Tag: mistakes to avoid in college application

9th Grade: Pre-SEED

Pre-Secondary Extracurricular and Educational Development (PRE-SEED) is aimed for those just starting high school. The goal is to provide 1:1 personalized guidance to help the student maximize their Personal, Social, and Academic experiences for their growth and long-term goals. This is a 1-2 month process.

PASS

Post-Acceptance Success Strategy (PASS) provides candidates with success mapping using Write Track’s proprietary IDEAS Plan so that the college bound student maximizes the Personal, Social, and Academic aspects of college to best prepare them for their professional path. This is a 2 week process.

CAAP

College Admissions Assessment Program (CAAP) is aimed at rising 12th graders before applying to college to provide you with a strategic profile review of your candidacy and to map out the journey from school selection to financial aid guidance, so you hit-the-ground-running when you actually start your college applications. This is a 2-3 week process.

ACADEMICS:

• Harvard University | B.A. History of Science
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | MSc Global Health & Population (2025)
• Harvard University Presidential Scholarship Recipient for Masters degree

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Graduate, Medical School, Scholarship & Fellowships

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

My experience navigating the intricacies of college admission as a recent immigrant in the United States and as the eldest daughter in a family unfamiliar with U.S. higher education was a daunting task at first. With limited knowledge and guidance, the process seemed like an insurmountable hurdle until my junior year of high school. I immersed myself in research and sought advice from mentors and peers. I eventually gained the insights and skills needed to craft an effective college application and turned what once began as a journey of uncertainty into a success story!

FUN FACT:

I love staying active; I play tennis, bike and roller skate often!

ACADEMICS:

• St. Thomas University | B.S. Chemistry/Mathematics – Magna Cum Laude
• Columbia Theological Seminary | MA Theological Studies
• Florida State University | PhD Religion (Spring 2025)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

Management, Operations, Customer Relations

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

When taking the GRE, I struggled with high levels of test anxiety and did not get the scores that best represented my aptitude. I worked to submit a great application with strong writing samples and secured one of three spots in an excellent graduate program with a teaching fellowship.

FUN FACT:

I love the arts. I’ve played every woodwind instrument except the oboe and have experience in percussion and piano.

ACADEMICS:

• The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania | MBA (Joseph Wharton Fellowship)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology | BS in Mathematics

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Business School, STEM

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

When I started applying to business school, I didn’t have a strong sense of the main “story” of my application. I wrote an entire four-page essay, and after reading it, I realized that the entire thing needed to be scrapped. I then took the time to think about my experience and my unique contributions to a school, which helped me refine my application and get into my dream school! I’m excited to work together to help you tell your story.

FUN FACT:

I love the arts. I’ve played every woodwind instrument except the oboe and have experience in percussion and piano.

ACADEMICS:

• Princeton University | B.A. Public Policy
• Oxford University and the University of Birmingham | Masters in Islamic Studies (Marshall Scholar) (2025)
• Harvard Law School | JD, Class of 2028 (Junior Deferral Program)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Graduate School, and Law School

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

As I enjoy dipping my toes in several different areas at once, I’ve always struggled to put together a coherent narrative that best captures my journey and interests. For example, when applying to college, I had to explain why I decided to spend hours in a week in a microbiology lab while spending my weekend volunteering for local political campaigns. I then faced the same struggle when I tried to explain why a law school bound public policy major needed to study Islamic Studies in the UK under a Marshall Scholarship. I ultimately realized that your story and/or niche don’t need to be programmatic in order to be inspiring, coherent, and effective.

FUN FACT:

I love learning languages and I’m currently learning Persian!

ACADEMICS:

• Washington University in St. Louis | B.A. Economics, B.A. Political Science
• Harvard Law School | J.D. Candidate (2025)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

Law School

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

For my law school application, my resume was lacking in some respects, but I was able to write a compelling personal statement detailing the adversity I had overcome in my own life. It is not enough to have a compelling story. I learned what matters is your ability to communicate it and demonstrate why your story makes you a desired member of your future campus.

FUN FACT:

I own an African Grey parrot, he is very talkative!

ACADEMICS:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology | B.S. Physics (2025)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Scholarships

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

Entering the college application process as a student with an eclectic range of seemingly unrelated academic and personal interests, I found essay writing to be incredibly overwhelming at first! I struggled to pinpoint a singular experience to talk about in my personal statement and whenever I did pick one, even my best drafts somehow felt incomplete. Pressured by fast-approaching deadlines, I eventually took a new approach. After doing some soul searching and determining what aspects of myself/my life felt most important at heart, I began writing about each separately: my passion for physics and teaching, my first rock band, my childhood creative writing escapades, and so on. Through countless experimental writing sessions, I steadily accumulated small pieces of clarity–a paragraph here, a sentence there–that captured me partially but authentically; figuring out the underlying narrative connecting these snapshots then became an exercise in self-reflection and self-discovery. By the time I pressed those long-awaited ‘Submit Application’ buttons, I had a body of writing that took readers on a tender journey through the most cherished pockets of my identity. And I ended up getting accepted to every school I applied to!

FUN FACT:

I used to sing in a rock band in high school and am working on a solo music album right now.

ACADEMICS:

• Stony Brook University | B.A. Philosophy Honors
• New York University School of Law | J.D. (Admitted to Practice in New York)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

Law School

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

I worked for a little over seven years before applying to law school, and the many positions I held and businesses I started at this time were substantially unrelated to my interest in practicing law. I was worried that my reasons for applying would not be credible, given such an unconventional career path. Nevertheless, I leaned into these experiences to craft a profile that made me a more complete candidate than I would have been had I not worked to this extent. I talked about how anxious and timid I was graduating from a college, and how my first sales job in Manhattan helped me build confidence, forcing me to learn how to connect with people I meet for the first time; I explained how the real estate firm I co-founded and led taught me to be self-motivated and responsible for the development and success of other agents; I shared how working as an interpreter for a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping African immigrants in New York fueled my interest in immigration law. Essentially, I told my story authentically, and was able to show how these experiences would make me a better law student and, ultimately, a better lawyer.

FUN FACT:

I co-own a cajun seafood restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. If you’re ever in town look us up – we make the best fries in town!

ACADEMICS:

• Loyola Marymount University | B.A. in Political Science and Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies
• University of San Francisco | M.A. in Urban and Public Affairs
• Claremont Graduate University | Ph.D. Political Science (2025)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College and Graduate Admissions

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

When I was applying for college as a first-generation student, I faced a big challenge. I didn’t know much about the application process, and my test scores weren’t great. But I didn’t let that stop me. Instead, I focused on my passion and wrote a heartfelt personal statement. I shared my personal background, genuine experiences and dreams, showing the admissions team who I really am. My hard work paid off, and I not only overcame the obstacle but learned how to write my story in all my admissions statements. Now, I’m on my way to being a Ph.D!

FUN FACT:

I enjoy exploring botanical gardens!

ACADEMICS:

• University of Chicago | AB in South Asian Languages & Civilizations and Human Rights
• SOAS, University of London | MSc in Development Studies
• Syracuse University | PhD in Cultural Anthropology (2026)

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Graduate School, Scholarships

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

University of Chicago was my dream college because I loved learning and wanted to go to a school that emphasized learning for its own sake. My grades, however, while good, were not great, and my college admissions advisor told me UChicago would be a reach. When I was deferred after applying early admissions, I wrote a letter to the admissions committee explaining why, exactly, UChicago was my dream school and included an essay about my upbringing that demonstrated my ability to be both thoughtful and critical. My undergraduate experience and my years working in academia have led me to believe that far more than grades, your ability to express yourself, to demonstrate passion, and to ask the right questions are the greatest indicators of your ability to succeed in college and graduate school.

FUN FACT:

My decision to study Hindi for my language credit in undergraduate led to a degree in South Asian Languages and Civilizations and five years living, working, and conducting research in India with non-profits and academic institutions!

ACADEMICS:

• University of Texas at Austin | BA in Mathematics, Government, Literature – Rhodes Finalist
• Harvard University (HKS) | MPA
• Wharton School – UPenn | MBA in Finance

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Business School, Graduate Schools

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

As a public servant with nonprofit and government experience, I had a nontraditional MBA background, and I had to find ways to explain my work (and my contribution to the MBA community) to a very corporate school like Wharton.

FUN FACT:

I was a volunteer EMT in DC from 2017 – 2021. This included the COVID-19 pandemic.

ACADEMICS:

• UCLA | B.A. History, Political Science – Summa Cum Laude
• University of Cambridge | MPhil International Relations – Honors
• UC Berkeley Law | J.D. (CA Bar)
• Harvard University (HKS) | Masters in Public Administration
  (Full Merit Scholarship)
• Harvard-CPL Fellowship/Scholarship Selection Committee

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

College, Law, MBA

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

Each time I applied to college, graduate school, and law school my standardized scores were in the 50th – 60th percentile. Despite taking the SAT, LSAT and GRE several times, the scores simply did not reflect my efforts or true aptitude. I knew I could not get into a top program without an outstanding application including a bulletproof addendum and a unique personal statement. Thankfully in each case I was able to extensively research and artfully craft an application that not only helped get me over the admissions hurdle at top programs, but also receive funding for my studies!

FUN FACT:

I am obsessed with traveling. To date I have traveled to 150+ countries and attended 7 Soccer World Cups!

ACADEMICS:

• Harvard University | B.A. Government, secondary in Economics — magna cum laude
• Harvard Law School | J.D., Class of 2025

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

Law School, College, Graduate School

OVERCOMING AN ADMISSIONS HURDLE:

My LSAT score was lower than the recommended minimum score of 170 for admissions to Harvard Law, and I worried that, because my GPA was not a 4.0, I would not stand out as a political science major. I was very grateful to receive support from mentors and law school students who knew how I could explain the connections between my passions and the education I wanted out of law school. I applied to one law school and got in. I am excited to be a resource for you to find your potential in higher education at the best school for you.

FUN FACT:

I love the arts, including theater and dancing. In college, my friends helped me direct a play at the American Repertory Theater in Boston.

SEED

Secondary Education & Extracurricular Development (SEED) is geared to help 10th graders with all the academic mentorship, extracurricular guidance and social support through your own personal counselor to maximize high school and pave the path towards college. This is a 3-4 month process.

COMPREHENSIVE 1:1 APPLICATION GUIDANCE

This is a Comprehensive service for college applicants ready to start their college applications. We will help you craft powerful and personal essays and application materials tailored and perfected for ​each​ college in the U.S., Canada and the UK (UCAS)​*​. This service will not only paint you as an exceptional​ candidate, but will be the ‘pen-dropping’ quality you need to stand out from the 10,000s of other applicants! This is a 2-3 month process.​

*​Note, the ​U.S. ​Common Application is billed as an ​’​Individual School Package​’​ and not as part of any single school application​.

Please Contact Write Track for personalized package prices and timeline

COMPASS

COMPASS (11th Grade): College Orientation & Mentorship Pre-Application Services (COMPASS) is aimed at 11th graders and provides all the academic mentorship, extracurricular guidance, social support, and pre-college planning you need to build your story, strength your profile, and be the “best high school college candidate possible!” This is a year-long process service.