My process of advising is very career-focused on what the student wants (or doesn't want to study). The most successful students have a clear goal in mind and are able to articulate why they want to take that career path. From there, I work with students to create a narrative that highlights their strengths - personality, extracurriculars, service, etc. If the student is lacking in any area, I work with them to utilize the summer and fall semester of senior year to close any gaps so they can have a stronger application. For example, if a student is passionate about mental health, I work with them to find ways to integrate this into all portions of the application - a personal story about mental health in the Common App essay, extracurriculars in the mental health space in the activities section, and creating "brag sheets" to provide to letter of recommendation writers to highlight this passion of the student. Together, this creates a cohesive story that clearly demonstrates how the student will uniquely shape the campus they are applying to. I know your child has done the work - they have worked hard to get amazing grades, taken part in different extracurricular activities, and developed into an amazing human being. My job is to help college admissions see that!