Anya

How did you think about college and the college application process before working with your Galin counselor? What were your expectations?

As my older sister completed the application process three years before me, I had a basic idea of what it would look like: compiling a list of colleges that fit you, filling out the common app, and writing a bunch of essays! I thought the workload would be very heavy and hard to juggle on top of senior year before working with Galin.

What was the most surprising thing to you about the college counseling process?

I was earnestly surprised at how manageable all the essay writing was. I wrote a total of 27 essays, but it never felt like I was cramming to get them done or struggling to keep up with our timeline. My counselor really helped space things out to an approachable amount, and I avoided a lot of that college application stress I saw peers going through when they tried to write several essays in the span of two weeks.

What did you find the most helpful about working with your Galin college counselor?

There were two things for me! One was helping create a timeline, as I was able to complete a solid chunk of my essay writing during the summer, and the rest well before each deadline in the fall. My counselor was really good about being flexible and customizing this timeline to my needs. I ended up being out of state for a total of 1.5 months during the summer, yet this did not derail the process as my counselor was always ready to adjust our plan! The second thing I found extremely helpful was how supportive both my college counselor and essay coach were. They approached every idea I proposed with an open mind and every essay I wrote with sincerity. At one point during the process, I decided to not apply to a school that we had spent months preparing the essay for. Instead of being frustrated at this pivot, they both handled the situation with understanding and kindness. Every round of feedback I received was also super supportive while still pushing me to write at my highest quality. They would consistently report back not only what went well, but areas that could grow. No matter if it was brainstorming, essay-writing, or our final meeting when we celebrated my college acceptance, I always felt immensely supported by my college counselor and essay coach.

Where are you planning to attend school next year? What are you planning to study? How are you feeling about your decision?

I will be attending the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University next year. I am planning to major in Business Administration, and ideally concentrate in Finance down the line. I am ecstatic about my decision, as CMU was my dream college! I cannot wait to immerse myself in such an innovative, interdisciplinary community.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Just a big thank you to the folks at Galin! You've supported me through such a pivotal period in my adolescent life and helped my achieve my college dreams. I'm so grateful :)