Why You Need a BS MD Admissions Advisor

July 21, 2018July 24, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

I often receive phone calls from parents inquiring about our BS/MD admissions advisory services. They subsequently decide to send their child’s high school transcripts and resumes. On paper (two dimensionally), everything seems perfect: high grades and SAT scores, difficult courses, multiple awards, first place in music, art and/or dance competitions, amazing research projects, mini-medical school camps and shadowing doctors (and we a talking high school sophomores here).

What these parents fail to see is that they have encouraged their children to sound exactly the same (no matter how seemingly impressive) as every other BS/MD applicant. My team and I ask ourselves: “Are these parents reviewing the same websites, talking with the same people and following the same playbook?”

I often follow up and call these parents who did not retain our services and discover that all their children were not accepted to BS/MD programs and worse, were accepted to second and third-tier colleges. What’s amiss here? Is there a correlation here? Why is that?

Parents actually believe that high school guidance and college counselors and educational consultants who DO NOT specialize in BS/MD Admissions understand the nuances of BS/MD programs, visit BS/MD programs and are doctors who have been through the selective process of BS/MD programs or medical school admissions. Additionally, they seek free resources. I stand by the adage: “You get what you pay for.”

Many parents assume that they have the experience and knowledge to do BS/MD admissions on their own. As a professional admissions advisor, I believe that it’s important to talk with someone who has the experience and know what he/she are doing, especially when it’s about your child’s future! Studies show that mistakes are inevitable when people are convinced that they believe they know what they are doing when in fact they have no idea what they are doing.

Is hiring a BS/MD admissions advisor a worthwhile investment?

When your child has a GPA of 4.0 or higher, SAT I’s of 1550 or higher, SAT II’s of 800, and a 3 page resume, it’s logical to believe that he/she has everything necessary to be accepted into BS/MD programs. However, statistically and unfortunately, that is not the case and many students end up being rejected from every BS/MD program to which they apply and attend second-tier or third tier colleges. Therefore, to achieve the admissions goal, rather than play the odds, it is logical to engage an expert.

What I observe, is that parents play the odds and after all their children’s (and their) hard work, they bet incorrectly and LOSE BIG!

I guess the real question here is: Why would highly educated parents knowingly bet and gamble on their children’s educational future and life, to have their children REJECTED, by not hiring an expert?

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.

Top U.S. Computer Science Colleges and Universities

Top Computer Science Colleges and Universities

July 17, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Many of our international student-applicants-clients are interested in computer science degrees. One of the main reasons is that computer science graduates do well in terms of getting full-time employment upon graduation. In 2015, a national survey found that computer science majors were 35% more likely to have full-time jobs one year after graduation than graduates overall and 22% more likely than STEM graduates overall. They also had the highest starting salaries of all majors, with an average of $66,161 and some exceeding $100,000.

Year after year, our Dr. Lowe and his A-team visit top U.S. colleges and universities and have the opportunity to visit top colleges and universities with computer science departments. Because of their rank as top universities they are, of course, highly competitive. Our clients are, of course, very happy when they receive acceptance letters from these schools.

Here is a list of top universities with top computer science departments:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University
Harvard University
California Institute of Technology
Yale University
Rice University
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt University
Brown University
Columbia University
University of California – Berkeley
Dartmouth College
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Cornell University
University of Chicago
University of Michigan – Ann Harbor
University of California – Los Angeles
Washington University in St. Louis
Duke Univesity

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

Who Are the Beneficiaries of Affirmative Action?

July 12, 2018July 14, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Students have been affirmatively admitted to Ivy League and elite colleges and universities based on different affirmative criteria for decades (affirmative criteria based on gender, athletics, state of origin, development, elite private high school attendance etc.). This complex policy involving the previously mentioned affirmative criteria is not likely to change soon.

Ironically, the Executive Branch of the United States government has withdrawn its advocacy of utilizing race as one of the affirmative criteria in college admissions. In a joint letter, the US Education and Justice Departments announced on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 that they will rescind seven guidance documents that encouraged colleges and other schools to consider race as a factor when making admission decisions.

There are many statistics regarding the racial breakdown of admitted freshman to Ivy League and top colleges and universities. In general, the following documented trends have emerged.

“…(A)t top tier universities, black undergraduate populations average 6 percent, a statistic that has remained largely flat for 20 years…(At Harvard, for example, 6.5 percent of undergraduates were black in 2013, down from 7.4 percent in 1994).” -The Atlantic, 11/23/15
According to a New York Times analysis (based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, “(e)ven after decades of affirmative action, Black and Hispanic students are more underrepresented at the nation’s top colleges and universities than they were 35 years ago…”- New York Times, 8/20/17.
A 2016 study from the Center for American Progress finds that despite the use of race-conscious affirmative criteria Black students have low levels of enrollment at top-tier public universities.
“There is no question that top-tier schools are becoming more diverse. White students made up 58 percent of the student body in 2013, down from 72 percent in 1994.” -The Atlantic, 11/23/15
A more recent study by the New York Times indicates the percentage of white students admitted to Ivy League schools have been dropping, ranging from 40 percent (Columbia) to 56 percent (Dartmouth).

So what are the numbers really saying here, as the percentage of black and latino students have been flat (and in some cases dropping) and the percentage of white students have been dropping, despite the use of the affirmative criterion of race?

If Ivy League and elite colleges have been using race-conscious criteria to affirmatively accept students over the past 35 years, who has really benefited from race-conscious affirmative action admissions policies? To determine the answer, just follow the percentages at each Ivy League and elite college and university.

Additionally, if Ivy League schools and elite colleges and universities will now reverse these policies to comply with The Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America for equal protection/access under the law, who will and who will not benefit from the change in the policy of using race as an affirmative criterion?

Perhaps to uphold, abide by and comply with The Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America for equal protection/access under the law, colleges and universities will dismiss ALL affirmative criteria and accept students in accordance with the Fourteenth Amendment.

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

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

Need a Successful College Admissions Advisor? Go with a Winner!

Go with the Winner Admissions Expert Dr Paul Lowe

June 4, 2018July 14, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Parents create spread sheets, talk with friends, read books, search websites, form groups to share tips and “sure-fire”methods, try to “chat” with admissions industry personnel, obtain letters of support from VIPs, take copious notes during college tours, and try to gather information from my workshops. For some parents, they discover, when it is too late, that what is really required to help their child with the hyper-competitive college admissions process is to work with an admissions expert with a successful track record.

U.S. parents are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of having a college admissions advisor. The data for that need is clear. For international families, securing expert advice is the standard. 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. If you have joined the ranks of those parents who choose to utilize an admissions advisor to help your child with the college admissions process – Go with a winner!

A successful record in college admissions is not achieved by chance or luck. I treat the college admissions process as a competitive sport so that your child can win. As a successful college admissions advisor, I apply my special “coaching” skills to help my clients successfully achieve their college admissions goals – ACCEPTANCE LETTERS:

Leadership: The goal of great coaching is to guide, inspire and empower an athlete or team to achieve their full potential. A great coach, thus, should also be an exceptional leader. A leader has the ability to unify a group of players and make them committed to a single purpose.
Knowledge: A great coach should have in-depth knowledge of the sport they are coaching. This does not necessarily have to come from personal experience, but a coach needs to have an understanding of the fundamental skills to advanced tactics and strategies involved in an “admissions game”.
Motivation: As a coach, I convey passion to my “players”, to inspire them to get the most out of their performance. As a successful coach, I possess a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the admissions game and the “players” that in turn inspires them to excel.
Tough and firm: As a coach, I know when to be firm and tough. This means having the experience to identifying periods during the admissions process when students will under-perform and encouraging them to move forward in a positive manner. It means sticking to creating and communicating clear expectations, putting the student on an admissions plan and keeping them on task. It means being consistent and lots of follow up.
Flexibility/Adjustable: I adjust our admissions strategies to the personality and behavior of the individual student and the timeline of the admissions process. I am cognizant of the fact that students will make mistakes, sometimes repeatedly and adjust our strategies accordingly to achieve admissions success.
Understanding & Knowing: A key to successful admissions advising is being aware of the individual differences in your students. There are some coaching tactics that work better on different personality types so it is important to tailor communication and motivation based on specific players’ personalities. To achieve this, I pay special attention to a student’s emotions, strengths and weaknesses throughout the admissions process.
Effective communication skills: Needless to say, a great coach will possess exceptional communication skills. An effective coach is able to set defined goals, express these goals and ideas clearly to students, give direct feedback, reinforce key messages and acknowledge success. Listening is also a part of effective communication, so as an admissions advisor I have to be a compassionate listener who welcomes student and parent, comments questions and feedback.

The personal college admissions game is not a game of chance. It is a competition that you can win with the right advice. Seek out the right admissions advisor. It is the best way to help your child WIN in this real-life competition.

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

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

It’s Getting Tougher to Get into BS/MD Programs

April 20, 2018June 22, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Is it getting tougher to get into BS/MD programs? Absolutely!

I’ve read on several websites that have stated “no”, “it’s not significantly different from prior years”, or “it’s easier to get into these programs”. Rather than assuming this or just writing a book about BS/MD programs we actually visit these programs. After our extensive research, review and visits, we have concluded it’s getting harder!

Why? Here are a couple of reasons: (1) More students are applying as a result of the Common App and easier access to apply. (2) It’s getting tougher to get into medical school so more students are attempting to enter the medical field through the BS/MD route, a trickle down effect. (3) More students sound exactly alike, so it’s so much easier for applicants to be rejected in bulk!

Since more students are applying and the number of spots remains unchanged, the rejection rates are higher. They range from 92% to 98%. We are even hearing about “perfect” applicants being rejected. The typical “perfect” applicant: High GPA, at least 10 AP courses, high SATs, musical, artistic and/or athletic extracurricular activities, research/clinical internships, shadowing doctors, helping the poor or starting an not-for-profit organization to help the poor.

Why are so many “perfect” applicants being rejected? It’s because they sound perfectly the same (contrived) on paper! Their parents are under the impression that their children are superstars. The fact is that they are all simply baseline in the BS/MD application process. Their applications lack color, rhythm, Wow-Factor, and personalized configuration.

Our offices usually receive calls or emails from parents who want their children to attend BS/MD programs. After they describe their children’s’ resumes, predictably naming all their achievements, they “sound” like perfect candidates. After we explain to them our fees, many never follow through (which actually places our clients at an advantage). When we do follow up a year later, we discover that these perfect candidates are not only rejected from BS/MD programs, but also Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities. Our clients happily have the choice of whether to attend a BS/MD program or Ivy League and highly selective universities.

“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.

Top U.S. Engineering Universities

April 9, 2018September 6, 2018 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Over the last 2 months, my A-Team and I visited colleges with top engineering (undergraduate) programs. We were not disappointed! The quality of research in these colleges are excellent. Beyond research opportunities for students, the schools had extensive research funding and facilities and attracted professors that are at the top of their field. They also have curricula that included co-op/internships, externships and interdisciplinary programs.

These top schools have impressive job placement statistics. The schools reported job placement rates of students upon graduation (which means students have jobs before they graduate), within six months of graduation or within one year of graduation. The acceptance rate of undergraduates who applied to top Masters and PhD in engineering is significantly higher than the national average and is between 85% and 92%.

Here is a list of top U.S. Engineering Universities:

Brown University
California Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Stanford University
University of California Berkeley
University of Michigan

“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.

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.