Admissions counseling is a service that assists students and parents by providing guidance, tools, and sometimes lessons for how to improve the students’ chances of gaining acceptance to the college of their choice. Admissions counselors spend time researching the general applications process, school specific requirements, deadlines, and changes. Additionally, Admissions Counselors can help parents and students create a step-by-step plan for following the best path to their target school.

Finding the best path to school acceptance requires a great deal of planning, research, experience and sometimes even creativity. We’ve spent decades analyzing various admissions processes, and we’ve made learning and keeping up with these process our number one priority.

This bank of information and experience allows us to provide an immediate service that saves your time and reduces your worry.

By using admissions counseling services from Mugenn-Sensei Education, students’ probability of admission to their target school increases significantly because their energy is focused on the most important aspects of the application package using the most effective strategies to stand out in the eyes of admissions officers. Click on “Services” at the top of the page for more details.

We recommend that children begin the process of preparing for college in 6th grade. If that seems early, you’re right—but “early” makes all the difference.

There are three critical advantages that starting early can provide for students: 1. improved writing skills; 2. effective, consistent study habits; 3. road-building.

Improved writing skills: Excellent writing takes years to cultivate, but it is essential for the all-important essay writing that nearly all admissions applications require. These essays are not like school reports or simple opinion essays. They are about using well-developed language skills to paint a detailed picture of who you are as a person, and what sets you apart from everyone else.

Effective, consistent study habits: Habits take time to form, and developing these habits while young makes them instinctive for the student earlier in life, making learning a cleaner, faster, more efficient process. Students have the time to improve their grades, acclimate to the standardized test-taking process, and achieve academic recognition such as awards and honors memberships.

Road-building: “What do you want to do in the future? What school do you want to go to? What do you want to major in? What kind of career do you want to have?”

This is quite a flurry of questions that many students and parents are not yet prepared to answer. They all revolve around having a goal. However, deciding on and pursuing a goal as soon as possible is hugely important. REMEMBER: YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR GOALS ANYTIME! But never have NO goals. Choose the thing that most interests you now and start building a path to get there. If you change your mind—which is perfectly fine—then change your path. If you decide you want to get to Yale to major in Law, then Mugenn-Sensei can help you research Yale Law and all that it offers, then together, we’ll make a plan to improve your chances of getting there. Are you really just not sure what you want to do yet? We can help with that, too!

Mugenn-Sensei Education does not offer the same, duplicated service to everyone, using the same formulas with every school, every admissions process, and every student. Instead, we look at each individual and provide individualized guidance designed for each unique student’s needs.

Others services also have restrictions on who they provide services for: “You must have a 3.5 or higher GPA,” or “You must be in the top 10% of your class,” or “You must have these following accomplishments…”

We have no such restrictions and will provide the same high-quality services for everyone. If you have a goal, let us know. We’re committed to helping you build the road that will take you farthest. Don’t wait for it—build your own future.

First and foremost, don’t count yourself out before even trying.

Create an online presence for yourself. Review all your social media accounts to ensure that you have a clean, positive, and professional online image. Schools WILL look you up.

Get involved in meaningful activities in line with your desired major or career path. If possible, don’t limit yourself to random summer work or unrelated volunteer activities. If you can, be the originator of something.

Take both the SAT and ACT practice tests before deciding to take the actual test. Determine which one best suits you, then focus on preparing to take the one you feel you can do best on.

Play the long game. Don’t fall into the trap of waiting until the last minute to prepare for college. The sooner you start with a clear plan and a clear (though changeable) goal, the better your chances of getting accepted by your target school.

Don’t fear getting help. The application process is a big one with very high stakes. Get help if you need it from people who know the process—and the game.

With very few exceptions inapplicable to the general public, the most elite schools are “reach” schools for everyone, no matter their background.

No one can guarantee admissions to elite schools, and we recommend being wary of those who claim they can guarantee admissions—for multiple reasons.

Primarily, the admissions process is complex and ever-changing. What schools are looking for one year may be very different the next. Politics, social movements, legislation, the economy, academic trends, and individual school goals all play a role in what they seek each year.

Secondarily, each application package is the representation of an individual student; what the student brings to the table makes a difference. A student with a 2.5 GPA will have a lower chance than one with a 4.3 GPA. A student who has shown commitment to a career goal by getting involved in relevant summer activities improves their chances over someone who does random summer work. The commitment students make to building themselves into great applicants makes a difference.

Mugenn-Sensei can teach you how to be a great applicant, guide you towards the right practices, show you the steps to take and when, and help you optimize every part of your application. You’ll just have to put in the work to follow the path. If you need help, that’s why we’re here.

We offer tried and true, effective ways of significantly increasing your likelihood of being accepted into your target school. You’ll craft the ideal application package to get you noticed and help you rise high above other applicants.

The financial aid application is a component of the application package that can be very important if your target school seems out of reach financially. Ensure that you thoroughly understand the process since some schools have limited funds that are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you play varsity sports or competitive extra-curriculars, scholarships in these areas are also possibilities. Keep in mind that merit scholarships are also given by some schools, but most of the top elite schools do not offer merit scholarships. There are actually hundreds of scholarships out there for specific interests, though finding them requires a great deal of work, and it may be challenging to find one that caters to your situation.

Government student loans are also available with flexible repayment plans. Avoid non-government student loans as they are typically less flexible, have higher interest rates, and stiffer penalties for any repayment errors.

If you have questions about the financial aid application process, be sure to ask us. We’re happy to help you through it.

In the past, most schools looked primarily at GPA and test scores to determine admissions eligibility. They wanted the most academically talented students, and that served to elevate the intellectual atmosphere of the school and help them build a reputation as such.

In later years, affirmative action played a key role in many schools’ decision processes. By seeking to improve diversity on campus, schools attempted to provide students with exposure to various cultures, perspectives, and ideas they may not have been used to. According to several schools, this would allow students to benefit from interacting with demographics they might otherwise never have been in contact with, providing a different type of education that could not be taught in the classroom At the same time, several schools’ stated objective was to reduce unjustified fears, prejudices, and biases while making exemplary education accessible to a wider group of people, especially those from whom it had been excluded.

Most recently, federal and state legislation as well as court rulings have sought to reduce the influence of affirmative action at schools, citing the opinion that merit should be the primary deciding factor for admissions since some groups felt that affirmative action unfairly excluded them from admittance.

Schools are now working to revise their individual admissions policies based on these legal changes.

Mugenn-Sensei Education can help you navigate these shifting influences in the admissions world. We are keeping up with these changes so that we can better help you get accepted into your Dream School!

New York City’s private preparatory school system can be as complex, if not more, than applying to elite colleges and universities.

There is the regular application that parents/students must complete, letters of recommendation from teachers, interviews for both students and parents, and writing, which may include multiple essays and short written response answers. In addition, many schools also require proficiency testing, which may consist of the ISEE or the school’s own in-house proficiency test. Depending on the school, there may be other steps and requirements as well.

While this is challenging even when applying for only one school, we do not recommend putting all your private school eggs in one basket. Private schools have specific goals for their student populations. Some schools only accept students entering certain grades in a particular school year—which may change in the next school year.

Mugenn-Sensei Education therefore recommends applying to at least three schools, just in case. Some clients have applied to as many as eight. Keeping track of the many requirements, deadlines and appointments will be much easier with us on your team. We’ll help you navigate the process each step of the way.

In today’s admissions atmosphere, the personal essay is by far the most critical piece of the application, if all other parts are at least average.

This means for students with at least a 3.0 average, good to excellent SAT or ACT scores, relevant summer activities, et cetera, a fantastic essay can push you over the top—even beyond those students with 4.0+ GPAs and 1600 on the SAT.

But your essay needs to be exceptional.

That’s where Mugenn-Sensei Education comes in. We can help you get your essay past the preliminary readers and in the minds of the admissions officers.

The sooner you start practicing and improving your writing the better your chances of crafting the perfect essay sooner.

Absolutely! The process for applying as a non-citizen differs from applying as a citizen. However, we are happy to aid qualified non-citizens with the school selection and application process.

We are experts in both helping non-citizens learn the English required to be successful in the classroom AND the actual requirements, steps, and timing needed to apply and enter the schools of their choice.

If you are a non-citizen looking to attend American or Canadian schools, or if you know someone who is, Mugenn-Sensei Education is looking forward to hearing from you!