College planning and college admissions consulting

FAQs About Blue Stars Admissions Consulting

How is Blue Stars different from other college admissions and planning services?

At Blue Stars, your teen is not just a set of grades and test scores. Our highly successful admissions counselors take the time to get to know your teen, exploring every nook and cranny of their talents and experience. We will learn about them, and they will learn about themselves. We dive deep into their passions, interests, and goals. We will empower them to express their individual brilliance in ways that capture the attention of top schools.

What is it like to work with Blue Stars?

Our process will transform and inspire your teen in ways that might surprise both of you. A dedicated admissions counselor will work side-by-side with your teen through all stages of the admissions process. The counselor will ask your teen about their passions and schools of interest, helping them gain creative inspiration, insight, and guidance on both the personal and academic levels. Your teen’s counselor will become a trusted mentor who will guide them along the path to their dream school.

In short, we take what your teen has to offer and make it shine. Your teen will learn how to:

Identify and ignite their passions
Solve problems on their own
Become more organized and focused
Write eloquently
Operate effectively in the larger world

College Planning (8th-11th Grade)

My teen wants to get into the best school possible. What should they do in high school to prepare?

Gaining admission to a dream school goes way beyond academic achievements. Your teen must demonstrate that they are engaged and active in the world in a unique way.

Blue Stars gives your teen the guidance and inspiration necessary to grab the attention of their dream schools through demonstrating initiative and drive. We want to show schools your teen makes things happen. A great way to do this is through independent projects. Blue Stars guides your teen in identifying projects they can develop and complete. We will encourage them to take the initiative, take chances, and learn from the experience.

It is important that your teen try new things. All the best leaders have failed, often several times in their lives. Trying new things can open doors to areas of life beyond what your teen has imagined.

Is your teen interested in technology? They could code a game or intern with a startup.

Do they want to give back to the community? They could organize a volunteer initiative.

Do they want to try something new but don’t know what? We have some great exercises to help your teen figure all that out. The possibilities are endless.

Together we can discover your teen’s passion, let the ideas soar, and map out a plan of action. We’ll help your teen each step of the way.

Why should my teen work with a college counselor? How will they benefit?

Not sure how your teen can juggle their high school class load while navigating the intricate process of preparing for college? Working with a college counselor helps your teen stay organized and on time in the face of competing high school demands and a busy extracurricular schedule.

Blue Stars works with your teen to outline a clear plan and make important decisions along the way. We’ll help them learn about colleges of interest. And we’ll inspire them to be curious about the world, define their interests and pursue their goals. That’s the fun part.

When is the best time to start?

Now. While most of our students start in 9^th grade, we have worked with students as young as 8^th grade and as advanced as 12^th.

Are pre-college summer programs important for admissions?

They can be. Pre-college summer programs can boost your teen’s admissions chances. They can help your teen gain experience and more specialized knowledge in the intended subject. And they give your teen an opportunity to explore passions and potential fields of study.

Admissions (11th-12th Grade)

Why should my teen work with an admissions counselor? How will they benefit?

The college application process in the U.S. has become more complicated over the years. High school guidance counselors are generally overloaded, working with an average of 430 students each year. This massive workload means it is extremely unlikely your teen will get the detailed, strategic counseling needed to get into a top school.

To address the need for more guidance, a Blue Stars admissions counselor will act as your teen’s personal guidance counselor.

Can an admissions counselor really help my teen's chances?

Universities look beyond grades and test scores when screening candidates. They seek students who stand out from the crowd because of their passions, experiences, and drive. Think of Blue Stars as your teen’s bridge between high school and college. Our mission is to empower your teen so that they will capture the attention of even the most discerning admissions official.

Working with a Blue Stars admissions counselor, your teen will boost their application because they will:

Become a more self-reflective writer and thinker
Craft compelling essays that showcase their talents
Determine the right course of study that best fits their talents, interests and experience,
and
Create a school list that will provide ample options

How many schools should my teen apply to?

Generally we recommend 10 schools, although some students apply to more. The goal is to have many choices. You want your teen to have a good mix of “reach” schools (competitive ones your teen aspires to), “target” schools (where your teen will probably get accepted), and “likely” schools (where your teen is confident of being accepted). Read more about school selection here.

Should my teen apply through Early Admission or Early Decision?

Curious whether applying through Early Admission/Decision will help your teen’s chances of success? Learn more here.

Will offbeat hobbies help my teen's application?

Hobbies (offbeat and otherwise) are a great supplement to an already strong application. Learn more about how offbeat hobbies can help your teen get into their dream school here.

Why are admissions essays so important?

Admissions essays are key to your teen’s application. There’s heavy competition, and a good GPA and test scores will only take your teen so far. When an admissions officer wants to get an idea of who your teen really is, they look at the essay.

Here’s a secret. An admissions officer can spot a compelling personal statement in five seconds or less. Your teen has to make a great first impression and keep the reader with them all the way through, cheering (or crying) for them and looking forward to their arrival in the fall. The essay needs to do a lot.

A well-crafted application essay gives your teen the opportunity to connect directly with the admissions official. To help your teen stand out in the crowd, our Blue Stars counselor will work with them to hone their thinking and writing skills. Our counselors are highly successful writing professionals who will guide your teen in developing admissions essays that communicate their unique voice and perspective. We expect you and your teen will be proud of the result.

Where have Blue Stars students been accepted?

Blue Stars students are admitted to top schools every single year. You can find specific results here.

We attribute our success to our individualized program, which unlocks each student’s unique brilliance so it can shine.

“If Amy is in the business in 18-20 years (lol), I’ll be back again and send my kids to her!”
…read more

– Laura M., Blue Stars alum

“Bottom line: my daughter, who does not hail from a top-tier college, landed a coveted research position at an Ivy League laboratory, beating out hundreds of other candidates. I credit much of this amazing outcome to Amy.”
…read more

– Debra Levine Hertz, Blue Stars parent

“If Amy is in the business in 18-20 years (lol), I’ll be back again and send my kids to her!”
…read more

– Laura M., Blue Stars alum

“Bottom line: my daughter, who does not hail from a top-tier college, landed a coveted research position at an Ivy League laboratory, beating out hundreds of other candidates. I credit much of this amazing outcome to Amy.”
…read more

– Debra Levine Hertz, Blue Stars parent

Latest News

The New Test-Optional Policy: When to Submit Scores….And When Not To (Part II)
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The New Test-Optional Policy: When to Submit Scores….And When Not To (Part II)

Blue Stars wants to help parents and students navigate the bumpy terrain in this open-ended landscape. In short, how does an applicant decide when to submit scores to test-optional schools vs. when to skip it?

The New Test-Optional Policy: Does It Help or Hurt Applicants? (Part I)
Gallery

The New Test-Optional Policy: Does It Help or Hurt Applicants? (Part I)

No event has been more disruptive to admissions in the last 50 years than the new test-optional policy adopted by the vast majority of colleges in response to the COVID-19 pandemic of the last two years.