So You Think You Have What It Takes To Get Into An Ivy? Think Again!

July 25, 2018July 26, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

You are a rising senior, it’s July and you have the following student profile:

GPA: 4.4/4.0 weighted
AP courses: Multiple AP courses and 5’s on AP exams.
SAT I: 1590
SAT II: Math 2: 800 Chemistry: 800 Biology: 800
Athletics: Captain of the lacrosse team or co-Captain of the swim team.
Arts: First place in piano, violin and dance competitions since middle school.
Extracirrcular activities include: Expensive summer camps and helping the poor.
Awards & Achievements: Science, art , music and/or community service awards.
Leadership: Created a non-profit with it’s own website.
Innovation: Published a book or research paper or developed a startup or app.
Letters of recommendations: Assumed to be all excellent and glowing.
Guidance/college counselor LOR: excellent.
Extras: You believe that you or your parents have a “connection” to get in.
For BS/MD Program applicants: Shadowed doctors, volunteered in hospitals, completed medical research, attended mini-medical schools, earned EMT certification.

Assumption: You and your parents and your guidance counselor believe that you have all that it takes to get an acceptance letter from at least one of the Ivies and all of the highly competitive schools, additionally safety schools are a shoo-in……Not so!

Year after year, I hear the horror stories in December (Early Decision/Action) and in late March (Regular Decision) from parents (who were not our clients) who call us wanting to know what happened and why their wonderful kids were rejected.

These parents have not anticipated that college admissions officers can see through the hollow pretense of a packaged, perfect student. And that their children sound just like every other “perfect” applicant.

Ivy League and highly selective colleges do not need perfection from a single candidate. What they seek is a diverse, dynamic, harmonious and perfect entering class.

Well-meaning sources (other educational consultants, family and friends) tell you what you should be doing. In my practice, we help our clients discover what they are NOT and should NOT be doing!

And it’s what you are NOT DOING that makes you unique, standout and receive an acceptance letter not rejections!

Blog: College Admissions is a Competitive Sport – How to Win Your Personal Admissions Game!

“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. Summer Camps: BS/MD Application Boot Camp and Ivy League Application Boot Camp.

2018 Summer Checklist for Rising Seniors

June 28, 2018June 29, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Summer started a week ago. For rising seniors, this should not really be a summer break. There is lots to during the college admissions process.

Here is a concise list of my recommendations:

Work, volunteer, attend programs—your choice. What you do matters less than how your activities fit into the bigger picture of who you are.
Continue to explore colleges and to fine-tune your college list.
Review the admissions requirements for each college on your list.
If you are applying to BS/MD programs, you should be planning to visit your target schools for a second time.
Consider seeking interviews at colleges that offer them.
Fill out the Common Application and begin drafting your main Common App essay.
Review your Common App short answer essays.
Decide whom you will ask for letters of recommendation.
Review your social media profile to ensure that it is admission-ready.
Make a list of fall deadlines and refer back to it often.

If you are applying to Ivy League and highly selective colleges be aware that “It’s Getting Tougher To Get Into the Ivies” and you need to develop a “Personal WOW-Factor” so that you can stand out amongst the thousands of other qualified and admissible applicants.

Just note as you are preparing for the last rung of your college admissions journey: A recent study showed 26% of high-achieving students used a private college admissions consultant to assist them with their college admissions process. Additional research has indicated that many international students, who applied to Ivy League and top-tier colleges and who were accepted, hired admissions advisors.

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

Heads Up! The College Admissions Process is Shifting Focus

June 18, 2018June 22, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Recently, we’ve been receiving many calls from very anxious parents about milestone changes in college admissions policies. Several top colleges have acknowledged changes, including Carnegie Mellon and University of Chicago that will affect rising seniors (Class of 2023)

The University of Chicago dropped an admissions requirement for students to submit either the SAT or ACT test scores becoming SAT/ACT optional. James G. Nondorf, Dof admissions and vice president of enrollment and student advancement stated, “We want to remove any policy or program that we have that advantages one group over the other”.

Carnegie Mellon University eliminated so-called “demonstrated interest”. CMU prominently states, “The mission of Carnegie Mellon University includes the cultivation of a diverse community” It further states: “…Our undergraduate admission process is shifting to focus more on diversity and inclusion of all populations by reducing or eliminating advantages that have been inherent in certain aspects of the admission process. The goal is to provide a more equitable, level playing field where all segments of our applicant population have the same opportunity in the admission process. We’re eliminating demonstrated interest as a consideration in our admission paradigm. See Carnegie Mellon University’s Statement.

What does this mean for applicants?:

The college admissions landscape is changing.
Colleges admissions officers are considering diversity in admissions – they want a diverse incoming class
Top Colleges Enhance Efforts To Enroll Low-Income Students

What this really means is that top colleges are shifting more to a holistic admissions process, are becoming more inclusive and recognizing that each accepted student brings unique qualities to the university setting. The college admissions process is shifting more toward evaluating a student’s character (College Admissions: How will Character be Assessed) and what they can meaningfully contribute to university community. They are spending more time reviewing students under a microscope and appreciating the fact that some applicants are disadvantaged during the application process. As a result the admissions process to the Ivies and highly selective schools is becoming hrpercompetitive and and more non-formulaic!

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

College Admissions is a Competitive Sport- – How To Win Your Personal Admissions Game!

June 1, 2018June 5, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Many parents, students, guidance counselors, and even my fellow educational consulting colleagues are under the belief that college admissions is an exercise in determining the “right fit” and that gaining acceptance into the Ivies and highly selective colleges is just a game of chance and luck. I disagree!

In participating in competitions these days, many students (K-12) are taught that everyone wins. With regard to the college admissions process, it is acceptable and recommended that students believe they will eventually like whichever college where they end up. That’s called SETTLING!

This statement may appear callous and insensitive. But it is a statement that addresses the harsh reality of the competitiveness of college admissions. The sooner one addresses this reality, the easier the college admissions process will seem. Indeed, this reality would seem less harsh if students were to stop treating the college admissions process as a structured maze to be followed to a definitive end or as a predetermined algorithm.

I approach college admissions as a non-formulaic, competitive sport. It’s about WINNING the ultimate trophy – acceptance into your top choice college. After all, students are not taking all those APs, attempting to get perfect SAT scores, requesting seemingly perfect letters of recommendation, and getting A’s to lose! By definition, you don’t play a competitive sport to lose!

Highly selective schools certainly have their choice of the cream-of-the-crop students as a result of all the applications they receive. Therefore, the real part of the competition is to understand and recognize how you can stand out and win, especially in applications to the Ivies.

Because college admissions is a competitive sport, we proceed accordingly with our advisory services and prepare our clients as competitive athletes – to win! We know that successful athletes must cultivate the positive qualities that are necessary to achieve victory-to win.

Persistence: Endure until the end. Persistence is simply the quality of always continuing to move forward and to continue regardless of perceived or real setbacks and challenges. We cultivate our clients’ positive aspirations by encouraging persistent determination.
Have a positive mindset: Being positive is an integral and intrinsic aspect of having the right winning mindset. We constantly help our clients maintain a positive mindset to win!
Self-Confidence: Really successful athletes are secure in their ability to play their best game. We believe that qualified students should project themselves as successful athletes with inner confidence through their body language in a positive manner, a sort of positive posture. We encourage our clients convey energy, enthusiasm and a positive attitude in communicating their achievements to key admissions officers and admissions committees.
Humility: Ego (parental and student) is one of the largest reasons why qualified applicants are rejected. I recall and Ivy League officer stating that when reading many students’ applications: “these students think they are all that”. If you practice humility, you will become an internally motivated person. You will seek to achieve and improve yourself not for external validation, but to satisfy your own desire to keep growing as an athlete and a person.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Practice deliberately with a purpose. Ultra-successful athletes reach their success by practicing with a deliberate purpose. They understand that in order to perform a skill at the highest level, they must practice it until they master it. Successful athletes waste no time getting right into their routine and practice with mindfulness. They don’t zone out or go through the motions. Instead, successful athletes focus on the mechanics, feel, vibe and repetition of developing new skills in order to become an elite athlete. We encourage and motivate our clients to constantly practice with a purpose.
Rhythm: Rhythm is defined as the expression of timing, and its practicality in sports is vast. Linear speed requires a well-timed sequence of (rhythmic) contralateral action. Any delays or errors in this timing can drastically limit velocity of movement. Rhythm plays a significant role in an athlete’s ability to successfully change direction fluidly and in time with extraneous factors such as teammates, opponents and apparatus (i.e. ball etc.). Rhythm is a singular characteristic within the broader scope of coordination. As a jazz harmonicist and banjoist (and physicist) who applies African Drumming, Blues, R&B, Calypso, Reggae, Funk, Hip Hop, Go-Go Swing, I naturally apply the use of rhythm to the competitive college admissions and application process. It helps our clients adapt in an improvisational, non-linear and harmonic way to the nuances and changes in their college admissions journey and ultimately gets them accepted into their top choice colleges.

As a successful college admissions advisor, I apply my special “athletic coaching” skills and “rhythmic” musical strategies to help my clients successfully achieve their college admissions goals: ACCEPTANCE LETTERS. Our strategic vision allows us to create, design and develop a compelling, authentic and distinctive personal brand for each of our clients. This vision elevates and differentiates our clients in the competitive admissions environment so that they become WINNERS and are accepted into their top-choice schools.

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

BS/MD Application Boot Camp 2018

April 12, 2018April 16, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Pinnacle Educational Center/Admissions Advisors Group (PECAAG) announces the launch of its 2018 BS/MD Application Boot Camp (BSMDABC). This is the 4th anniversary of BSMDABC. The 2-day comprehensive, intensive and informative application boot camps, held during the summer, are specifically for high school rising seniors (current juniors) who have decided to apply to BS/MD Programs. (see Dr. Lowe’s blog: Top Advantages of Being Accepted To BS/MD Programs)

The camp is also specifically for international students who are seeking admissions to BS/MD programs. It is more difficult for an international student to be admitted to BS/MD programs than a US resident. See Dr. Lowe’s blog: (BS/MD Programs That Accept International Students) Camp activities include: Application (including essay) brainstorming, review, editing during the camp, followed by an application consultation prior to submission of application. The fee is $8,500.

There are 120 BS/MD programs in the U.S. and each year thousands of applicants apply to limited slots. Many of these programs have only 15 to 40 slots with over 500 applicants. The camp is beneficial to students who need a last-minute boost of their BS/MD Applications and students who wish to avoid inevitable mistakes on their applications that will definitely cause rejections.

“An overwhelming number of applicants to these programs come from the same socio-economic demographic and sound exactly the same on paper (high GPAs, high SATs, musical, artistic and/or athletic extracurricular activities, research/clinical internships, shadowing doctors, helping the poor or starting an organization to help the poor). The problem is that they all sound exactly the same“, said Dr. Paul R. Lowe, Pinnacle’s CEO and president and the camp’s director. “Our camp adds pizzazz, flavor and harmony to our attendees’ applications and student profiles to spotlight their accomplishments so that they stand out.”

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

It’s Getting Tougher To Transfer To Top Colleges!

April 3, 2018April 3, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s the aftermath of the 2018 college admission season. We are now aware of the Ivy League and highly selective college rejection rates. The Ivy League colleges had a record number of applications and rejection percentages. The rejection rates ranged from Cornell’s 89.7% to Harvard’s 95.4%.

Because so many “perfect” students were rejected, this will cause a trickle-down effect to second-tier and third tier schools. In my firm, we are discovering that many families who are devastated by their children’s rejections are calling us regarding transfer. Here is what students and their parents NEED to know:

Transferring to the Ivies and elite colleges will be more difficult this year. We have discovered, through our current research, that many students who were accepted are already committing to attend these schools. Parents and students are aware of the value of an Ivy League degree.
There are fewer spots available for transfer students. Therefore, it’s even more competitive to transfer!
Transfer applications are not viewed in the same way as regular applications to freshman classes.
You may replicate the same mistakes that were on your Common Application.
Students are on their own during the transfer process: No college counseling support will be available from their current guidance counselors or private high school college advisors and there is no transfer help from the school which they will be attending in the fall. Why would a school that accepted a student assist the student to transfer?
The college transfer admissions process starts now!

As many concerned parents call us, stunned by the rejection decisions received by their children, we strongly advise parents that they need an experienced educational advisor to review their children’s Common Application because: something wasn’t right. Now is the time to plan summer activities and create a “revised” game plan and positive momentum for their upcoming college freshman year to transfer. See blog: College Transfer Admissions Tips.

It’s important that parents understand that transfer (especially to the Ivies) is even more competitive and involves even more diplomacy than traditional college admissions!

This year, all of our college transfer clients were accepted to their top choice colleges including Harvard, Yale and Columbia and Cornell and UPenn. We are very proud of our success and extremely happy for these students and their parents!

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

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.

It’s Getting Tougher To Get Into the Ivies

March 30, 2018April 22, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

On Wednesday, March 28th, the Ivies notified high school seniors of their admissions decisions. Thousands of students were disappointed.

Here is a list of the acceptance rates, number of students admitted, total number of applicants and rejection rates:

Brown: 7.2%; admitted 2,566 of 35,438 Rejection: 92.8%
Columbia: 5.5%; admitted 2,214 of 40,203 Rejection: 94.5%
Cornell: 10.3%; admitted 5,288 out of 51,328 Rejection: 89.7%
Dartmouth: 8.7%; admitted 1,925 of 22,033 Rejection: 91.3%
Harvard: 4.6%; admitted 1,962 of 42,749 Rejection: 95.4%
Penn: 8.4%; admitted 3,731 of 44,491 Rejection: 91.6%
Princeton: 5.5%; admitted 1,941 of 35,370 Rejection: 94.5%
Yale: 6.3%; admitted 2,229 of 35,306 Rejection: 93.7%

Many of the applicants “looked” perfect on paper. Princeton reported that more than 14,200 of the 35,370 applicants had a 4.0 grade point average. Brown reported that 96% of its admitted students are in the top 10% of their high school classes, while at Dartmouth that rate hit 97%.

So why were so many qualified and paper perfect applicants rejected? They sounded unique just like all the other applicants who were rejected – High SAT’s, high GPA, top class rank, outstanding volunteer, skilled musician and/or athlete, leader in extracirricular activities, “amazing” letters of recommendations, perceived “unique” application essays and the “perfect” connections.

In my firm, I emphasize your “Personal WOW-Factor“, your character and being different (based on your personal characteristics, accomplishments and achievements). I spend countless hours with my team analyzing how to spotlight my client. This arduous process works because, this year, 98% of our clients who applied to the Ivies were accepted. My associates and I must be doing something right!

“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. Summer camp: Ivy League Application Boot Camp.

Disappointed That You’ve Been Rejected From Your Top Choice Colleges? Find Out What Your Next Step Should Be!

March 28, 2018April 16, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Based on my over 20 years experience as a college admissions advisor and admissions strategist, I thought I would share some advice with students who have been receiving disappointing decision results.

Admissions committees give careful, individual attention to each applicant. They review each applicant with a magnifying glass and compare each applicant to other qualified applicants. They accept applicants who will inspire those around them during their college years and beyond.

My firm’s strategies involve widening the lens through which our applicant-clients are viewed, recognizing and valuing the different dimensions that shape each student. We understand, in real-time, how an admissions committee at a particular college may view each dimension separately and collectively in comparison to other students during the selection process by visiting schools and talking with admissions officers. As an alternative to settling for a rejection decision (which most students do) to a student’s first choice school, I posit this possible solution:

The student may consider reapplying as a transfer student. It is not too early for a high school senior to consider this. I call it our Admissions Second Chance Program. I review and investigate what went wrong, because, in all cases of rejection decisions, something wasn’t right! Usually I find innumerable mistakes or homogeneity on the Common Application and/or school-specific supplemental essays. Many times I have discovered that no matter how “amazing” the student sounds on paper (top grades, high GPA and SATs, volunteerism, extracurricular activities, recommendations, ESE (Expensive Summer Experiences), to me, they were unconvincing to the admissions committee at a specific school for many reasons. In these cases, we make recommendations to improve the student’s profile and properly connect the dots within their application and beyond. In unique cases, we have been retained by clients who were initially rejected and after our review and intervention the student’s application was reconsidered and ultimately accepted for admission.

By visiting the Ivies and highly selective schools, understanding the dynamic changes and nuances in individual colleges, and knowing what to do to make a student stand out amongst other applicants, my team and I gain an insightful perspective of each school and develop strategies to help our clients get accepted.

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

BS MD Programs That Accept International Students

March 13, 2018August 10, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s pretty difficult for U.S. high school students to be admitted to BS/MD programs (or medical school-from-high school programs). It’s even more competitive and extremely difficult for international students from non-U.S.-based high schools or U.S. based-top boarding schools to be accepted to these programs.

Based on my professional experience as a BS/MD admissions advisor, visiting and touring colleges and talking with admissions officers and administrators, here is a current list of BS/MD programs that will consider reviewing applications of international students:

Boston University Seven-Year Liberal Arts/Medical Education Program
Brown University Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME)
Case Western Reserve University Pre-Professional Scholars Program in Medicine
New Jersey Institute of Technology/American University of Antigua
New Jersey Institute of Technology/St. George’s University School of Medicine
Northwestern University Honor Program In Medical Education (HPME)
Pennsylvania State University Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program
Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program (MSP)
University of Connecticut Special Program in Medicine
University Rochester – Rochester Early Medical Scholars (REMS)
Washington University in St. Louis University Scholars Program in Medicine

Working with international high school students who desire to matriculate to BS/MD programs is a very involved, comprehensive and long-term process. My team and I must clearly understand student goals, continuously help students with their applications and develop successful admissions strategies.

Of course, after this long and arduous admissions process one of the major benefits that I observe with our international BS/MD clients is that in their senior year in high school they (and their parents) are happy to know that they can be called “Dr”. They also know that the next step in their medical career is matching to a U.S. medical residency program!

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. Many of Dr. Lowe’s BS/MD Admissions client are international students want to attend medical school from high school and then entire U.S. medical residency sub-specialties.

Regular Decision Notification Dates: 2018

March 8, 2018March 11, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s March 8, 2018! That means that within 20 days high school seniors will begin to discover, after all their hard work, where they will be accepted, wait-listed or rejected

Based on our research and discussions with directors of admissions, many colleges regular admission decisions ready by March 31 or April 1.

Here are regular decision notification dates (and approximate times) for Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities:

Barnard College: Late March
Brown University: March 28, 2018
Cal Tech: Mid March – TBA
Carnegie Mellon University: Mid April
Columbia University: March 28, 2018
Cornell University: March 29, 2018
Dartmouth University: March 28, 2018
Duke University: April 1, 2018
Georgetown University: April 1, 2018
Georgia Institute of Technology: March 10, 2018
Hamilton College: Late March
Harvard University: March 28, 2018
Johns Hopkins University: March 16, 2018
Lehigh University: Late March
MIT: March 14, 2018 (Pi Day)
Northwestern University: Late March
Purdue University: (Jan 15 – March 15, 2018
Princeton University: March 28, 2018
Stanford University: April 1, 2018
Swarthmore College: April 1, 2018
Tufts University: April 1, 2018
University of Chicago: Late March
University of Michigan: Late March
University of Notre Dame: Late March
University of Pennsylvania: March 28, 2018
University of Virginia: Late March
Vanderbilt University: April 1, 2018
Vassar College: Late March
Villanova University: Late March
Wesleyan University: Late March
Yale University: March 28, 2018

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