COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
While the bulk of the college planning work is done high school, 8th graders can definitely benefit by planning ahead. They can start to think about:
​
-
Their intended course selection in high school
-
Co-curricular and extra-curricular involvement
-
Leadership opportunities
-
Planning for the summer
In addition, they can start building important skill sets including planning, organization, time management and simple life skills.
​
The objective is not to obsess over college admissions from a very young age, but at the same time, they can start to build a scaffolding to support the activities and challenges that may lay ahead.
“We started feeling anxious as we began to think about our priorities for the next few years. Our son had ambitious goals and we spoke a lot of people, but ended up still confused. We were so lucky to find Poojha. She was attentive, sincere and really connected with our student. Now, we have a clear path ahead and my student looks forward to his monthly calls with her.”
​
— Jenny Burch, parent of an 8th grader
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
DEVELOPING A PLANNING CALENDAR FOR GRADE 9-12 STUDENTS
One of the most popular questions we get asked is “How can my child prioritize his activities? He has to balance a rigorous academic curriculum, take the SATs or ACTs (perhaps multiple times), excel at extra curriculars, create an impact, visit colleges to show demonstrated interest, pursue a summer internship…The list is endless!”
​
We understand. The key is in planning. We help students create a customized 4-year roadmap for high school so that they use their time efficiently and productively.
CAREER ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK
With the plethora of career options available to students today, picking one career can seem overwhelming and confusing, especially if the student has multiple interests. As certified career assessment experts, we administer psychometric tests for our students and then provide them with detailed feedback and reports of their results, enabling them to identify their strongest career interest.
PROFILE EVALUATION OF THE APPLICANT
We initiate our consulting sessions with a detailed profile evaluation of the student. Our objective is to identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses so that we can develop a strategy to build on his strengths and highlight them in the college applications.
ADVICE ON IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING UNIVERSITIES
With over 4000 undergraduate colleges to choose from in the United States alone, determining the ‘right’ college can be a complicated process. But not for us. With our knowledge and experience, interactions with College Admission teams and feedback from students over the last 17 years, we have all the expertise to help you make well-informed decisions.
BUILDING POWERFUL AND PERSUASIVE ESSAYS
Creating powerful and compelling essays are often the most challenging part for prospective applicants. At PD Admissions Consulting, our objective is to minimize your struggle and greatly improve your chances of writing distinctive essays that will help you get accepted into a top college or university.
DEVELOPING WINNING RECOMMENDATION LETTERS
We have a complete picture of your student’s profile, strengths and weaknesses and can provide advice on whom to approach for reference letters so as to enrich their college application. We will also discuss strategies to support the Recommender with their writing process.
INTERVIEW PREPARATION
The interview is usually the last step in the application process and is recommended by select colleges. PD Admissions Consulting can help you tackle this final milestone. Our interview preparation is conducted exclusively by Poojha Daryanani, an alumna and former Admissions Interviewer at Yale University.
GENERAL ADMISSIONS COUNSELING – HOURLY PLAN
If you have a few questions that you would like answered, you are welcome to hire our services by the hour. You are then free to use the hour for consulting, interview preparation or even if you want feedback on your resume or essays. The choice is yours.
COLLEGE APPLICATION WORKSHOP - IN PERSON
This 4-day workshop in the beginning of summer is designed
for rising seniors (and motivated juniors). It includes support
with identifying strengths and skills to highlight in the college
application, essay brainstorming and first drafts of 5 essays,
creating the Common App Activity List, Additional
Information Section and more!
“I just got an acceptance from Duke! This would not have been possible without your help. But this year, after our first meeting, I already knew things were going to be different. And I was right! I got accepted into my top list of schools! Thanks a lot for all your help."
​
— Rithvika Kumar, accepted into Duke University