Having Blue Stars on my side was a lifesaver throughout the college application process. As the oldest sibling in an immigrant family, I did not know where to start with my college applications. I received all the help and resources that I needed from Blue Stars, beginning with the school research process. Dr. M and Helen made sure that I chose to apply to schools that suited my academic interests and encouraged me to explore options that I had not previously considered.
Throughout the summer of my junior year, they took the time to get a deep understanding of who I was, whether it was what activities I participated in at school, or just what my values are as a person. I think this was really helpful down the line, as it made collaborating on essay writing a lot more streamlined. But the part of the process that stood out to me the most was this fall, when I received such an overwhelming amount of support and resources as I drafted essays for my schools.
From the beginning, Helen made sure that I knew what to write about and we came up with a writing schedule to stay on track. I felt like I was less stressed about the application process than many of my peers because I had done a lot of preparation work with Helen, and I felt like I could reach out at any time for her to answer a question or revise a draft. Whereas some of my peers at school would have to wait for days or nearly a week for other counselors to review their work, I could always count on Helen to reply to me with her comments within a day, many times even within the hour. When Helen had finished revising my essays, they were reviewed by second and third reviewers, to the point of perfection.
Unlike other students applying for college, I got sick for nearly a month’s time and this was when I was truly thankful for Blue Stars’ help. Balancing both the demanding nature of college applications and delays arising from my health, Helen made sure that the work that I needed to do was done before the deadlines, helping me submit all of my early applications on time.
I feel that the support from Blue Stars during my college application process is unmatched by any other college counseling service that I’ve seen from my peers, and I will forever be grateful.
