Admissions Consulting

We began our admissions consultation program with C.C. more than year before her application year (total of two academic years). She was mature and had some passions and interests, but none were high impact. She had musical interests and had earned ABSRM Grade 8 in piano and voice. Despite the time invested, piano is considered a low impact activity. We encouraged her to build her vocal portfolio to high impact with private lessons and recommended a prestigious young vocal artists summer program in the US. She was athletic and had general experiences in multiple sports, but none were impactful. She had a strong interest in recreational alpine skiing and played a bit of competitive tennis. We encouraged her to join the Hong Kong junior tennis squad training to compete and recommended a competitive ski racing camps in the US. She enjoyed debate and had a strong commitment to community service for which we suggested C.C. to demonstrate these interests in application essays and interview preparation. Her SSAT score started at 85% and final score was 98%. At application time, she had earned all A’s on her grade reports. Best of luck!

I am eternally grateful to ARCH for their generous contributions to my application process. Without the help from my consultant and everyone on the ARCH team, there is no way I can made it this far. It also goes without saying that I am indebted to ARCH. I promise to work hard and reap what we have collectively sown. I greatly appreciate the assistance I receive during the test prep, essay prep and interview prep sessions.

The boarding school application process was a new experience for me and initially, it certainly seemed like a daunting challenge. From the start, ARCH helped me realize how important it was that I understand what boarding school entailed and to make sure that it was something that I really wanted to pursue. They also helped me think through which schools would be the right fit for me. Moreover, the ARCH team provided guidance and reassurance throughout the process and was there to help me get admitted to the school of my choice. What particularly stood out to me was how knowledgeable the counselors were with the entire process. They pointed out many improvements that I could have never made myself. From helping me with the essays and brainstorming ideas with me, to honing my interviewing skills, the ARCH team was always thorough, prepared and on top of things. I especially enjoyed the ways that the ARCH team would spend time helping to brainstorm ideas for the essays as well as the interview prep. Not only did the ARCH team work on brainstorming ideas for the essay, the counsellors also created a thorough schedule that outlined the steps that I should take every month. Even after getting admitted, they provided a list of suggestions that I should take to make my life at boarding school a much more enjoyable experience.

Applying to study abroad in the United States is a lengthy and complicated process. Thanks to ARCH, my son Gordon’s application was completed smoothly and efficiently. During Jennifer Yu’s first encounter with Gordon, she pointed out his shortcomings and the difficulties he might encounter throughout the application process. Over the period, Jennifer has provided Gordon valuable advice and clear guidance on tackling the SSAT exams, applying for boarding schools, acing the interviews and encouraged him to participate in extra-curricular activities. Jennifer’s attentive coaching has exerted positive influence over Gordon which we cannot appreciate more.

ARCH helped me identify my strengths, interests and hobbies and encouraged me to develop them into solid extracurricular activities. ARCH provided a lot of guidance, especially helped me understand the interview mentality which encouraged me to self-reflect on my experiences, achievements and how I wanted to present myself.