mysteries of completing college applications. We’ll preview the Common Application, sharing essential insights and strategies for successful completion. This session will also include an overview of Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Rolling Decision timelines; and what they might mean to you. You’ll want to jump on this early. The Common App opens on August 1st and most college applications should be submitted by November 1st for your best chance of admission success.

Just about ready to hit “Submit”? Before you do, give us a call. We will review your application in its entirety. If you’ve used the wrong GPA scale, we’ll show you how to correct it. If you’ve skipped the FERPA waiver, we’ll be sure you sign it. If you’ve forgotten to create a professional email account to track your application, we’ll catch it. With help from College a la Carte, there are no typos, misspellings, or skipped sections. Together, we will jointly review each screen of the Common App or a university’s own college application, triple checking it for errors and making corrections on the spot. This fresh perspective can go a long way to providing the peace of mind that you are submitting a perfect application.

Many highly selective colleges require additional essays in addition to the Personal Statement on the Common Application. For example, the University of Chicago asks you, “What’s so easy about pie?” The University of North Carolina would like you to respond to the question, “What do you hope to find over the rainbow”? The University of Notre Dame simply asks, “You have 150 words. Take a risk.” Ouch! These are the quirky but mandatory submittals that can make or break you as a candidate. We’ll help you tackle those supplemental essays in an original and inventive way. Reveal your potential with imagination and creativity.

High school counselors have hectic days; teachers are busier still. And yet, many colleges ask that you request recommendations from these school staffers. We can help you choose the recommenders who can best elaborate on your character, determine a timetable for requesting and receiving the letters of recommendation, and create a bulleted list of your accomplishments to help teachers craft persuasive recommendations.