Results
In their words
Students and parents on what the work actually felt like.
1 / 6
“Looking back now, my applications were only as successful as they were because my story was the most personal. And very few have the ability to invite those experiences onto paper the way Sam does.”
From brainstorming to submission, Sam helped me construct every single essay for my 27 college applications. I credit much of my success during this application cycle to him.
Having the encouragement of Sam to write about what genuinely makes me interesting, instead of what I thought colleges would like to hear about me, is very rare in college application advisors. He asks the right questions, bringing out the most valuable parts of the applicant's academic, extracurricular, and personal paths that even they wouldn't remember as key moments in their story. And he is able to do this because he is genuinely curious; he cares for the success of his students, and he wants them to find the perfect fit for them in the next stages of their lives.
“It was almost as if I was his own little brother, and he wanted to make sure his little brother got into the school he wanted to.”
He was there for me every single step of the way. All the writing, the personal statement, the supplemental essays, even framing my activities. He was always very detail-oriented, making sure every single thing was to the best of my abilities. He treated me as his equal. He was like a friend to me more than a college counselor. I always knew in the back of my mind that I could turn to Sam if I had a question, and we'd figure it out.
“He introduced her to someone he knew at the university she wanted so she could get the information she needed, and he sent me warm messages and encouragement whenever I was anxious. He became a source of strength not only for my daughter but for me.”
With my daughter's applications ahead of us, I was introduced to several teachers while looking for the one who would understand her best. Meeting Sam was an enormous blessing, for her and for me. After the very first meeting, Victoria already trusted him completely, and she became certain she could do this well.
So rather than being stressed while preparing her essays, she finished them beautifully, with the material that showed who she really is. Sam listens to a child's worries and draws out exactly what that child needs. I'm certain anyone who works with him will have a child who stays mentally healthy and prepares for admissions happily.
“He truly helped me discover what made my story unique.”
Sam is an incredible tutor who helped me early in my application process. One of the biggest lessons I learned from Sam was to speak logically and authentically. No jumping around or over-flexing. Your activities list can already speak for itself, so the essays should just focus on what's you.
“You can just sense the genuine sense of care, and that really motivated me to write.”
I think the most important factor for effective college tutoring is if the tutor actually shows a genuine sense of care. Sam, I cannot emphasize this enough, was a great college tutor because of this. Genuinely, my mom emphasized this a lot. His caring messages definitely comforted her. This application process was more stressful for her than for me.
“Compared to my school counselor, he was able to provide much more specific feedback, down to individual ideas and sentences.”
He gave me very specific, personalized, and insightful feedback on my personal statement, and his dedication really helped me present my best self. His support was definitely a crucial part of my application success.
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