There is no typical Gateway Admissions' student as there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to college admissions. Whatever a student’s profile, we meet the student where they are, identifying best fit options for them that take into consideration a broad myriad of factors. Every service is individualized and optimized to get the best and most desired results for that student. In a typical admissions cycle, we work with students seeking ivy league and elite placements, those aiming for large state flagships or small liberal arts colleges, those wanting schools strong in the arts, and those focused on less competitive schools with higher admissions rates. Our students come from public high schools all over the country, elite boarding and day schools, academically and emotionally supportive and specialized high school programs, and international secondary schools. The range of skill sets we possess make us singularly equipped to work with all students, recognizing each student's potential, learning style and strengths.

Each year over 85% of GA students get into their first choice school with most getting into one or more of their top three. That said, success is intricately tied to the strength of a student’s college list and its alignment with that student’s profile and institutional objectives of those schools.  At Gateway Admissions, we have been creating highly successful student-matched college lists and applications to accompany them for over 25 years. Furthermore, a large percentage of our students receive offers of substantial merit aid along with their acceptance decisions. Many students have also received numerous offers for the honors colleges at the universities to which they have been accepted.

As founder and with over 25 years of experience, I have a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology and another Masters in Education, singularly positioning me to work with the whole student and not be driven solely by data or by using other formulaic approaches. Our other team members possess similar experience, enabling them to meet students where they are, foster growth, and set students up for success. Our team is flexible - we offer a specifically dedicated athletic consultant, a career consultant, a learning specialist and an executive functioning coach. As such, the ability to scaffold a student’s admissions process from different angles is a reality at Gateway Admissions not a pipedream.

Independent educational consultants are able to provide students and families with individualized attention curated specifically to their specific needs and objectives.  Unlike school counselors who carry an extensive caseload of students and divide their time among other responsibilities, IECs cater to only a small number of students each admissions cycle, ensuring they will be able to deliver the personalized attention each student needs. IECs also visit many campuses each year,  are constantly cultivating relationships with admissions personnel, and stay abreast of changes to the admissions landscape in its entirety as well as changes being instituted by individual schools. This level of attention allows for greater success in the college admissions process.

By developing a relationship with the students and family, IECs begin by assessing a student’s interests, academic records, areas of strength and areas for growth, to help the student to formulate and confirm appropriate goals. As things progress, an IEC will develop a list of schools for the student to explore  and ultimately help the student to create a balanced, realistic list of college options that suit the student's personality, learning style, and budget, rather than just chasing rankings. IECs help families understand admissions pathways and choose the ones best suited to their objectives. They work with students to create a memorable resume/activity list, draft, edit and revise  all essays and supplements, communicate with schools, prepare for interviews, select high school classes and recommenders for their applications. IECs develop milestone timelines for completing all aspects of the admissions process, and to facilitate appropriate time management for the student to help alleviate undo stress. 

Gateway Admissions' students hail from all sorts of backgrounds and academic profiles. Our objective is always ‘best fit’ not what is the hardest or most prestigious school I can get into. In the last three years, GA students have received admittance to:

Columbia, NYU, WashU, UMichigan, UT Austin, Carleton College, Lafayette, UFlorida, UWisconsin,  McGill, UToronto,  Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Rice, Princeton, UCBerkeley, UCLA, UNC Chapel Hill, URichmond, The Naval Academy, UVM, Villanova, Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern, Northwestern, USC, Santa Clara, LMU, Wake Forest, UVirginia, UIndiana, Tulane, Elon, Occidental, UMass-Amherst, Purdue, Georgia Tech, UGeorgia, Emory, UCBoulder, Virginia Tech, UMiami, USouth Carolina, Georgetown, Duke, Dartmouth, Hamilton, Syracuse, UPittsburgh, UWashington, Fordham, SMU, Binghamton, StonyBrook, George Washington U, St. Andrews, Providence College, Bucknell, College of Charleston, URochester, RIT, RPI, UMaryland, UIUC, UDelaware, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Williams, Florida State, Embry Riddle, William and Mary, Lehigh, Vassar, Middlebury, UTampa, CaseWestern, College of the Holy Cross, Denison U, Carnegie Mellon, Brandeis, Davidson College

A successful college admissions process is one that yields desired outcomes while keeping stress at a minimum. Starting early, getting the best advice and direction that fits your child’s desires and needs, and ensuring the application content - from essays to resume - is authentic to your child is key. 

From the perspective of the college admissions office (even those engaging in holistic admissions review), GPA and rigor, class selection, and improvement/positive consistency over time is factor one. Standardized test scores, if submitted or not optional, is the second touchstone as they offer a common metric on which schools can rely. While GPA/rigor measures ability and academic dedication; test scores measure capability. Of special note, while most schools went test-optional in the years of and immediately following Covid, many are now returning to requiring test score submission. 

Activities and leadership followed by the personal statement, supplementary essays, and recommendations serve as the next indicators of success and fit which is what the college is ideally seeking when filling a class. These elements also provide insight into character and context which help admissions personnel to gain a more complete understanding of an applicant.

The intricacies of this process and its constantly changing landscape is something we at Gateway Admissions take very seriously. Integral to our college advising process is presenting clear outcomes, setting manageable expectations, and strategically organizing timelines so that all deadlines and targets are met, quality is preserved, and pressure is minimized.

Early on in my career it became evident that students often need support and guidance both before and after the college process. To address this, I worked to build foundational knowledge and then strong expertise in summer program placement, gap year options, PG years and even high school semester opportunities. Not only does this offer students the ability to grow personally, but it is a highly effective tool in helping them develop deeper and more informed understanding about what they may want in their college experience - all while cultivating their college admissions profile. Dovetailing these experiences together during middle and high school years develops self-esteem and confidence while creating a solid academic foundation from which to build.

My relationship with my students and their success has led into a robust graduate school placement service.  Specializing in law school, Psychology options, Business and STEM graduate school placement, Gateway Admission students have received admission to premier programs throughout the US and Europe.