Mabel
Colorado College Class of 2022
what were your goals for college admission and did you accomplish them?
Frankly, my main goal was to get accepted into all the schools I applied to, whether that be one of my safety schools or my most competitive school. However, I definitely was not expecting to accomplish this goal. Really I just wanted to give myself options and prove to myself that I could find my place at a number of different colleges/universities and still be happy no matter what.
The ending of the admission process turned out to be very exciting for me because I was able to accomplish my goal (for the most part) and was accepted into 8 out of the 9 schools I applied to and was deferred from the one other. It was far better than I ever expected and for that I was very proud.
what was most helpful about working with hughes?
Hughes College Prep honestly saved me in this whole process. College applications are a system and Hughes has mastered this system. They gave me progressing deadlines for each piece of the application and spaced everything out in a way where I never felt too overwhelmed with tasks that needed to be completed. Hughes also knows exactly what types of essays colleges are looking for and they really helped me with these essays in a way that worked specifically for me. Another huge help from Hughes was the editing process of my essays. Kelly was a lifesaver when it came to this and made sure I was always able to say what I wanted and still fit within the requirement for word count. Really, Hughes just made this entire process far less stressful and intimidating and provided me with the reassurance I needed when submitting my work
were you accepted to one of your top 3 school choices?
Yes, I applied early decision to Colorado College and was accepted so that guaranteed my enrollment there but I also really loved Chapman University which I was also accepted to. The other seven schools were pretty much all tied and other than being deferred from UCSB I was accepted into all of them.
Did you feel supported by hughes college prep during the admission process? if so, how?
Yes I definitely did. In addition to our weekly meetings, Kelly was always there if I ever needed extra help throughout the week (which I often did.) She edited anything I needed and if I ever got behind in work she always found a way to get me back on track. She also helped with feedback on topics for every essay I wrote which was really needed because I definitely found myself struggling to come up with more essay ideas towards the end of the application process. She made me feel calm and relaxed throughout this time and I never really hit that point of panic that I was expecting.
what surprised you most about working with hughes college prep?
Probably how much they were able to help me figure out where I wanted to apply and where I ultimately wanted to go. I didn’t think tutors or teachers were really capable of doing that because I didn’t think they would be able to get to know my personality and interests as well as they did in such a short amount of time. But Hughes really did catch on to everything I was looking for in a school and they were able to help me form a list of colleges that I could very easily see myself attending.
Are there any aspects of your time with Hughes that stick out as having carried through to other elements of your life, beyond college admissions, such as college, jobs, etc.?
My work with Hughes for college apps definitely helped me with all my IB papers as well. Also they really helped me create my resume which has been great for applying for jobs and relying on that in interviews, etc. Also Hughes helped me prepare for college interviews throughout the admission process and I have been able to use what they taught me (on being interviewed) in many other situations such a, meeting with coaches, applying for summer jobs, etc.
What is one bit of advice you would give to parents of college-bound students?
Definitely be involved, help your kids, but try to not add on more stress to your kids lives throughout this process, they are already stressed enough. Support them and help them but don’t take over the whole process because it’s your kids application not yours.
What is one bit of advice you would give to the students themselves?
Do the work Hughes tells you to do because it really does help in the long run. Also, really consider applying early action because one, it may increase your chances of acceptance and two, it forces you to get everything done much earlier in the year and you can be done with the whole process much earlier. Also use Hughes for editing your essays because this is your first time doing this and their millionth going through this with kids like you.