The Platinum Crash Course:
For those students seeking the complete package:
Many students and parents find value in the individual attention that we devote to our students, and they want more one-on-one time. The Platinum Crash Course provides a smaller class size, more parental communication, and follow-up consultations. In the comfortable setting of a Houstonian conference room, the Platinum Crash Course allows us to tailor our approach to meet individual students needs. We will make sure that all of the application bases are covered and the student will be able to click “Submit” by the end of the course.*
How it works:
The Platinum Crash Course begins with a private parent consultation, during which we assess the family goals for your child. We want to know where you think your child will fit and what your concerns are. Plus, we want to hear if there’s any input you’d like to provide to your child’s essays or resume.
We will also send materials to you three weeks before the start of class, so that your child can start brainstorming topics and jotting down activities to put on the resume, but we will do the bulk of the writing during the class periods.
At the end of the course, students will have completed all but the supplements for the Common Application. We can’t do those in class because everyone has different supplement topics, and most of them are not released until well after the Common Application and ApplyTexas are ready for submission. However, since those supplements are extremely important, we have allotted two hours of follow-up editing during the fall semester.
What happens during class:
We will start with small-group discussions, reviewing student experiences and getting to know participants’ strengths and weaknesses. Each day, we will tackle a different part of the application puzzle, beginning with student resumes and ending with the applications themselves. During the course, we will teach students about the different components of the application and coach them on how to go about obtaining the required supporting documents (recommendations, transcripts, scores, etc.), so that they leave prepared to approach their counselors and teachers early.
In the evenings, our instructors will edit student resumes and exchange ideas about student essays. While Platinum Course students may have some assignments to complete on their own, they will have less homework than Condensed Course students will.
We will begin each day with breakfast and a discussion about the day’s work. Then, we will work until 12:00, brainstorming and formulating outlines, when we will take an hour lunch break and allow their brains to decompress. Then, from 1:00 to 4:00, we will work on drafts, which our instructors will edit in the evenings.
Details:
Number of instructional hours – 30, plus one lunch hour per day
Student:teacher ratio – 5:1
Components completed -
3 long essays, plus one short
A fully developed and polished resume
Thank you note for a recommender
Completed online application, ready for submission
Meals included - Breakfast and Lunch each day
Cost – $2,995 ($100/hr), initial deposit required, plus balance due 30 days before start of class.
Please note that we are not able to complete extra supplement essays during class. That’s why we’ve allotted 2 hours of remote editing during the fall semester. During those hours, we can work on your child’s supplemental essays. If you prefer additional, at-home assistance, we can provide individual services at our hourly rate of $130.