The ivyO TrailMap

is all you need for your college admissions journey


What is it?

The ivyO TrailMap is a personalized Strategic Action Plan designed for US college-bound students. Each TrailMap, of no fewer than 50 pages of tailored analysis, strategies and recommendations, is individually customized for Grade 7-12 students who aspire to stand out from the crowded applicant pool and in due course, gain admission to highly selective universities in the US.


If that sounds like your student, read on…


What would the ivyO TrailMap do for my student?
If it is your student’s aspiration to attend a prestigious and highly sought-after US university, the ivyO TrailMap would help your student achieve a single objective:

To stand out and shine in the extremely crowded and competitive applicant pool and be admitted to their best-fit US university.

Subject to your student’s profile, capabilities and preferences, their “fit” with postsecondary institutions may include highly selective universities.

Examples of highly selective US universities and colleges are as follows:
In helping students build their College List, ivyO encourages students and their parents to prioritize “fit” over “rank.”

Clearly, it’s imperative that your student attends the best-fit institution with regard to your student’s academic, social, financial and personal needs, where your student will prosper as a life learner, grow as a member of the campus community, and be happy and healthy as an individual.

How does the ivyO TrailMap differ from services offered by some of the other high-profile US university admissions consulting companies?

Here at ivyO, we focus on helping our students achieve their college admissions goals and don't concern ourselves with what other companies do. However, our students and their parents tell us that "The ivyO TrailMap stands alone in the marketplace. It retains all the best features about face-to-face counseling, but it is presented as a wonderfully personalized guide to the college admissions process. And it is sensational value for money."


By leveraging technology and seamlessly blending it with human expertise provided by our team of US college admissions counselors, ivyO has leapfrogged the status quo with the innovative ivyO TrailMap which epitomizes effectiveness, affordability and efficiency.


Case in point, under the conventional model, it takes countless meetings and expensive hours for a college consultant, sitting behind a desk, to gather information about a client, often asking similar questions over and over again. Then the consultant incurs even more time laboriously collating, recording and digesting the information. Obviously, such practices are loaded with inefficiencies, but the consultant won’t complain — it’s all chargeable hours — that means more dollars in the consultant’s pockets. On the flip side, for the families, it’s like throwing money into a big, black hole! But for an astute reader like you, no longer would you have to put up with that…


ivyO is here to offer students and their families a better alternative — the ivyO TrailMap.


By leveraging technology, all the data collection, data processing, and data management with regard to client information as depicted above are predominantly automated at ivyO. This in turn saves the ivyO team a great deal of time, and we pass all the savings straight onto our clients. That means as an ivyO client, you’ll save a lot of money. In a nutshell, that’s one of ivyO’s many competitive edges over the status quo.


Find out why ivyO is referred to as the Purple Cow — the ivyO Difference.


The way we achieve this positive outcome is through ivyO’s proprietary, secured, online TrailMap Questionnaire (TMQ), perfectly balanced with the human touch of our counselors via the TrailMap Consultation One (TMC1) and TrailMap Consultation Two (TMC2), all of which are brought together to produce your student’s personalized ivyO TrailMap.

Here’s how ivyO works, check it out!


What do we get when we sign up for our personalized ivyO TrailMap, and how much does it cost?
In acquiring the ivyO TrailMap, you’ll receive all of the following:
  • So that we get to know you and your student, the first thing you’ll receive is exclusive access to our proprietary TMQ for your student and a parent. The process is highly efficient and straightforward.
  • After you and your student complete and submit the TMQs, an ivyO Counselor will conduct your TMC1, a 90-minute private Zoom meeting. Its primary purpose is for the ivyO Counselor to gain further insight about your student, and to build on the information gathered from your TMQs. At TMC1, our aim is to get to know the student and the family really well.
  • Following your TMC1, it takes ivyO’s team of dedicated counselors about 21 days to complete your student’s personalized TrailMap which comes with no fewer than 50 pages of customized analysis, strategies and recommendations.
  • Soon thereafter, we’ll contact you again by email to schedule your TMC2, another 90-minute private Zoom meeting. At TMC2, your ivyO Counselor will take you through your student's tailored college admissions strategies, clarify any queries you may have, and explain to you, face-to-face, critically important aspects and nuances of the US college admissions process and the hidden pitfalls. But fear not, your student will learn how to navigate the journey with ease and confidence, just like an expert alpinist. Your ivyO Counselor will set out your student's all-important X-Factor and provide guidance as to how your student should be strategically positioned in order to shine in the applicant pool.
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, together with two Zoom consultations of 90 minutes each with an ivyO counselor costs one fixed fee of just US$2,990. As a standalone solution, that's remarkable value!
I want in!

How would the ivyO TrailMap help to optimize my student's chances of being admitted to competitive US colleges?
When it comes to elite US university admissions, the name of the game is that your student must stand out from the extremely packed applicant pool. Period.

And that’s precisely what the ivyO TrailMap will help your student achieve — to stand head and shoulders above the rest. If you want to optimize your student’s prospect of getting into a highly selective college, do that.

Which aspects of the US college applications process would be addressed in our personalized ivyO TrailMap?
Your student’s customized and comprehensive ivyO TrailMap will cover important aspects of the following topics:
  • Your student’s university admissions strategies and the all-important X-Factor
  • Course Planning and Strength of Curriculum
  • Standardized Testing (SAT and ACT), Test-Optional Strategies where appropriate
  • Extracurricular Activities planning
  • Early Round / Regular Round – ED, EA, REA
  • Personal Statement and Supplemental Essays
  • Teacher and Counselor Recommendations
  • Demonstrated Interest
  • Campus Visit
  • Summer Programs
  • Interview
  • Financial Aid (if applicable)
Note that many of the topics above are also important factors that admissions officers at selective US universities assess in making their college admissions decisions.

Who should sign up for the ivyO TrailMap?
Students in Grades 7–12 who aspire to attend a selective US university.

Hypothetically, certain aspects of my student's profile may not be suited to studying in the USA, if such discrepancies were noted by ivyO during the preparation of my student's TrailMap, would ivyO's observation be included in the TrailMap?
Certainly. Please note that the ivyO TrailMap is not designed with the sole objective of funnelling students to US universities. For a variety of reasons, if in the opinion of ivyO, higher education in the US may not represent a good fit for your student’s needs, the ivyO TrailMap would disclose such observations and make appropriate recommendations.

For instance, if our evaluation of all data available leads us to form a view that relative to a student’s educational options in his/her home country, the US may not be a good fit for that student, the ivyO TrailMap would state its position accordingly.
At ivyO, we’ll always call it as it is. Without fear or favor, we’ll tell you what you need to know, even if it’s not what you want to hear.

Is it too late for Grade/Year 12 students to sign up for the TrailMap?
No. Although Grade/Year 12 students should be well into their college planning process, the ivyO TrailMap will still provide them with invaluable guidance and insight on how to:
  • Manage the final leg of their college admissions journey
  • Minimize any errors in the process, and
  • Maximize their chances of gaining admission to their best-fit university
However, as we cannot change history, there could be mistakes already made much earlier in those students’ college applications process that cannot be rectified. That said, the TrailMap would ensure that the balance of the college admissions process be as smooth and error-free as possible.

Is it too early for parents to have their students in Grade/Year 7 or 8 signed up for the TrailMap?
No, and the reason is quite simple. In US college admissions, students are assessed as from Grade 9 to Grade 12 inclusive. And students are assessed on everything for the four years in high school. In other words, starting Grade 9, everything counts: academic performance, curriculum rigor, test scores, extracurricular activities, and much more. Absolutely everything counts.

It is a world of difference between the US system and virtually all other university admission systems around the world.
So, if you want your student to hit the ground running in Grade 9, start early! It’s one of the most effective ways to “game” the US university admissions process. And it’s entirely ethical.

That’s why we say that it is not too early for Grade 7 and 8 students to sign up for their very own ivyO TrailMap.

Would the ivyO TrailMap include a College List for my students who are in Grades 11 and 12?
Yes. For students in Grades 11-12, based on ivyO’s assessment of the students’ academic, personal, social, and financial needs, ivyO recommends a tailored College List of 12 good-fit colleges or universities, comprised of five Dream, five Target, and two Safety schools for the students and their families’ review and consideration.

What about Students in Grades 7 to 10?
For younger students in Grades 7 to 10, ivyO counselors evaluate the student information available at the relevant time and prepare for each student a personalized Early Exploratory College List of 12 schools which obviously are not cast in stone as future application prospects.

Closing Words
In short, if your student is not planning to apply to selective US universities, the ivyO TrailMap is not for you. You don't need it.

But if your student aspires to go to an elite US college, you should seriously consider signing up for the ivyO TrailMap provided that they are at least in Grade 7. If they’re still in primary school, pop back when they get to Grade 7.

For US college-bound students, the TrailMap is a remarkable Strategic Action Plan in empowering students stand out from the crowd. The TrailMap gets the job done effectively, efficiently and ethically. The added bonus is that at one low price of US$2,990, the TrailMap represents exceptional value for students and their families.

Now, here's a tip; if you want the very best value in acquiring your ivyO TrailMap, check out the service offerings in ivyO Bundled Solutions.

So, when you're ready, let ivyO TrailMap help your student stand out and shine in their college admissions journey!
I definitely want in
NACAC - National Association for College Admission Counseling NACAC - National Association for College Admission Counseling

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