February 1, 2025

Continued from my February 2025 newsletter…

From 2017 through 2018 we spent 2 years working with Robert. We met with Robert and his parents one Saturday per month throughout the school year. Robert was an accomplished dancer and gifted in the arts. He was in the Guilford County All-County Choir, North Carolina Honors Choir, and North Carolina All State Choir. Robert was also academically accomplished with a 4.1 GPA, ranked in the top 20% of his high school class, and enrolled in multiple AP classes.

During each meeting, Robert worked through lessons in our online curriculum taken from our book, A High School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams. While Robert began the process with a desire to attend an in-state school (i.e., North Carolina State or North Carolina A&T), he received his largest scholarship offer from George Mason, where he has since attended and graduated with a BS in Community Health with a concentration in clinical science.

During his time at George Mason, Robert continued building his résumé through his participation in many campus-based organizations, serving as a Mason Ambassador, working in the George Mason Office of Admissions, and volunteering with our foundation. Robert is now an elementary school teacher and has been selected as the Outstanding New Teacher of the Year in his Virginia school district. He is about to receive his M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Elementary Education and is researching Ph.D programs.

Robert’s college-bound pathway has several important components that any student who wants to qualify for more institutional scholarships and avoid student loan debt should consider. Click below to learn what you should be doing.

As a high school junior, the book, our online curriculum, and our 1-on-1 advising guided Robert (pictured on page 2) in developing the “Body of Work” that he would present to his colleges as a high school senior. Following are examples of what you should do PRIOR to the beginning of your senior year of high school, with page references in the book for further reference:

  • Understand that your college application to most colleges, particularly selective colleges, will undergo a holistic review across the areas of academics, extracurricular activities, personal qualities, and intangibles (page 5)
  • Effective college planning follows a process of backwards mapping, i.e., “Beginning with the End in Mind” (page 9)
  • Your résumé and your profile provide an importance reference point of your competitiveness as a college or scholarship applicant (page 10)
  • See the examples of Kimberly Hadaway’s high school profile and résumé that resulted in her being offered 6 full scholarships (Amherst College, Duke University, Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, Washington & Lee University, and Williams College) (pages 12-13)
  • View Kimberly’s video discussing the process (https://youtu.be/NaBLrN2H9xI?si=kCos0_OkV9cYaIGp)
  • See the examples of Kristen Starks high school profile and résumé that resulted in her being offered 3 full scholarships (Tuskegee University, and the University of Richmond, Wake Forest University) (pages 14-15)
  • View Kristen’s video discussing the process of packaging (https://youtu.be/gCgPDKmWu14?si=W2qV72dYTSocFjTg)

Start building your college list based on your aspirations and your family’s financial need (page 17)