ivyO | The US College Admissions Journey is like Mountaineering

The US College Admissions Journey is like Mountaineering

Scale your Summit with ivyO

It has been said that the US “college admission journey is a marathon, not a sprint.” We get it, but we say that the journey is more like mountaineering.

The modern-day marathon, as in the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics and elsewhere across the globe, is set at 26 miles 385 yards or 42.195 kms. Runners in each marathon cover exactly the same distance, route and terrain, and they head for the same destination — the finish line.

The US college admission process isn’t like that at all. While a marathon is the same distance for all, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to college admissions. Each applicant’s journey invariably differs from the journeys of others, as students choose from about 4,000 degree-granting institutions. Each institution’s admission process and criteria also vary in terms of selectivity and complexity. One student may travel from afar and seek admission to an Ivy League school, whereas another student may apply to a local public university.

Indeed, college admission draws close parallels to mountaineering. Like college applicants, climbers face individual challenges by tackling ranges of various heights and difficulties, from average to arduous, from graded hills to soaring peaks.

Are you ready?

For most students, the application process to elite institutions is like climbing a big mountain, whether your goal university is an Ivy League school like Harvard, Princeton or the University of Pennsylvania; a public university like UCLA, UC Berkeley or UMich; or a liberal arts college like Williams, Amherst or Swarthmore.

The question is: Are you ready for the ascent to your dream university at the top of the mountain?

If you say, “Yes, I’m ready", then it's time to scale your summit and let ivyO be your guide.

ivyO helps you to stand out from the crowd

While top US colleges are highly selective, oftentimes applicants unknowingly hurt their chances of admission by presenting themselves as "well-rounded" candidates with profiles that incorporate good grades, a few sports, a musical instrument or two for enjoyment, casual involvement in an assortment of student clubs and community service.

If this sounds like you, STOP! You're concocting what we call Vanilla Applications that cannot be differentiated from that of thousands of other college applicants. Seek help from a professional counselor. Such vanilla applications are likely to be rejected by elite colleges as their profiles are simply too common.

Know this — admissions officers (AOs) at top US colleges are not looking to fill their next freshman class with "well-rounded" students. They want a well-rounded class of specialists. If you want to maximize your prospect of getting into an elite university, don't present a student profile that looks like everyone else's.

That's why, at ivyO, we focus on guiding our students to present their authentic, unique, and strikingly captivating profiles to AOs at their best-fit universities. Never forget that college admission is all about making yourself stand out from the huge applicant pool. Do that, and you will succeed!

Here’s how ivyO will help you ascend to your college admissions mountaintop:

It all starts with the ivyO TrailMap, your customized Strategic Action Plan of no fewer than 50 pages of in-depth analysis, tailored strategies and recommendations.

First, we'll get to know you very well and gain insight into your academic profile, extracurricular activities, passions and core interests, personality, aspirations, potential college majors, admissions goals, and career interests through our proprietary and secured online TrailMap Questionnaire (TMQ) and two TrailMap Consultations (TMC 1 & 2) on Zoom. Both TMC1 and TMC2 run for 90 minutes each which will involve the student, parent and an ivyO counselor.

Then we’ll cut through the maze and the mess, and demystify the US college admissions process to minimize the stress, anxiety, and tension for you and your family.

Find, develop and showcase your X-Factor

In guiding you to distinguish yourself from the crowded applicant pool, the ivyO TrailMap will help you find, develop and showcase your X-Factor; the one single, special feature about you which will compel AOs to admit you as the bright spark who will, in a specific way, make an impact in the world.

If you like our way of professional and focused counseling, your family will be pleased to know that our fee structure is uniquely transparent, flexible and equitable.

At ivyO, families have real choices of exceptional value

Here at ivyO, we provide a full range of service offerings to meet every student’s needs:

ivyO TrailMap — built by humans and fueled by technology, it is our flagship service offering designed for students in Grades 7 to 12. A personalized and comprehensive Strategic Action Plan of no fewer than 50 pages. Regardless of where you are in the college preparation process, the ivyO TrailMap will be individually and expertly tailored to your needs. The ivyO TrailMap is a powerful standalone solution; it could well be all you need for your college admissions process.

ivyO BaseCamp — is all about Strategy Implementation and Strategy Execution. At BaseCamp, your dedicated counselor will work with you on Zoom to put your tailored strategic plan into action, and you can book additional consultations as required. At BaseCamp, your family will always get sensational value — just pay as you go for the services that you actually need. No contract; no upfront payment of $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, or more. How good is that?!

ivyO Summit — designed for students who want long-term, personalized support, regular check-ins, and expert guidance from their ivyO counselors throughout the entire college admissions journey. But know this — the ivyO Summit service contract is remarkably reasonable, equitable, and client-friendly.

At ivyO, you and your family indeed have real choices of unprecedented value. For starters, your very own ivyO TrailMap of no fewer than 50 pages of customized analysis, strategies and recommendations comes with two Zoom consultations of 90 minutes each with an ivyO counselor, and costs only US$2,990. As a standalone solution, that's exceptional value!

And here's a tip — to get the very best value, check out ivyO Bundled Solutions.

With the ivyO Solutions, you will cover all the bases:

First, the ivyO TrailMap could well be all you need for your college admissions process.
Secondly, whenever you want extra support, you can Zoom back to ivyO BaseCamp.
Thirdly, if you're after long-term, ongoing, personalized guidance with regular check-ins, ivyO Summit is the answer.

The choice is yours. Every ivyO service offering is tasked with the same objective — helping you stand out from the huge applicant pool and gain admission to your best-fit university, and we do it at the lowest cost possible for your family. That sums up what we do here at ivyO.

I want in!

Scale your college admissions summit with ivyO

When it comes to your university education, don’t pass up the opportunity of a lifetime.

Then, you’ll never have to ask yourself: “What could have been?”

Don’t let others tell you that it can’t be done.

You can do it, and we’ll help.

And, yes, you too can scale your college admissions summit. Way to go, ivyO!

I definitely want in!