Fifteen years feels surreal. It feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago that we were sitting at Cavanaugh’s at 39th and Sansom, envisioning a more accessible, affordable, and comprehensive college prep company.
Fifteen years later, we have worked with students in more than 40 states and 20 countries, supporting their acceptances to more than 500 universities across the United States and around the world.
The old expression is “the more things change, the more they stay the same”—and that has certainly been the case over our fifteen years serving students. The SAT has gone from 2400 back to 1600; the ACT is in the midst of changing now, too. Test-optional exploded in the face of a pandemic, lingered for years, and is now receding with the rise of AI. Grade inflation has run rampant while acceptance rates have plummeted, making universities that many saw as “likelies” in 2010 into “reaches” in 2025. Students are busier than ever with extracurricular pursuits, and essays have evolved in the wake of the Supreme Court’s rulings on affirmative action.
Still, so much feels the same. Every subsequent year is the ‘hardest ever in college admissions,’ but “the five things in your control” that we have focused on in hundreds of seminars and webinars over the years have remained constant: grades and rigor, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, and essays and applications.
We still advise students to find the right balance in challenging themselves with the highest rigor while maintaining high grades. Even during the peak of test-optional, the limited data that was released indicated a strong preference for applicants who had test scores “in the range”—and, despite all the cosmetic changes to the tests, the underlying content tested stayed virtually static.
Colleges still most appreciate students who pursue extracurriculars with meaning, purpose, and joy—the focal point of Eric’s TEDx Talk in 2018 as well as our Personal Advising meetings for students in 9th and 10th grade. No student should ever be living their life according to what they perceive ‘a college wants.’ We love showing underclassmen and their families that there is no greater value in embracing what matters to you and excites you most in and out of the classroom.
And the point and power of essays is unchanged. Application essays have never been a referendum on a student’s writing abilities. The most impactful essays have always been the most personally insightful and vulnerable, illuminating details about a student that can be found nowhere else on the application, turning admissions officers into advocates and cheerleaders as decisions are made. We are essential allies in the essay process because nobody gets to know students better, encouraging and guiding them to share the details that distinguish them, ensuring their essays feel truly personal and in their authentic voice—a power no AI can generate.
What will the next fifteen years bring in the realm of college admissions? Of course, that is impossible to tell. For many of us, the idea of virtual campus tours, digital standardized tests, no more SAT Subject tests (!!!), and more would once have seemed unfathomable, so what comes next feels hard to predict.
What we do know is this: we will continue adapting to changes while embracing our core values. We will continue to grow—and even with this growth, the relationships we build with our students and their families will continue to bring us the greatest pride and joy. We will always strive to make every family feel like they are our only family, prioritizing prompt communication, individualized attention, and unparalleled care.
Our students’ goals are our goals. Their happiness is our success. We embrace our role in challenging and encouraging students throughout their high school years to become better people and better applicants—not only increasing grades and test scores, but engaging in more meaningful extracurricular activities and writing more insightful, impactful application essays so they not only have as many college options as possible, but also more enriched lives.
By fostering a close connection and trust from the very first meeting, we change the dynamic at home when it comes to conversations about college. By sharing our expertise in direct, compassionate, encouraging ways, we reduce stress by empowering everyone with a greater understanding of where to direct their energies and concerns.
Finally, it would be impossible to conclude this note without saying THANK YOU. Since day one, word-of-mouth referrals have driven our growth. Without your trust, support, and willingness to share our information with other families, we would not be where we are today. We love that we can trace ‘referral lineages’ of some of our families today back to families from our earliest years.
Every time you make a text or email connection to a relative or friend, every time you forward a newsletter, and every time you invite people you know to one of our free webinars, please know how much we appreciate you wanting to support us as much as we pour our hearts and minds into supporting your students.
With gratitude,
Eric Karlan & Karan Shah
Founders and Presidents
