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High School Transition Coaching

Ivy_Scholars

High School Transition Coaching

High school is a very important time in students’ academic lives, a new adventure after middle school. It also brings on many new challenges, from having to pick courses and electives, often for the first time; to dealing with more difficult coursework; to beginning to think seriously about college. 

All of this can lead to a lot of stress for students and parents trying to successfully navigate the transition between middle and high school. Luckily, Ivy Scholars is here to help. Our full-service high school transitions coaching enables you to face these challenges head on, and ensure the best possible experience for you and your student.

Here’s how it works:

STEP 1

Assessment

We first meet with you and your student to learn your skills, needs and abilities. With this, we are able to determine what high school experiences would best support you. All of our engagements are individually tailored to the specific student we’re working with.

STEP 2

School Selection

We help you choose a school to apply to, deciding between local public schools, private schools, magnet schools, and charter schools. We compare what each offers, and how they will support your needs. 

STEP 3

Applications

If you are applying to a private school (or selective charter or magnet school), we’ll guide you through every step of the process, from writing the essay to preparing for interviews, to studying for the ISEE or SSAT.

STEP 4

Course Planning

The classes you take in high school matter for college applications, and we’ll help you plan out a four year schedule which both prepares you for college and lets you grow and succeed academically. High school is often your first chance at choosing your own courses, and you want to make the most of this opportunity. 

STEP 5

Managing the Transition

We manage the transition itself by helping students build the needed soft and hard skills for high school. These include studying skills, time management, communications skills, and anything else they need assistance with. 

The transition to high school is an exciting and challenging time, and high school itself presents many new opportunities for students. We can help you with the transition to high school, and then beyond; showing you how to make the most of your time there, and how to find and explore your passions. 

Here’s what our High School Transition service looks like in action. We began meeting with student E in the spring of her 7th grade year. Her middle school was good; welcoming academically vibrant, but not great. It did not provide the extracurricular opportunities or academic challenges her parents knew she would benefit from. They came to us to help find the high schools that would best support her, and to help ensure her transition to them was successful. 

We began by meeting with her parents to gauge what they were looking for in a school, then with the student herself. She had clearly defined goals and ambitions, and was interested in a school that would support them. 

With this in mind, we began researching schools, and finding ones which met their criteria. We settled on a mixed assortment of private schools, ones which would support her both in and out of the classroom, and which offered the kind of supportive and collaborative environment she knew would help her thrive best.

With the list in hand, we began working with the student on the two key aspects of her applications; first on the applications themselves, and second on preparing for the standardized tests required to gain admission to these private schools. We helped the student draft essays for the schools, polishing her language and honing her ideas to truly express what she would bring to her new communities. 

In addition, our test prep experts helped her prepare and register for the tests, working to craft a schedule which allowed her to continue her school and extracurricular obligations while greatly improving her performance.

Once an acceptance was secured, we helped student E prepare for her transition to high school. She had a good grasp of many of the skills she would need, including communication and time management, and we taught her new ones, including study tricks and how to take notes efficiently. 

In the end, student E was a joy to work with, and we were glad to see her well prepared to embark on the next chapter of her academic journey.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you make the most of your situation, and make your high school transition smooth and painless, schedule a free consultation today.

5/5
Wendy Y.
Parent
Below is my son's review. He was accepted to his dream Ivy League school!

From an admitted student's perspective, I am incredibly grateful to have met Sasha - he has been instrumental in helping me achieve my educational dreams (Ivy League), all while being an absolute joy (he's a walking encyclopedia, only funnier!) to work with.

Many people are dissuaded from seeking a college counselor because they think they can get into their desired college(s) either way. Honestly, going that route is a bit short-sighted and can jeopardize your odds of acceptances after years of hard work. The sad truth is, the American education system (even if you attend a fancy private school and ESPECIALLY if you go to a public school) doesn't really tell students how to write a compelling and authentic application. Going into the admissions process alone, without speaking with an advisor, is like going to court without a lawyer - you put yourself at a significant disadvantage because you don't have all the facts in front of you, or the help you need to negotiate the system.

That said, you need a good lawyer just like you need a good college counselor. And that's where Sasha distinguishes himself from the crowd of people claiming they'll get you into Harvard. I came to Sasha worried about and frankly dumbfounded by the college admissions process. I was unsure what to write about and how to go about drafting the essay that perfectly captured my passion, interests, and self. And I was highly skeptical that anyone could really help me. But, damn, did Sasha prove me wrong. From the beginning, Sasha amazed me with his understanding of the process, and ability to lend clarity and direction to me when I desperate needed it. After interviewing me about my background, experiences, activities, outlook, and vision, he helped me see qualities about myself I had not previously considered 'unique' or 'stand-out.' This process of understanding myself was so incredibly important in laying the groundwork for the essays I eventually wrote, and I'm certain I would've drafted boring, inauthentic essays without it.

Looking back, Sasha's talent is that he can see where your strengths lie, even when you don't see them. The truth is, although we don't always realize it, everyone has a unique story to tell. Sasha helped me see mine, and with his big-picture insight I was able to write the application that truly encapsulated my life and vision. He inspired me to dig deeper and write better, challenging me to revise and revise until my essays were the most passionate and authentic work I had ever written. As clichéd as that sounds, that's really what universities are looking for. In retrospect, it makes sense - in the real world passionate (not simply intelligent) individuals are the ones who make a difference in the world, and those are the individuals colleges would like to have associated with their brand.

In the end, I was accepted to the college of my dreams, a feat I could not have achieved without the direction Sasha lent to me. Essays (and the personal narrative you develop through your application) matter so much, and can literally make or break your application. I have seen so many of my 'qualified' friends receive rejections because they wrote contrived essays that didn't truly represent who they were; conversely, I have also seen so many friends with shorter resumes accepted because they were able to articulate their story in a genuinely passionate and authentic way - I fall into the latter category.

As a former admissions officer at Johns Hopkins, Sasha knows what types of essays jibe well with universities, an invaluable asset to have in the admissions process. He is responsive, flexible, creative, positive, and witty. For anyone who is serious about going into the college admissions process informed and prepared, I highly recommend Sasha.
5/5
Arda E.
Student
I used Ivy Scholars to mainly help me with college applications. Within weeks of using this service, Sasha was able to simplify the already complex process. When it came to writing the Common App essay, Sasha didn’t just help with grammar and syntax, he brought my essays to life. Sasha also worked tirelessly to help solidify my extracurricular activities, including research and internship opportunities. Without his help, I would have never had an impressive resume.

Sasha is not only an extremely knowledgeable tutor, but also a genuine brother figure. His guidance, throughout my last two years of high school, was everything I needed to get me an acceptance letter from my dream schools (UC Berkeley, Tufts, Emory).

When it came to testing, Ivy Scholars worked like a charm. Sasha offered a very comprehensive plan when it came to completely acing my standardized tests. Without his test taking strategies I would have never gotten straight 5s on my AP tests and a 35 on the ACT.

Working with Sasha, I didn’t just become a good student, I became a genuine scholar.
5/5
Samson S.
Parent
We worked with Ivy Scholars during my son's senior year. I was concerned that we may be too late to take advantage of college advising but the Ivy Scholars team quickly and confidently directed us through the steps to ensure no deadlines were missed. Sasha's knowledge about schools, what they looked for in candidates, and how to maneuver the application process was invaluable. Mateo and Ryan worked with my son to help him create an essay that would get noticed and I am so appreciative he had their guidance.

Prior to securing Ivy Scholars, we tried using a less-expensive online service which was a terrible experience. As a parent, Ivy Scholars brought peace of mind to an area that was frankly overwhelming. This service was invaluable in the knowledge that we gained throughout the process. He has also met with my freshman daughter to provide guidance for her high school courses, career paths, extracurricular activities, and more.

Prior to signing with Ivy Scholars, I tried a less expensive online service and was very disappointed.

As a result of our work with Ivy Scholars, I am pleased to say that my son will be attending Stern Business School at New York University this fall! I highly recommend Ivy Scholars. Highly recommend!