Life is Short, Dream Big! Greetings from 2019 newsletter www.THESHORTLIST.org THE SHORT LIst z THE SHORT LIST’S Meet success stories: Letter from Our Founder Some of Our Brown The Wall Street Journal reported last January that elite colleges and Clients Hong Kong universities spend on average just 8 minutes reviewing each application. Students will spend weeks, perhaps months, writing their applications, and admissions will spend just minutes rendering a decision. I spent time with NYU’s Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, and Client Empowerment: here’s what he had to say about this discrepancy: “We received 84,000 applications this year. Applicant numbers that high are usually reserved Michael for public universities. I have 34 admissions officers, hired 45 additional readers, and told them they have eight minutes to read an application. The Stand Out If after eight minutes they aren’t close to making a decision, they need to get a cup of coffee or pass the application on to someone else.” Parents typically contact us for How can a student impress guidance for admissions in just eight their student. However, Mike minutes? They need to make it reached out to easy for someone reading the SOME ELITE COLLEGES us on his own. application to see immediately His parents their ability to compete in REVIEW AN APPLICATION empowered the classroom, how they will IN 8 MINUTES (OR LESS) him to be the contribute to the college or decision-maker. We provided university community and a 4 updates, but never actually spoke true desire to attend the school to them. if accepted. This newsletter Mike spent most of his early highlights the stories of five very childhood in and around New talented students who did just York City, where he said everyone that and earned an early acceptance to their top-choice school. looked and acted just like him. “The key,” he said, “was not to stand The Short List test prep division continues to build one of the strongest out if you wanted to fit in.” Mike reputations in the country, with students seeing big jumps in their SAT took challenging classes, but not and ACT scores. too challenging. Got involved, but not too involved. Thought about Our grad school and career divisions are having success guiding clients college, but with little clarity. That beyond college, including Gillian, who was accepted into a master’s would change the day Mike’s family program at Cambridge University this past fall and will attend Columbia moved to Hong Kong following next fall. Mike’s 9th grade year. University Law School Mike was the only African-American Finally, The Short List remains committed to underserved markets, student at his new international especially students attending New York City’s under-resourced public high school. His classmates worked schools. Last year’s pro bono students are enjoying life at four-year hard to excel in their academics, colleges in cities like Washington, DC; Philadelphia; New York City; and got involved in activities both in and outside of school, and were Boston. Their group picture on page four says it all. already thinking about college. All our clients have demonstrated impressive commitments to their future Mike wondered how he would goals, especially considering survive in a place where he didn’t they had just eight minutes to make an blend in. impression. It’s an honor to work with every one of them. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 » — Bill Short, Founder inside: • More Success Stories • The Short List College Fund • The Short List on the Road 2019 newsletter | Page 2 THE SHORT LIST’S success stories: Duquesne Pennsylvania Minimize Stress: Emma The Teacher the Dominican Republic. She and collectively completed accepted to every school she progressed upward through their common applications applied, even one to which We often hear from students, the organization, serving shortly after Labor Day. she hadn’t applied but that “I would love to get first as a junior Weekly assignments kept the offered her an acceptance as much done this mentor, then process moving forward in a because her application was summer as possible one of seven manageable way so Emma so outstanding. because I know super mentors could maintain a summer job senior year will be Emma was thrilled with her training other as a lifeguard. She quickly choices, but one school busy.” As we got mentors, before stood out as the student stood out from the rest to know, Emma, being elected a who came to each call because it based tuition however, it became natural helper prepared, spoke up during rates on academic major clear that “busy” was and finally to the group sessions, offered and earning potential after an understatement. the executive feedback to others in her graduation. That meant she Our first priority board. group, and welcomed their could get the education she became reducing feedback in turn. Emma thrived wanted without becoming stress for her and burdened with student her family. working with At school, Emma served as others, so we recommended a teacher’s aide and had loan debt that would make Emma was a cheerleader she join The Short List’s long considered becoming teaching less feasible as throughout high school and first-ever summer group a teacher herself. The Short a profession. elected team captain. She class for families looking List helped her research Emma decided Duquesne was part of a three-year to expedite the early schools with strong University was the perfect leadership academy that application process. Emma’s academics, school spirit, school for her goals. She included teaching second- group consisted of six and affordability. She visited announced her decision at a graders in Belize. She joined students and two counselors. several and took careful family gathering toward the Kids Helping Kids and was Each week they tackled notes, comparing one end of 2018, and then got twice selected to travel to another step in the process school to the next. She was back to her busy senior year. THE SHORT LIST’S success stories: DigiPen South Korea Unique Approach: Oliver The Game Designer and taught The Short List When he returned home, he coding to middle also researched poured his energy into his Oliver attends an international schoolers. both traditional applications, highlighting how school in South Korea. He Oliver was slow universities and his academics, extracurricular came to us somewhat lost as to reveal his renowned game activities, and summer to what he wanted to study in passion for video design schools program connected him to college. The more The Short games, believing for Oliver to game design. List learned about Oliver, the visit while in the we wouldn’t After submitting his more we understood why. U.S. Finally, we understand. applications, Oliver turned his brainstormed Oliver was about to enter But we clearly attention to completing his Oliver’s IB junior year and his school’s saw how video IB essay. He also organized program two-year International games combined an in-school Super Smash extended essay. Baccalaureate (IB) program. stagecraft, Bros charity video game Oliver settled on His three higher-level coding, and tournament, with all proceeds researching how the gaming courses—psychology, design. Once we validated his supporting Compassion industry has influenced French economics, and French— passion, Oliver took us deep International, a charity culture, adding a twist by highlighted the breadth of his into the world of video game that supports service work deciding to write the paper curiosity. His extracurricular production, storyline, and globally. Oliver was beginning in French. activities demonstrated user experience. to see how he could turn his creativity: He served We traveled to Korea to meet Oliver spent several weeks on his passion into meaningful as set designer for various with Oliver and his family, the University of Washington action. DigiPen Institute of school theater productions and we encouraged Oliver to campus collaborating with Technology saw the same and, and participated in Tech consider summer game design award-winning designers and in December, accepted Oliver Crusaders, a club that programs, including one at passionate classmates on the into their award-winning game designed the school’s website the University of Washington. design of a new video game. design program. www.THEshortLIST.org 2019 newsletter | Page 3 THE SHORT LIST’S success stories: Northwestern Bermuda Total Happiness: Léa The Urban Islander Léa was clearly talented and photography Léa visited several driven, so our goal was to course and schools over her Léa grew up in Bermuda keep her focused. She was to continue three high school and attended one of the top a strong STEM student but exploring summers and felt she international schools on the also loved art. The Short colleges. island. She believed she would would be happiest at List encouraged her to use Northwestern with be happiest attending college the summer to explore Léa was its strong STEM, art, in the United States but her interests outside the particularly knew nothing about the U.S. and communication classroom and helped her drawn to city admissions process. Léa was research summer programs. schools where programs. She loved a freshman, so we had plenty She was accepted to a she would face the easy access to of time to help her explore a high volume Chicago and vibrant and prepare. photography program at NYU and boarded a plane with of competition urban life. Léa says Léa was a leading student in her Nikon D3400 ready to in the admissions process. her first summer in New York her school and community. explore the city. She needed to match her top turned her from an island girl GPA with top standardized At the end of her freshman into a city girl but also helped Manhattan is about the size test scores, and was not year, she was recognized with her realize she never wanted of Bermuda, but couldn’t happy with her initial results.