“Each year, my school publishes information about the top 10 graduating students. The information includes their rank, extracurriculars, and the college they’re attending. I look at the list every year, hoping I could see some students from my school go to an elite university. I have been seeing these incredibly hard-working kids, top 10 in a class of nearly 1000 students, with their impressive extracurriculars all going to the same schools like UT Dallas and A&M as everyone else in my school. I have also seen many of my upperclassmen friends with their 1500+ SAT scores try to get into a top college but inevitably get rejected due to the competitiveness of college admissions.

Seeing how unlikely it was for a student from my school to go to an elite university made me give up my aspirations of attending a top 20 college and kept my standards low. I did not need to score a 1500 on the SAT if I was an auto-admit to schools like UT Dallas and A&M. Why even bother? I also did not have a high GPA, and I wasn’t ranked high in my school. I would waste my time playing video games because I knew I couldn’t change my fate regardless of the efforts I put in. I rested assured because I knew that I would see my top 10 classmates at the same university that we would all inevitably go to.

However, everything changed when I agreed to attend Elite Prep. Attending Elite Prep helped me get into my dream college and allowed me to change the harmful mindset that has been plaguing me throughout high school.

Elite Prep’s SAT prep class was a phenomenal experience for me. I never thought I would enjoy studying during summer break, but Elite Prep’s teachers were so knowledgeable and charismatic that I actually enjoyed going to class. I never thought that I could do well on the SAT, but Elite prep helped me score well above a 1500 on my first try. I have also always struggled with Math in school, but Elite Prep even helped me get a perfect score on the math section of the SAT. The benefits from my SAT prep class went beyond just the SAT. I also did much better in school thanks to the education I have received. The class also instilled work habits that helped me excel throughout high school, and I was able to significantly improve my class rank and GPA even after I finished the class.

When it was about time to start applying to college, I was a bit nervous. I had a great SAT score and GPA, but so do many people who are applying to top colleges. Also, I did not have any notable extracurriculars or awards, and I did not know whether my scores, impressive extracurriculars, and inspiring essays. I never thought I could be like them, and I began to doubt myself once again.

Thankfully, I was later enrolled in Elite Prep’s College Consulting program. During my very first consultation, I told the director of my branch that I was likely going to UT Dallas or A&M. He refused to take that as an answer, and he encouraged me to apply to schools I would never have dreamed of attending. With his encouragement and guidance, I was able to navigate the competitive college admissions process and realize my full potential. Elite Prep helped me craft a compelling college application that highlighted my strengths and helped me overcome my shortcomings. Elite Prep allowed me to see that the activities I have done throughout high school that I deemed unimpressive were meaningful. Additionally, I was able to nurture my passions and pursue more impressive extracurriculars and academic awards. I was also able to write outstanding essays that I could never have written on my own. The program eliminated any self-doubts I had and made me confident of my own abilities during the college admissions journey. By doing so, Elite Prep helped me become a competitive college applicant.

With the help of Elite Prep, I was able to get accepted to my dream school, Rice University, in the most competitive year in college admissions history. My counselor told me that she does not know about any other students at my school being admitted to Rice, despite being a very common university that students at my school apply to.

I am incredibly grateful to Elite Prep for changing my life. Elite Prep has done more than just help me get into my dream college. Elite Prep made me be the best that I can be and changed my outlook towards myself. I know that I do not have to doubt myself anymore in the future, and I know that I can be successful regardless of the outcomes of my peers. I highly recommend Elite Prep for anyone. Even if you don’t think you are competitive like I did in the past, Elite Prep will help you get into the college of your dreams and help you have a more enriching outlook towards yourself.

My school will release the top 10 information for my class soon, and all I can say is that I am extremely proud to be the inspiration that past-me has been looking for all these years.”

James Park • Elite Student Since 2019
Spring 2021 • Accepted to Rice University