It's that time of year again college application season is upon us. At Avant Garde - College Prep Services, we understand that this time of year can be exciting and nerve-wracking for students and parents alike. Your student's application must stand out with the college admission process more competitive than ever. That's where we come in.



So, how do you know your student's college application and essay have captured the attention of admissions reviewers? Are your student's activity descriptions genuinely aligned with their personal values, traits, or impact on the organizations they've been a part of? Or are they merely echoing information that reviewers have already seen?

Undoubtedly, the college essay is a pivotal component of the application, and at Avant Garde, we've honed a meticulous process to aid your student's journey. Starting with a series of writing activities, we walk students from the "hook" to the conclusion, planning each paragraph and phrase to paint a picture of the person behind the scores and grades. We don't believe there is any one style that suits every student. Instead, we find great joy in identifying the style suited for the individual's narrative.



One essential element of any piece of writing is the introduction. Below are some examples we helped craft with our clients:

• Sometimes, the hero's journey is not one of monsters, hellscapes, or solving big problems. Perhaps a hero merely has to venture into a 100-degree parking lot in the Texas August heat to slay dragons and reap rewards. In my life, I look for calls to adventure and service in small instances. After all, the biggest blessing can be the smallest act of kindness.
• "'Quiet down Luke!' is a phrase I heard so often that it could have been my full name. My voice has always been loud - so loud that in middle school, my teachers assigned me to a "red, yellow, green" behavior card system. Up until then, I spoke freely, without concern, at any volume that felt natural.
• If you view a 'closed beach' sign as a suggestion, you better have the guts to withstand the Atlantic's spin cycle. Being amidst the most chaotic and dire of circumstances allows for a clear understanding of ultimate desire. Finding calm amidst chaos has been a recurring theme for me throughout my life.
• Whether in coffee brewing or industrial design, it is best to avoid accidents. As a barista, I'm prepared to come home stained by various shades of coffee. I was not, however, prepared to come home dressed in the tiny shards of an Edison Light Bulb's carcass.
• Much like a sole partner on the country dance floor, my choice of footwear has remained steadfast: Wrangler Ropers. These boots have twirled with me through the steps of life, serving as both my literal and metaphorical guides, steering me through various situations as I matured.

For those whose students aren't in their senior year, we extend our services to include family consultations, test preparation (SAT/ACT, and AP), and assistance with academic research publication. Our track record boasts a string of achievements, having effectively steered students toward acceptance and scholarships at some of the most competitive colleges in the US. Whether in-person or virtual, all our services are available to cater to your preferences.

Interested in gauging your student's progress along their college preparation journey? We're here with solutions and are more than happy to engage in discussions with families to clarify their unique needs. To learn more or arrange a complimentary consultation, please visit our website at http://avantgardeprep.com or contact us at 979.450.7151. We look forward to connecting with you.

Its really sad and infuriating what self-loathing white liberal admissions officers have turned college admissions into. Not a shot at OP - they're just trying to help clients game a system designed to prevent certain demographic groups from getting into highly selective universities unless its pretty clear they are leftists. That's how a mediocre student like David Hogg got into Harvard after being rejected by several universities that have much lower rankings.

I think it's more about availability of information combined with an influx of the best and brightest Asians moving to the US for the last few decades and their kids going to school. So much can be learned with a few clicks on a keyboard now so it is harder and harder to differentiate yourself. A motivated kid has a lot of avenues to study and prepare. So if you want to separate yourself for the really elite schools a counselor like Robb makes a huge difference because they understand what those schools are looking for in what is a very finite number of slots.

You do have kids like Hogg and celebrities and legacies of course but that really only impacts a few of the slots and mainly at Ivies, it just makes it that hyper competitive though. It will be interesting as well to see how the Supreme Court ruling affects things too. Take Stanford for instance. Last year they had 1800 Freshman. Of that 23% were white and 54% had to be female. So if you do the math that ends up around 190 white males. Then take out athletes and legacies. If you want to be one of that very small number of kids still selected you need to have near perfect academics just as a starter and THEN truly stand out with everything else.

Either play the game or don't. Plenty of great options that don't involve trying to get into elite schools too, it's about where you are looking to end up not where you stop off along the way.