We’ve been helping students earn acceptances to the world’s 🌎 best universities for over 25 years 🚀. These institutions include the Ivy League, UCs, specialty, and tech schools. Over time, we’ve identified patterns and key indicators of success that determine how well a student will perform in the college admissions process.

It really comes down to three main character traits ✅ —key “needle-movers”—that indicate whether a student will ultimately succeed in their college planning and admission goals.

We’re going to break down these three foundational traits and show you exactly what successful students do to increase their competitiveness and earn those highly coveted spots at top universities 🌟.

Most importantly, these foundational traits are learnable. They aren’t reserved for students with privilege, unlimited resources, or an innate drive to excel. Practically any student can develop these traits to significantly improve their future—and why not? 👍

It’s back-to-school time and your successful game plan is embedded in the timeless wisdom of TAKING ACTION! Because it is only through action that you will grow to your fullest potential—as a student, and someone who has the capability to accomplish so many wonderful,...

Success in academics is not merely about intelligence or innate talent; it’s also about mindset —the beliefs, attitudes, and strategies that shape a student’s approach to learning and achievement. Behind every successful student lies a mindset characterized by resilience, curiosity, and a growth-oriented perspective. In this blog article, we delve into the inner workings of a successful student’s mindset, exploring key traits and strategies that contribute to their educational triumphs.

It’s been another great year at Strategic College Consulting for admissions. Students have earned acceptances to many of the top colleges including the Ivy League universities, UCLA, Berkeley, UMich, NYU, U of Chicago, many specialty and tech colleges, and so much more! And we are now helping students with the important decision of what university they should choose for attending their important undergraduate years.

Every student has the potential for greatness, but unlocking that potential requires dedication, effort, and a strategic approach to learning. Whether you’re aiming for top grades, leadership roles, or personal growth, there are proven strategies that can help you achieve greatness at school. In this blog article, we’ll explore seven actionable ways for students to unleash their inner academic superstar and excel in their educational journey.

Learn seven ways for students to achieve greatness at school!

Preparing for the new SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) requires a strategic approach that combines understanding the format of the test, consistent practice, and improving your test-taking skills. The College Board, which administers the SAT, announced changes to the test format, aiming for a more digital, adaptive test that can be completed in a shorter time frame. Here are some strategies and steps you can take to prepare effectively for the new SAT:

Advanced Placement (AP) testing is coming up soon and it’s an opportunity to highlight strong test scores to admissions officers and earn college credit. The exams cover a wide range of subjects from English to calculus, and more. These tests are important as they let admissions officers see your mastery of a subject. It’s important to prepare well for these tests.

Learn the top eight strategies for preparing for the AP tests.

We’ve been in the college planning and admissions business for about 25 years now, and we are so passionate about helping students with their educational goals and helping them earn acceptances to great colleges, year after year. And with all of our experience of working with students of different backgrounds, cultures, races, religions, perspectives, ideologies, etc, you start noticing patterns and trends of success.

What is it about those students who are successful year after year, are able to get things done, get results, and have great outcomes, including college admissions results? What is it about these students’ character, mindset, and abilities that allow them to move their lives forward and get the results they desire?

It comes down to a lot of different attributes, but in many respects, we can boil down the success mindset to two simple words. That’s it. We can distill 25 years of wisdom and experience into two simple words that distinguish successful students from the lesser-performing students.

College admissions is getting more competitive than ever. The admission statistics to earn acceptance into universities keeps getting lower each year, with earning acceptance to many of the great universities now into the single digit percentages. A well thought-out game plan and strategy is paramount.

But counselors at high schools are overworked, understaffed, and resources are spread thin. The average student-to-counselor ratio is: 464 to 1. And for California schools, the average student-to-counselor ratio is even worse at: 622 to 1.

While less for private schools, counselors simply do not have the time, resources, and energy to devote personalized and customized attention to each student.