5 Reasons Why International Students are Rejected from BS/MD Programs

June 11, 2019June 25, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

I receive calls and emails from parents whose children desire entrance into U.S. BS/MD Programs. Their children have high GPAs, top standardize test scores; they have completed research or produced biotechnology projects; they have a resume that’s 3-pages long and attended top high schools in their country with IB programs or challenging courses.

Even with these accolades, the admissions process is competitive and there are a limited number of U.S. BS/MD programs. Here are 5 reasons why I feel international students INCREASE their chances of being REJECTED from BS/MD programs:

Lack of meaningful extracirricular activities: It’s not all about research and shadowing!
Poorly communicating through applications and essays: Bad writing leads to instant rejections. Poorly constructed essays regardless of your achievements results in instant rejections.
Weak letters of recommendations: A glowing letter of recommendation does not necessarily guarantee admissions. In many cases, it’s not what the recommender writes it’s how it’s written.
Poor interview skills: Interviewers have to like you. They have to want you in their program. It doesn’t matter how brilliant you are. You have to understand U.S. cultural norms. Remember, you are applying to BS/MD programs in the U.S.!
Not hiring a BS/MD expert: What makes you believe that you know more than a BS/MD expert who visits colleges with BS/MD programs and has more than 20 years of experience and know-how?

After years of preparation, why make mistakes that will increase your child’s chances of being REJECTED?

We know the value of our services because when our clients are admitted to BS/MD programs, it’s and indicator for guaranteed income in their future.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network. He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliate, BS/MD Admissions Advisors, help high school students get accepted to BS/MD programs. Summer Camp: BS/MD Application Boot Camp.

College Admissions is not a Crapshoot

June 3, 2019June 7, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

From time to time, I hear parents state that college acceptance to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities is a “crapshoot”. Our clients enjoy a different experience with positive outcomes!

My team and I know that our knowledge, insight, experience, forward-thinking and our ability to understand our clients, as well as the intricate expectations of each school and their admissions committees in real-time and forward-time contribute to “beating the odds”.

Students (and their parents) who attempt to formulaically systematize the admissions process based on generic or ill advice generally end up among the 90% or more of applicants who are REJECTED.

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Beating_the_odds — Dr. Paul Lowe demonstrating that college admissions is not about rolling dice.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder and managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group, provides comprehensive counseling advice, exclusively for admissions to top private schools; Ivy League and highly-selective colleges/universities; BS/MD programs; graduate and medical schools and top visual and performing arts programs. The admissions affiliate: Ivy League Admissions Advisors specializes in admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges, Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been wait-listed, deferred or rejected gain admission into their top-choice schools: College Application Rejected. and student who wish to transfer to another college: College Transfer Admissions Advisors.

College Admissions: How will You Differentiate Yourself from the Crowd

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

I am often asked the question by parents during my seminars how can my child differentiate themselves in the competitive admissions process to get admitted to their dream school.

There are 7 factors that you can control to this end:

Common Application
Personal Statement
Supplemental Essays
Letters of Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
WOW Factor
Hire a college admissions expert who knows the changing policies, politics and diplomacy in admissions.

If you don’t differentiate yourself from the crowd, you will be among 41,350 students who were rejected from Harvard (43,330 applied, 1950 accepted), or, the 36, 123 students rejected from Brown (38,674 applied, 2,551 accepted) or rejected (34,665 rejected from Yale (36,843 applied, 2,178 accepted.

It’s actually that simple!

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Ivy_League_Admissions_Expert_Advice — You need to hire a high-end college admissions expert who understands the **holistic approach and review process** and the **committee-based review process** when evaluating applicants for admissions. And an expert who knows the changing **policies, politics and diplomacy in admissions**.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Lowe Visits Barnard College

May 27, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors visit Ivy League, prestigious and elite colleges several times annually, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.

In May, I visited Barnard College on a beautiful spring day. Barnard is a small liberal arts college located in the Upper west side, in New York City. It is directly across the street from Columbia University. I spoke with several students and the consensus was that Barnard is a tight knit community where most people know others in their class, or at least know who you are.

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Barnard_College_on_Broadway — Dr. Lowe at Barnard College – Broadway main gates.

Barnard is the best of both worlds; it has a small college feeling, but is also within a large university.

Dr_Lowe_Barnard_College_Greek_Games_Statue — Dr. Lowe within Barnard College campus – Barnard Greek Games statue

I consider Barnard the ninth Ivy League. Barnard College graduates receive Columbia University degrees! Year after year, we have clients who have been accepted to Barnard. I met 3 of my clients who are currently students at Barnard. They just love it!

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

10 Best Colleges in New Jersey in 2018

May 24, 2019May 25, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

I visit several New Jersey colleges and universities annually. There is a perfect college or university in New Jersey for all those seeking to further their academic careers. I find that they are diverse in nature based on academic rigor, campus size and admissions policies.

Each year, Money magazine ranks college and universities. Money ranked 727 of the best colleges based on quality of education, affordability and outcomes. And while the usual elite, highly selective institutions topped the list, 21 New Jersey colleges made the cut. Only Drew University was left off the list.

Here are the top ten best colleges in New Jersey along with their overall Money magazine ranks.

Princeton University (#1)
The College of New Jersey (#35)
Rutgers University-New Brunswick (#65)
Ramapo College of New Jersey (#113)
Stevens Institute of Technology (#153)
Montclair State University (#164)
Rowan University, Glassboro (#182)
College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown (#193)
New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark (#199)
Stockton University, Galloway (#218)

As an “elite/veteran” member of New Jersey Association for College Admissions Counseling, I continually visit New Jersey colleges and universities to ensure that our clients are aware of the changing campus environment and admissions policies at each individual institution.

Dr_Lowe_Larry_Alterman_NJACAC_Atlantic_City_resize_600 — Dr. Lowe and Larry Alterman, 2019 NJACAC President at the NJACAC Annual Conference in Atlantic City, May 20, 2019

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Lowe Visits Harvard College

May 16, 2019May 24, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

In May, I visited Harvard College. This is my third visit to Harvard College this year. Each visit, I have the opportunity to meet professors and admissions personnel and talk about the college. I met several students on the Harvard Yard and they were friendly and modest. I sensed that they knew that they would be the future world leaders.

This year, Harvard’s acceptance rate was a record-low 4.5 percent. For the Class of 2023 with 1,950 of the 43,330 applicants. This year marks the fifth consecutive application cycle in which the percentage of accepted applicants has decreased.

What does this mean for rising seniors (this year’s juniors)?

If Harvard is your first choice, it’s getting even harder to get accepted.

My recommendation?

Applicants will need an expert college admissions advisor who:

has the experience and expertise in working with applicants who are applying to Ivy League colleges and universities.
continually visits colleges and universities.
understands how to efficiently and appropriately advise applicants.
understands the admissions policies and what admissions officers are looking for.
spends time with applicants brainstorming and implementing admissions strategies.
guides applicants through the minefields of the Common Application, personal statements and supplemental/short answer essays.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Elite Boarding Schools Matter!

Top US Boarding Schools Dr Paul Lowe Admissions Advisor Educational Consultant

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Your child attending an elite boarding school really do matter!!!

In addition to excellent education, athletic departments, art and science programs and networking opportunities, they represent prestige, status and are still considered feeder schools to Ivy league and highly selective colleges and universities.

This year, we had conversions with college counseling personnel at some of the most prestigious boarding schools in the U.S. When you hear that at times 10-15 students from each of the top boarding schools being accepted to Harvard or Yale Princeton, Brown or Columbia, etc., then it really does matter. It’s a hyper/hyper-competitive college admissions environment (see our blog: “Class of 2023 College Admissions Rates”) and students (and their parents) need a competitive edge.

There are many boarding schools through out the world and now even more American-type-international schools in China. However, top U.S. boarding schools continue to provide the best college admissions advantages and results.

Here is the list of top 25 U.S. boarding high schools by rank:

Phillips Academy – Andover, MA
Phillips Exeter Academy – Exeter, NH
St. Paul’s School – Concord, NH
Lawrenceville School – Lawrenceville, NJ
Choate Rosemary Hall – Wallingford, CT
Deerfield Academy – Deerfield, MA
Groton School – Groton, MA
Noble & Greenough School – Dedham, MA
Cranbrook School – Bloomfield Hills, MI
Hotchkiss School – Lakeville, CT
Hockaday School – Dallas, TX
Cate School – Carpinteria, CA
Middlesex School – Concord, MA
Thacher School – Ojai, CA
Milton Academy – Milton, MA
Lake Forest Academy – Lake Forest, IL
St. Albans School – Washington, DC
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School – Austin, TX
Hackley School – Tarrytown, NY
Peddie School – Hightstown, NJ
Kent School – Kent, CT
Emma Willard School – Troy, NY
Taft School – Watertown, CT
Concord Academy – Concord, MA
Madeira School – Mclean, VA

Please review our: 2019 boarding school acceptances.

Sam_Washington_Dr_Paul_Lowe_at_Lawrenceville_School_impr — Sam Washington, Director of Multicultural Affairs, Lawrenceville School with Dr. Lowe

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe.

Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Boarding School Admissions Consultants, an affiliate of Private School Admissions Advisors. Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding schools. Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. boarding schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected. Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.

New Report Indicates That Many Public High School Students Lack Quality College Counseling

April 25, 2019April 29, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

In my blog. “High School Guidance/Counselors/College Admissions: Big Caseloads and Little Time“, I discussed the challenging demands of high school guidance and college admissions. Since then, a new report has indicated that public high school students lack quality college counseling.

The Hechinger Report states that “many public high schools are scrambling to provide students with even basic information about college after years of belt tightening have drained them of counselors. As a result, “support is scant” for most students: “Counselors are overwhelmed and college guidance often doesn’t begin until late in junior year.”

The American School Counselor Association recommends a student-to-school counselor ratio of 250-to-1. The most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that most states are significantly higher ratio. The only states with lower rates are Wyoming (225), New Hampshire (220) and Vermont (225). These ratios demonstrate that guidance counselors are overwhelmed and do not have the time to provide adequate college counseling in an increasingly competitive college admissions environment.

Year after year, my team and I discover that even in public high schools in “affluent” suburban areas, their guidance departments are overwhelmed. They not only spend the majority of their time on school activities unrelated to college admissions, but also are unable to provide personalized, one-to-one college admissions counseling to each student. In the Northeast, we have seen this trend in such counties as Fairfield (CT), Westchester (NY), Northern New Jersey, and Nassau (Long Island).

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Class of 2023 College Admissions Rates

April 9, 2019April 29, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s April and all the Ivies and highly competitive colleges and universities a have reported their admissions rates. This year, has been the lowest acceptance rates for the Ivies and highly selective colleges and universities.

As more students apply to more colleges, expect the percentages to be even lower and a trickle down effect: colleges and universities which were once thought of as not competitive to be even more competitive.

Here are some of the admissions rates for Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities:

Boston College: 10.8%
Brown University: 6.6%
Cal Tech: Mid-December
Carnegie Mellon University: December 15
Columbia University: 5.1%
Cornell University: 10.6%
Dartmouth College: 7.9%
Duke University: 7.4%
Harvard University: 4.5%
Johns Hopkins University: 9.1%
MIT: 6.6%
New York University: 16%
Princeton University: 5.8%
Swarthmore College: 8.7%
University of Chicago: 5.9%
University of Pennsylvania: 7.4%
University of Virginia: 24%
Yale University: 5.9%

Dr_Lowe_Ivy_League_Expert_Advice — Dr. Paul Lowe

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

The Value of High-End College Admissions

March 29, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert ~ Leave a comment

By now many people are aware of Operation Varsity Blues. Federal prosecutors allege that William “Rick” Singer touted his knowledge of “the secret of getting into college,” becoming “the mastermind of an enormous, elaborate scheme carried out over years, brazenly paying off coaches and test monitors, faking exam scores and fabricating student biographies – all to help wealthy parents cheat their children’s way into desirable colleges.”

Hiring a high-end college admissions advisor is not illegal, unfair or unscrupulous. In the quest for success in various endeavors, parents hire, for example, music teachers to help a child nurture a musical gift. They may hire a tennis pro to help a budding tennis star. They might obtain country club memberships, where their child has access to golf pros. There may be dance lessons or voice coaches. They may hire a ship’s captain to learn the finer points of sailing or racing tall ships. There is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring a college admissions advisor/expert. There is certainly nothing unethical for charging for a service that provides a competitive advantage.

Many parents — wealthy or not — hire college admissions consultants to help their children navigate the college admissions process by assisting with applications, essays, interviews and admissions strategies. When it comes to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities it’s par for the course to engage an expert at some level who is versed in the nuances and changes in college admissions.

Here are some of the reasons why parents hire high-end college admissions advisors:

Many guidance counselors at public high schools are overwhelmed and sometimes have no expertise or time for college admissions advising. Many counselors may not even visit Ivy League and highly selective schools, not even once. My team and I visit these universities four times annually.
The most elite colleges and universities now accept less than 6% of those who apply. Some schools routinely reject dozens of valedictorians and students with perfect or near-perfect scores on their SAT or ACTs. This is why, year after year, new clients always call: They hear the horror stories of wonderful students who were rejected from all their top choice colleges including what they thought were safety schools.
Ivy League colleges and universities help establish meaningful and long-lasting networks that are important to facilitate future careers and social connections. Parents who call us understand the importance of networking and establishing connections. For international parents, global networking is important for their children’s success. Wealthy, upper middle-class and middle-class parents who call us understand the value of networking. They all share the same thing in common: They are concerned about their children’s future in a competitive and uncertain world.
Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities are luxury educational brands that represent status, prestige, pedigree and a high ROI.

A study in the journal, Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, confirms parental suspicions that the best route to a top job is to attend an Ivy League school. According to Dr. Lauren Rivera, the author of the study, “Elite professional service employers rely on academic pedigree more than any other factor. Where you went to school rather than what you did there makes the difference.”
PayScale Inc., an online provider of global compensation data, in a survey demonstrated that an Ivy League diploma is still worth its price of admission and tuition. “An Ivy League education makes a job candidate stand out, even before a recruiter talks to them! The median starting salary for Ivy Leaguers is 32% higher than that of liberal-arts college graduates and at 10 or more years into graduates’ working lives, the spread is 34%.” Additionally, according to PayScale, the return on investment for a degree from Stanford or Princeton is about $800,000 after 20 years.
Dr. Robert H. Frank, an economics professor at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, stated: “Because of the bitter competition for premium salaries, elite educational credentials are often a precondition for even landing a job interview. Degrees from elite schools clearly open doors.”

Reputable consultants are active members of one or all of the following professional organizations: NACAC (National Association of College Admission Counseling), HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association) and/or IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association). Each organization has some form of a Statement of Principles and Good Practice: Code of Ethics and Professional Practice and professional development programs.

I am an active member of NACAC, New York State Association of College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC), New Jersey Association of College Admission Counseling (NJACAC), HECA and International Association of College Admission Counseling (IACAC). I am also a College Community Representative for the HECA Community Representative Program, where I visit colleges to gather information and interview college officials regarding admissions policies at their institutions.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe