I couldn’t let this graduation weekend go by without once again expressing my appreciation and gratitude for your amazing and invaluable help that made the difference for Sara getting into MIT. She just graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and was given a Henry Ford II award by her Department. She will be interning for a 3rd summer with ExxonMobil, and turned down two full time job offers from Exxon and Chevron, in order to complete a Masters in Technology Policy (with focus in Energy) at the University of Cambridge.

And, I’m so glad that Sara’s friend Alex eventually connected with you about his application for graduate school. I told him that if you can’t help him get into Stanford (his dream), then no one can.

Again—just wanted to let you know that you made a huge difference for Sara, and we are greatly appreciative.

Many thanks,

Ellen Comis

Northwestern, Duke and Stanford are just some of the schools that the Key reports USC will surpass this year as one of most sought-after universities in the country.

“Over the past ten years USC has risen from a middle of Tier 2 school in competitiveness to low Tier 1 school by attracting a phenomenal group of students through their scholarship program,” said Rick Singer, student coach and founder of the Key, one of the nation’s leading providers of college admissions coaching. “We are definitely seeing an up tick in the number of students that are listing USC as their 1st-choice school.” USC has done an exceptional job of late in showcasing its academic assets, particularly the honors science college and the access to its high-tech research facilities.

At the same time, its financial aid is among the most generous nationwide—a $2.4 billion endowment allows more than 60 percent of students to receive some type of aid. “Because attending any university is so expensive many families of exceptionally strong academic kids will consider taking the scholarship money at USC before attending an Ivy,” continued Rick Singer.

Add in a winning athletics program—Trojan football has consistently ranked in the top 5 nationwide in recent years—and its ever expanding and loyal alumni organization, and it is no wonder why applications to USC have risen about 35% since 2000.

I wanted you to know that thanks to your careful counseling, so far my daughter, Alexandra has been accepted into every university she has applied to.  We are still holding our fingers crossed that she can work out attending USC, but we just found out she was accepted at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  The Key rocks!  I know she was a little difficult on and off, so a huge thank you for all you have done.  Allie is so excited!!

Best,

Dawne Knobbe
Runaway Storm- Gold & Silver Medal Winner
2010 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards

http://deknobbe.com/
http://infusethemuse.wordpress.com/
http://thenaturekid.com/

Nothing can be more complicated, confusing and challenging as the college application process is today, and yet a young person’s entire life will be molded by the outcome.  The mission of the Key is to help students and their families navigate these roiling waters to get to accepted at the college of their dreams.  Lolo is one such student:

I just wanted to thank you again for all of your help and support with Lolo’s college application process. I know that you deal with a lot of kids, but you make Lolo feel like a priority and you always made time for the many questions, etc.. throughout the process. Have a Happy New Year and speak with you soon.

Jaime
AFC Commercial Real Estate Group
Westlake Village, CA

The Key student, Chloe Katerndahl, had a dream to make music. Working with her Key coach, Chloe grew in her music and found her way to a college that was the perfect accompaniment to musical dream.

“I just wanted to express my gratitude for knowing exactly where I belong from the very start. I am in Nashville at the moment and I feel immersed in music. It’s wonderful and I’ve already met so many like-minded people just walking around Belmont’s campus. The best part is, I got offered a publishing deal for my songwriting and they want to promote me as an artist. The company’s called Ole and their office is right down the street from Belmont! What a coincidence. The synchronicity of my life lately has been unbelievable and I wouldn’t have such confidence in my future had it not been for your advice, so thank you from the depths of my heart! ” – Chloe Kat

The Key’s coaching staff can help you develop your passion and launch your career.

Our brains can process 240 billion bits of information each and every minute. All too often we accept what we see, hear and are told, to be the whole of all that we need to know as we would be overwhelmed having to determine what was relevant by the bit.

To accommodate this avalanche of stuff we have become dependent on branded sources for our information gathering. Unfortunately, the commercial necessities of servicing a mass audience can also render the individually brilliantly bit as mundane if at that moment the inbound isn’t relevant.

For those that extend themselves to define their own information filters and exercise the extra rigor to learn from doing THE KEY WORLDWIDE presents its summer program for those who invest in their passions: LA Film Academy, Automotive Design and Engineering, Apple World, Ideas Festival and Business Entrepreneurship.

Rising above the din of the crowd, future leaders are finding their voice as their personal brands emerge as products of their passion.  In his recent book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell writes about meaningful work as the fruit of passion. This summer, meaningful work can be found on the campus of Loyola Marymount University where THE KEY is offering a diverse set of learning tracks that provide both rigor and relevance for students following their passions.

The LA Film Academy –focuses on the Movie Industry, Automotive Engineering –focuses on Alternative Fuel Vehicles, NXT Think Tank – focuses on Youth Collaborating to solve the world’s problems, Ivy League Entrepreneurship — focuses on start-up businesses and The Real Mac Genius – focuses on Apple’s four major products. All programs will be presented by the leaders in each respective field, the three-day total immersion programs will offer students access to relevant real-world expertise and hands on practical applications unavailable elsewhere. Contact Jackie Strong: 3415 American River Drive, Suite D, Sacramento, California 95864 (800) 620-8085

College admission committees are not just responsible for determining which student is admitted, but for the complex social atmosphere that defines the energy of the entire campus. The KEY works with its students and their families to identify the “right fit” of people, place, culture, temperament, rigor, course and finances with student talents and aspirations.

A mother of one of our students had this to say about the “right fit”–

Rick-
Reed was one of the coolest colleges I have ever seen. Shannon really liked it. She thinks the kids are a little quirky and… well… they are!  But she is too (self-admitted). She thinks they are very quirky. She is going to look at Chapman the 27th - and is leaning toward Chapman – I think because of location and opportunities (and money! Thanks) I think Reed was a great idea for her… and if she doesn’t go there this year I think she’ll consider it in the future. Two of the women we met there came to Reed from Berkeley and USC, because they couldn’t handle the impersonal, big class, you’re a nobody mentality.

Thank you for making a personal investment in my kids – the “right-fit” is important!

Anne

ABOUT REED: Reed is one of the most unusual institutions of higher learning in the United States, featuring a traditional liberal arts and natural sciences curriculum. It requires freshmen to take Humanities 110 — an intensive introduction to the Classics, covering ancient Greece and Rome as well as the Bible and ancient Jewish history. Its program in the sciences is likewise unusual — Reed’s TRIGA research reactor makes it the only school in the United States to have a nuclear reactor operated entirely by undergraduates.

Reed has produced the second-highest number of Rhodes scholars for any liberal arts college: 31, as well as over fifty Fulbright Scholars, over sixty Watson Fellows, and two MacArthur “Genius” Award winners. A very high proportion of Reed graduates go on to earn Ph.D.s, particularly in; the sciences, history, political science, and philosophy. Reed is third in percentage of its graduates who go on to earn Ph.D.s in all disciplines, after only Caltech and Harvey Mudd. The Princeton Review acknowledges Reed as first in Overall Undergraduate Academic Experience and number two in “Best Classroom Experience.” Newsweek magazine acknowledges Reed as one of “the nation’s elite colleges.”

An effective coach working with a passionate high school student can have a significant impact on their pre and post college experience preparing them for the rigors of college by creating a realistic admissions strategy based on truthful introspection, a strong personal brand, meaningful extra-curricular activities with an aggressive pursuit of test scores and grades.

The coaches of the KEY have been successfully preparing students for lives of merit by assuring them that they will be able to meet the challenges of academia and successfully leverage their passions into rewarding careers. Call us at 800.620.8085 without obligation, to find out how the KEY can make the difference of a lifetime.

The KEY Worldwide is offering five rigorous summer programs for high school students to earn college level mastery of their personal career passions: LA Film Academy –focus on the Movie Industry, Automotive Engineering –focus on Alternative Fuel Vehicles, NXT Think Tank – focus on Youth Collaborating to solve the world’s problems, Ivy League Entrepreneurship — focuses on start-up businesses and The Real Mac Genius – focuses on Apple’s four major products.  All programs will be presented by the leaders in each respective field, the three-day total immersion programs will offer students access to relevant real-world expertise and hands on practical application unavailable elsewhere.

The growing interest in THE KEY’s summer programs reflects the attention paid to gaining personal mastery achieved through a rigorous and thorough curriculum. The fall semester of 2011 will be remembered as the most difficult for even the most superior applicants to gain entrance into the top tier colleges and universities.  Applications to the eight Ivy League schools plus MIT and Stanford skyrocketed from just over 200,000 applications to almost 300,000 early and regular applications, for a total increase of more than 40 percent, according to Michele Hernandez, President of Hernandez College Consulting.

To further filter candidates, a relatively new standard of excellence has been added to the admissions criteria: rigor and relevance.  It is expected that students will not only effort to study more challenging subjects which reflect their personal passion, but acquire a college level of mastery within that specialty.

Rigor requires students to use a higher order of thinking skills to demonstrate their mastery from simple knowledge responses to complex evaluation and judgments employing a combination of analysis, synthesis and evaluation processes.

The KEY Worldwide Summer Programs challenge each student’s rigor with unique performance-based real-world projects like building an electric and hydrogen car  in 36 hours, that are specifically designed to demonstrate mastery levels of cognitive thinking that will be required to participate in the global marketplace.

Contact Jackie Strong at The Key Worldwide; (800) 620-8085  thekeyworldwide.com
3415 American River Drive, Suite D Sacramento CA Sacramento, California 95864 to learn more about THE KEY Coaching and its Summer Programs.

 The road to finding the perfect college can be a long and winding one for students, parents, family and friends alike. When it comes to ensuring that their children reach their full potential, parents are faced with a number of different challenges. Part of this includes navigating through the competitive world of sports and academics to find the relationship that will best fit both the student and the university. Parents do research, dedicate time and often make financial sacrifices to unlock and identify their children’s unique qualities. Students attend camps, go to schools and work with specialists to build a lucrative skill set with the hope that it will set them apart from the rest of the college applicant pool. Through these combined efforts, young people can build a brand for themselves that shows they are devoted, passionate, unique and motivated in their personal, academic and athletic pursuits.

Building Your Brand

Your brand is what sets you apart and differentiates you from every other applicant. In the University of California system alone, 45,000 qualified (4.0+ GPA and 2,200+ SAT scores) applicants for 10,000 freshman slots were received. So, how important is it for you to stand out? Extremely.

Despite being ingrained with the mantra of having to excel at every single activity you enroll in, a student who, instead, dedicates his or herself to what they are passionate about will have an advantage. Nobody expects you to master everything you try but what will make you a candidate for a Tier 1 school is a resume of unique and significant experiences.

Admissions and the Pursuit of Happiness

University admissions officers are looking for students who challenge themselves. This means taking Honors and AP courses instead of taking standard courses that guarantee an “A”. It also means dedicating some of your summers to taking summer school classes at a local community college. In other words, it means stepping out of your comfort zone as you pursue your passions.

In terms of self-fulfillment and college admission, students who follow this path will stand out more. They will have developed a legitimate network of mentors, a unique set of skills and cultivated their passion. Whether it’s in the world of public service, journalism, speech and debate, sports or business — there are outlets for everybody — with the proper guidance and opportunities, you can find and settle into what makes you tick.

The importance of finding those things for which you have a genuine interest is essential. The main point to consider is your true motive for self-improvement and self-discovery. It’s not for the fame, getting into a Division I college or even to win every game. You devote yourself to something because you have an actual passion for it. It is something from which you will grow, mature and gain confidence from. As a result, the payoff – whether in the form of a college acceptance, scholarship or win – should be secondary because the greatest reward will come from the fact you are pursuing something that makes you happy.

The Academics

Getting into the right college starts with a strong academic foundation and a willingness to take responsibility for your academic curriculum. Making the right choices for college requires research, planning and direct involvement. It is not the responsibility of a counselor, friend, or relative to decide. That responsibility is yours. Students who aspire to attend prestigious schools should be willing to take on the challenge of advanced courses (AP, IB, Honors), sign up for classes at a community college, and take no less than 4 years of English, Math, Science, Social Science and Foreign Language. Taking these classes shows a desire to achieve above and beyond the norm. More importantly, taking advantage of these academically stimulating programs will provide you with an early college experience, giving you an understanding of the increased pace and competitiveness of college course work.

The Athletics

Athletes who are dedicated or aspire to compete in college need to keep certain things in mind as they progress towards the infamous signing day. Finding yourself and your brand is one thing, but it’s also important not to lose sight of the logistical side of things. In order to be considered by Tier 1 colleges and universities in the US, you must be prepared to take the most rigorous curriculum available at your high school. If you plan to play sports competitively in college, it is very important to map out a four-year high school academic plan.

Starting in high school, it is crucial to draft a game plan in each of the five core disciplines: English, Math, Social Science, Science and Foreign Language. This must be done to avoid any issues on the backend when attempting to become an NCAA student-athlete. The NCAA requires a rigorous core curriculum for students, and it’s important that you meet all of the academic qualifications.

The NCAA Clearinghouse.

Before your junior year, you should visit www.ncaaclearinghouse.com. The Clearinghouse is the data repository that determines if a student is a qualifier, partial qualifier or non-qualifier for participating in college athletics. When you register with the Clearinghouse, you will need to send a high school transcript that includes six semesters of grades and your SAT/ACT scores. These official documents will help the Clearinghouse create your GPA (based on NCAA-approved classes). Remember to always stay aware of the regulations and what is needed to compete in college. You’re investing a lot in your academics and your athletics. Make sure you don’t neglect to complete the NCAA’s mandated checklist. Your Ultimate Goal As an athlete you have an intrinsic advantage in the college admissions game.

You are already devoted to pursuing an activity you love and have sacrificed a lot of time, money and energy towards becoming the best athlete that you can be. The college process is very much the same. Your ultimate goal — select a college that makes you happy, challenges you and leads you to a fulfilling life — demands that you continue to act with the same degree of diligence and fortitude.

By focusing on and defining yourself, you will be able to create a unique brand that makes you stand out from the rest of the pack. The road to finding the perfect college can be a scenic, tree-lined wonder… and it can be one on which you find fulfillment, success and happiness, as long as you are prepared as Elena, one of clients, discovered;

Hi Rick,
Just thought I would give you a little update. I was accepted at Johns Hopkins and shockingly received a full-tuition merit scholarship as one of only 2 (!!!) Charles R. Westgate Scholars in Engineering. I can go back next month at their expense to tour and meet people. I also just found out that I am in to Rice. I was rejected at MIT and wait listed at CalTech. And, as you know, on Friday I am off to Duke for four days as a Robertson Scholarship Finalist. I am pretty happy with how it is all playing out so far. Looking forward to meeting on the 1st and sorting stuff out.
Thanks, Elena

An effective coach working with a passionate high school student can have a significant impact on their pre and post college experience preparing them for the rigors of college by creating a realistic admissions strategy based on truthful introspection, a strong personal brand, meaningful extra-curricular activities with an aggressive pursuit of test scores and grades.

The coaches of the KEY have been successfully preparing students for lives of merit by assuring them that they will be able to meet the challenges of academia and successfully leverage their passions into rewarding careers. Call us; 1.800.620.8085 to find out how the key can make the difference of a lifetime.