We recognize that there is too much pressure on students to do everything perfectly. The competition for grades, community involvement, and college admissions is on the brink of unmanageable. As a response, we have assembled the most experienced and well-respected experts in both the admissions and mental well-being sectors to guide you every step of the way.
“Stonebridge Prep helped me develop in a way that was much more than just completing the documents required for the application, because an application is so much more than just completing documents. They helped me realize that the right frame of mind is everything in the college admissions process. Taking reflective time to develop my thoughts and intentions before beginning the college admissions process allowed me the clarity to pursue a known goal with all of my energy.”
“My husband and I, both physicians, were very, very impressed with how Joanna helped Alison and are extremely grateful. The change was really noticeable to all of us, and Alison in particular was very happy with Joanna’s recommendations – she felt she could now really enjoy all the activities of her last semester at Hamilton that she had been looking forward to for four years. We can highly recommend her to any student. She made a very big difference for our family when Alison needed her.“
The team at Stonebridge Prep are the innovators and leaders in college admissions and post graduate success. There is no other team in the world as committed to your personal, academic and mental well-being.
In the world of college admissions, we have gone too long without prioritizing the stress management of the merciless race to competitive applications. With Stonebridge Prep, you will work with a top tier admissions expert to submit a strategic application to your dream schools, and you will receive mental well-being coaching every step of the way.
We have assembled a team stacked with the leading experts in college admissions. Our consultants have collective admissions experience from the most selective schools in the world, and we use our knowledge and experiences to ensure our students submit strong applications to every school on their list.
Our focus on mental well-being in the college readiness and admissions process is what sets us apart from everyone else. The drive to do it all; be the perfect student, the perfect athlete, the perfect community citizen all in hopes of being admitted to a dream school is inconceivable and too much to ask of a teenager. This drive for perfection is not essential to the application process.
Imagine a world where our students can manage competing priorities. Imagine a world where students can excel in academics and extracurriculars, while also having a wealth of resources to handle mental, physical and emotional stress. This is the world we are actively pursing every day, and we want you to be part of this pursuit, too.
We don’t see our relationship as transactional. With Stonebridge Prep, you’re a part of our family, and we are with you every step of the way. These aren’t just nice words either, we intentionally designed our approach with on-going support as the pinnacle of our focus.
Are you new to college consulting? Does the process of college applications seem a bit hard to comprehend? We will break down a few of the major topics here to help ease your mind!
Assume 9th and 10th grade are filled with rigorous courses (that you can manage), meaningful and impactful extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, jobs, volunteer work) as well as a summer camp or program in between. This is a general overview starting in 11th grade:
If this is new to you, or you’re trying to find your way in a sea of information and new jargon, refer to this overview of common college application terms to help you understand more about the process.
Common App: The Common App is a platform that students can use to apply to thousands of colleges. When a student’s school list is finalized, they should check on the Common App to see if the schools on their list use the Common App platform for application submissions. The Common App is free for students to use, though many schools have application fees included in the process. The Common App utilizes the Personal Statement for college applications, and then each school on your list may require additional school-specific essay responses.
Coalition App: Similar to the Common App, the Coalition App is a platform that students can use to apply to many schools. It is also free to use, but many schools will require an application fee to submit an application for consideration. The Coalition App has slightly different Personal Statement prompts, but also includes school-specific supplemental essay questions. An additional feature of the Coalition App is the Locker, which allows you to save projects and information about your high school accomplishments so that they are all in one place when it comes time to submit applications.
Questbridge: Questbridge is a national nonprofit that connects exceptional low-income youth with leading colleges and opportunities. Students can begin working with Questbridge at the beginning of their high school journey, and through Questbridge resources, they aim to increase the number of low-income students attending top schools in the US. They support students to achieve success in both their careers and their communities. The Questbridge App is free to use and highlights your academic and extracurricular accomplishments, financial background, two essays and short answer questions.
Early Decision: Early Decision is a binding application deadline, so students should use it for their top choice, dream school. If accepted under Early Decision, students must withdraw all other applications. This application deadline is usually in November.
Early Action: Early Action is non-binding, but gives students the opportunity to demonstrate to admissions committees that the school is at the top of their list. This application deadline is usually in November.
Restricted Early Action: Restricted Early Action is a non-binding application deadline, but students can only apply to one school under this deadline. If admitted, students can still wait and see the results from their other applications before making an enrollment decision. This application deadline is also usually in November.
Regular Decision: This is the general application deadline that is generally during the first week of January. The University of California system, however, has an application filing period between November 1 – November 30.
Rolling Admissions: Rolling Admissions means that admissions decisions are made as applications are submitted. It is generally beneficial to apply early in the season to schools who offer rolling admissions.
As students begin to build their college lists, it’s imperative that the school list is balanced between reach, match and safety schools. This is a recommendation for all students, from valedictorians to students considering less competitive schools. Given the competitive nature of college admissions, each student should build a personalized list of schools they love, that are spread across the groupings of reach, match and safety schools.
Reach Schools:
Match Schools:
Safety Schools: