As a Yale graduate, college counselor, and writing tutor for the past 20+ years, Paul has used his vast knowledge and experience to help students gain acceptance into some of the best colleges in the nation. He has coached them on how to build a college list, complete the college application accounts, organize and write the activities list, and craft authentic and compelling essays. Paul leads each student through a highly organized process that produces a complete and outstanding resume.

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He has successfully placed students into every Ivy League University. He has also secured acceptances to Ivy Plus schools that rank in the top 10-20 of most college ranking lists. 

 

Highlights from his Recent Acceptance List:

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• Ivy League Schools: Harvard (4), Yale (4), Princeton (6), Columbia (6), UPenn (6), Cornell (7), Dartmouth (2), Brown (3)

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• Top-Tier Schools: Stanford (3), Duke (2), MIT (1), University of Chicago (3), Johns Hopkins (2), University of Michigan (7), Georgetown (2), Boston College (9), Carnegie Mellon (3), Tufts (3), Vanderbilt (1), UC Berkeley (1)

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• Special Programs: NYU Stern (2), Cornell Dyson, Boston College - Carroll School of Management, Georgia Tech (6), UPenn Seven Year Bio-Dental, and U. of Michigan Engineering

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• Global Reach & Diverse Pathways: Yonsei University (2), West Point (2), RISD

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Here’s how Paul guides the student through every step of the college application process. 

 

College List

 

Paul advises the student on how to build a college list based on their preferences and qualifications. Using various tools that predict a student’s chances of admission, he and the student create three lists of colleges: reach, match, and safety. 

 

*Note: no prediction tool or method can guarantee an outcome.

 

Reach School: Your academic qualifications (course rigor, GPA, and SAT/ACT) and extracurricular accomplishments fall below the school’s average for students accepted in previous years. 

 

Match School: Your academics and extracurriculars align with the middle 50% of accepted students. For these schools, you have a strong chance.

 

Safety School: Your grades, SAT/ACT score, and activities significantly exceed the average admitted student’s profile. This gives you a very high chance of acceptance. 

 

Main Essay

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Paul first shows the student many official example essays that college admissions officers have praised. He then helps the student analyze these different essays to understand their common elements.

 

Once the student understands how to write a winning essay, Paul then guides the student to brainstorm several possible ideas based on the student’s courses, extracurricular activities, and life story. They narrow the possibilities to a few solid topics and write partial drafts for each of those ideas. After they compare these different drafts, they choose one. 

 

The student revises this essay with Paul’s continual feedback. After many rounds of revisions, the student at last completes the main essay.

 

Supplemental Essays

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As he does with the main essay, Paul shows the student example essays for each supplemental essay prompt. He then helps the student analyze effective responses to the wide variety of supplemental questions.

 

After the student understands how to approach these questions, Paul coaches them to brainstorm ideas, narrow possibilities, write one or more partial drafts, and revise until the essays answer the question with authentic, specific, and impressive details.

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Extracurricular Activities Section

 

For this very important section, Paul advises the student on which activities to include, how to rank these activities, and how to write descriptions for maximum impact. 

 

He first guides the student to choose activities that emphasize the student’s strengths and create a distinct and strong profile. 

 

He then teaches the student how to score and rank these activities using a system that college admissions officers themselves employ to evaluate and compare activities.

 

Last, Paul shows the student how to describe these activities in impressive ways. He demonstrates how specific verbs, numbers, and other details enhance the description. He also teaches tips and tricks for fitting all relevant information given the strict 150-character limit per activity.

 

Honors & Awards Section

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He advises the student on which awards to include (and which not to include), how to order the awards, and how to write the descriptions. 

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Recommendations

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Paul advises the student on whom to ask for recommendations and what information they should share so that the recommenders write specific, impressive letters. He shows them the forms that the teachers fill out and how to strategically shape the recommendations they receive. He also advises them on whether they should submit additional recommendations from people other than their teachers.

 

Interview Coaching

 

As a former Yale interviewer and experienced lecturer, Paul possesses significant experience coaching students for interviews. He trains what to say and how to structure their answers. He builds their confidence and skill through many practice interview questions.

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Additional Information Section

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Paul introduces and explains the purpose of this important but neglected or under-utilized section. The Additional Information section provides space to discuss anything that hasn’t fit elsewhere in the student’s application. The contents of this section can slightly, moderately, or even significantly affect a student’s chances of admission.

 

This section allows students to explain one or more of the following:

 

Context for Academic Irregularities

 

If you have a dip in your grades, a required course withdrawal, a change in schools, or any other academic issue, this is where you provide a concise, factual, and non-excusing explanation. Example: Explaining a D or F grade in a semester due to a severe family illness or a shift in curriculum due to transferring high schools.

 

Elaboration of Extracurriculars and Awards

 

While the activities list is limited to 10 entries and minimal description, you can use the Additional Information section to provide more detail on a single, most significant extracurricular activity or an unusual, complex award that requires more explanation. You should only do this if you cannot adequately describe its impact in the main activities section.

 

Personal Circumstances/Hardship

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Use this space to explain any significant personal circumstances that have impacted your ability to engage fully in academics or extracurriculars. This might include substantial time spent working to support your family, significant family responsibilities (e.g., caring for a sibling or grandparent), or health issues (your own or a family member's) that affected your performance. The key is to state the facts and focus on how you persevered, not to elicit sympathy.

 

Unusual Coursework or Curriculum

 

If your school has an unconventional grading system, if you took a college-level course not offered by your high school, or if there's any other unique aspect of your academic path that isn't clear from your transcript, explain it here.

 

In short, the Additional Information Section allows the student to explain anything negative or better promote something positive in their application.

 

Letters of Continued Interest (Deferred or Waitlisted) 

 

If a student gets deferred or waitlisted, Paul helps them write a “Letter of Continued Interest” that tells colleges that they are still interested and provides updates on their latest accomplishments. This improves the student’s chance of gaining acceptance later in the admissions process.

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For over 20 years, Paul has helped many students achieve their college admissions goals. To schedule lessons or get more information, click here.​

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