For us three founders, Lucent Education isn’t just a business endeavor. We started with a collective vision in helping families similar to ours – those with limited knowledge of the opportunities of US colleges/graduate schools and even less information on the process itself. We operate with a double bottom line – our aim is to be accessible to applicants that are from families that may not have the full means to access high end-super star admissions consultants that cost $15,000+.
Our expertise and track record would allow us to charge these incredibly high prices since we are a high quality program with the experience and expertise to work with families that can more than afford the high price tag. But that wasn’t our vision; we decided to re-imagine a world in which this quality of service could be provided to a larger audience to even out the school admissions playing field. With wonderful non-profits already servicing low income families, we knew that there was a gap of students that deserved the coaching and expertise these two very different groups of people already have access to. What we dreamed up was an à la carte service that is provided online – but, one that never dilutes quality of service. We customize our service to what you need. Perhaps you’re great at research, but need support with application essays. Or, your parents are marketing professionals and capable of supporting the writing components of the application, but don’t quite understand the undergraduate system in the US. We work with your specific strengths and needs so that you’re not paying for an all-inclusive service that you don’t need. You’re also not paying for rent or travel time and other unnecessary overhead that comes with a formal office or tutoring center. However, you’re still getting access to personalized, one on one expertise and coaching that would often carry the much higher price tag.
0 Comments
I often get the question from parents: What should we do to make sure my child can get into the best possible college? Well, when that question is asked when the student is in 10th grade, it’s a bit too late! A good time to think a bit more in depth about your child’s college prospects is in middle school. Think about how you’d plan for a new project at work – you don’t just dive into a project without completing a bit of brainstorming and perhaps more thorough strategic planning. It is no different in the college applications process. Here are a few things to consider:
It’s the time of year for tree-decorating and gift-giving, where you catch yourself whistling to carols in the shopping mall – yes, the holiday spirit is definitely sneaking up on us all. I’m always nostalgic this time of year, looking back and taking stock of all that we have experienced and learnt and what the coming year has in store for us.
The past 12 months at Lucent has been such a rewarding experience. Tilia, Agnes and I started this adventure just a few years ago and this has been the first time we’ve had the opportunity to sit down and look at how the past has been for Lucent. What started out as simply a passion to help level the playing field in terms of college admissions has, to my surprise, grown to be about a lot more! I have personally found the successful admissions to be so much more rewarding than I thought they would be. Most of our partners first come to us shrouded in self-doubt and the transformation that we see through the process is amazing. We have many conversations about the students that we work with and we so often unanimously agree with little hesitation that a particular student will do very well once you peel through all that nervousness and anxiety. This year, we have been fortunate enough to see our predictions come true for so many of our students. It shouldn’t surprise us really, as we know these students are more than capable, but to share that journey truly gives me a sense of achievement. I am particularly proud of our scholarship students. We have all come by difficult times and I am certain we remember the encouraging words and the kind gestures that have been extended to us for which we are all very grateful for. Too many times, I find myself trying to pass that kindness along, to share that generosity that has been extended to me. We have been lucky enough at Lucent in the past year that several students have reached out to us, giving us the opportunity to offer what guidance we can. There is much to be thankful and joyful for this year. I have learnt many more lessons than I thought I would, both in terms of being part of an organization like Lucent and also on the general landscape of education today. I sincerely hope that the families continue to extend us the trust that together, we can make difference. Happy holidays and have a wonderful new year! -Sui Seng I chose Purdue over University of Southern California. It wasn’t because Purdue is renowned for its engineering, but because California doesn’t snow. Coming from a tropical country, I yearned for a complete winter experience. But do I regret going to Purdue? Despite my lack of real research and snow or no snow decision making process – the answer is a clear cut no. Purdue has shaped me to the person I am today, one that I am proud to be.
Purdue is a great school to study engineering, which is a common thought about Purdue. But it wasn’t until I went through Purdue’s engineering program that I came to realization what that actually meant. The first year was a “filtering” process where I was able to witness many students who were unable to cope with the rigorous curriculum, switch majors. But it was through this selection system that I got the most out of Purdue’s engineering program. Because of this “filtering,” all the students that go on to be your closest peers are smart and hardworking, making academic life competitive, rigorous, and rewarding. At Purdue, opportunities to grow, succeed and learn are plenty. Purdue hosts the largest college career fair on campus in the United States, with many dream companies such as Microsoft, Google and Apple coming to recruit talented students every year. But it was the excellent service provided by Purdue’s career center that made all the difference – they helped me land a job in the States despite being an international student. The people that I’ve met while being at Purdue constantly inspire and challenge me to grow personally and professionally. Through my involvement with the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) at Purdue, I was given the opportunity to personally talk to and learn from many top company executives, including the Vice President of P&G and Chief Counselor of BAE Systems, a chance that many wouldn’t have during their undergraduate experience. Their unceasing aid to student organizations allows us to have those great minds as our speakers during events. Luck was on my side as it turns out that Purdue is a great fit for me – despite my snow or no snow decisions process. -Gary Khoo, Lucent Education I applied to colleges thinking I knew what I wanted to do – become a pediatric dentist while completing a major related to science or engineering. That didn’t happen. But, I was given the freedom (without judgement – actually, with lots of encouragement) to find my real passions. I transferred from the Engineering school to the College of Arts and Sciences. Switched majors, then added a 2nd major. Coming from a family of engineers and doctors, no one could see it coming: I double majored in Child Development and Psychology.
I felt comfortable and open to new things at Tufts, making changes (and keeping my family and friends on their toes) because of Tufts’ philosophy and supportive action around academic exploration. For me, this is what I think really shines about Tufts – the belief that your years of college are a time to explore, learn what you hate, what you’re indifferent to, and what you love. Other insider tidbits about the university that I think everyone should consider are:
http://www.tufts.edu/ -Agnes Starting an essay is always the hardest part. The blessing and the curse of an admissions essay is that the topic is incredibly broad. You have to discuss your past, present, and future all in less than 650 words. Fortunately, by approaching the topic in a structured manner you can quickly determine what gets to take up precious essay real estate.
Step 1: Brainstorm your topic – Write out your essay ideas on post it notes and then group the post it notes based on the theme of the story – Think about which themes apply to the essay the most and then toss the rest – Rank the stories within each theme from top to bottom – Grab some friend, tell them the essay question and the top story to each theme and see which stories they think highlight you the best – You have your topic/top topics! Step 2: Figure out the flow Sometimes, the story you thought would work so well, doesn’t work when you start detailing it. Good stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end with sign posts throughout to tell the reader where he/she is headed. To check if your story flows, write out the structure of the essay using this form. Introduction: Thesis sentence: Topic sentence 1: Bullet points for the paragraph Connector: Topic sentence 2: Bullet points for the paragraph: Connector: Conclusion: Step 3: Obtain peer review Grab a different set of friends and ask them to look through the structure. The benefit of having the structure is that it’s difficult to hide a bad story without being able to use flowery language, Ask the following questions: – Does it address the essay question? – Does the story make sense? – Can you see how paragraph 1 is connected to paragraph 2 and so on? – Which sections of the story do you want to know more about? – What is the impression you’re left with after reading this structure? At this point, you should have a really good idea of whether or not the story you picked is suitable. If the answer is no, that’s ok. Start at step 1 again. The whole process should be a relatively quick and easy one and will save you the pain of starting fresh when you’re chest deep in to the essay. It’s that time of the year when the heat starts to cool and the heady days of summer begin to feel like a dream. Along with the changing fall foliage come the abundance of ‘back-to-school’ guides both in print and online, bracing students, new and old, for the end of long days out in the sun and the start of longer days in the library. While no single college experience is ‘typical’, it’s sometimes comforting to have a peek of what’s to come – and this is my recollection of the first few months of college a long time ago.
I remember the excitement. There is definitely a genuine pleasure in physically being in the school you worked so hard to be part of. Getting off the bus being greeted by the ever-smiling volunteers, it almost felt like all those hours of anxiety and uncertainty and inadequacy were finally banished – that I have indeed arrived. That smugness wore off very quickly once lectures started, but let yourself bask in that warm glow of achievement, you worked for this and you deserve every bit of excitement those first few days. More than the fear of not doing well in college, I think the fear of not making friends was another preoccupation. After travelling thousands of miles to a city many of us have only been in for a few hours (if at all), making new friends seemed almost impossible at first. But I think it’s worth remembering that almost everyone there is new: just like you, they have been uprooted from a life they know well into a new one and they too are looking to share their experience with new friends and acquaintances. Cast away the insecurity; smile and just say hello – I found that there was only one secret to making friends; being friendly yourself. For all the guides and tips that one can read, there is certainly no fool-proof, sure-fire manual to enjoy starting college. I was lucky enough to have exceedingly supportive friends and family who reminded me that the transition to college life was a big one and it was okay to be insecure and unsure of what to expect. Looking back, those days of being home-sick, of feeling alone while being in crowds, the crippling fear that I didn’t deserve my spot – these were the same emotions that help us all grow and feel comfortable in our own skin. But more than anything else trust me on this...the good times, they will be awesome. -Sui Seng In my very first conversations with families and clients, one of the questions almost always is, “Agnes, why do you do this?” Well, there are a ton of reasons, but one of my most selfish reasons is that I love seeing the essays evolve. For many high school students that are in their senior year working on their college applications, this is the first time writing has no impact on their grade, but great of impact on where their life will lead. For many students, their writing for the first time has a different kind of drive.
Many of our Lucent Ed students opt for the unlimited revisions (great if you’re starting from scratch), and because of this new drive, there are significant improvements on student writing through the numerous revisions. From the very first outline or draft to the final product where each letter and comma has been agonized over – there’s a huge transformation – in not just the essay, but in the skills of the writer. Going through each revision, their questions become more thoughtful about everything from sentence structure to really articulating their aspirations, experiences, and emotions. As a coach in this process, I love seeing the student grow in their writing and personally as they tackle how they’d like to convey themselves to the world (well, really admissions), sometimes for the first time. It’s quite inspiring what they come up with, and it’s one of the primary reasons I love to be with Lucent Education. -Agnes At the start of another new year, we’ve all grown accustomed to resolving to keep resolutions yet again. THIS time will be different, THIS time we’ll keep everything we have listed down and when THIS time comes again next year, we’ll be so proud of ourselves.
Resolution-making has always been deemed a private affair – a conversation between the world-weary, present-day version with next year’s all-singing, all-dancing version 2.0. And perhaps, that’s where most resolutions die a lonely and secluded death – in our heads. Having worked with several students this year, I’ve been able to witness first-hand some dreams coming true. Resolving to put our minds to achieving something significant is no easy task. However, formulating an action plan to tackle the hurdles along the way is even more daunting. And this is where we can use all the help we can get. The simple act of sharing a resolution makes it so much more real. Having someone to merely acknowledge the possibility to achieving our new aims is a real confidence-booster. Looking back at my 2012, I’ve been fortunate enough to witness several resolutions coming full circle. Through simple conversations and casual suggestions, I have seen ideas put into action with very encouraging outcomes. This year, I’m resolving to share my resolutions. To tell my friends what I’m thinking and hoping to achieve. I hope you will too. Do drop us an e-mail to simply say hello or to sound out a potential school you might be interested in. We’re always happy to have a conversation – not too long ago, we were exactly where you were, dreaming those same dreams. Don’t let those resolutions die a lonely death. Let’s have something to celebrate next year. -Sui Seng There are several logistical factors that go into choosing a school before you start even talking about fit. Included in those are: cost and location. These are the first two topics that I suggest parents to focus on when discussing options for college prior to diving into the nitty gritty. These can really be deal breakers when it comes to making the decision as a family in which colleges/universities to apply to. This is also the time to consider application to some schools that might be out of geographical or financial reach because they are such great opportunities that you’d like to test out the waters (see what financial aid package comes through or make a visit or two to Colorado?) prior to making a final decision to rule it out.
Ok, the next section is the nitty gritty I mentioned above – it’s about fit. What type of college, surrounding, environment will help you thrive and accomplish your future goals – that’s fit. There are a ton of components to fit and what will be the “best” college to help you thrive. First consider the items below and what your preferences might be.
You now have a good idea of what types of schools you should be looking at. Coupled with your test scores and school grades/ranking, you have a good idea of where you will fit on the spectrum. For students looking to be at a more competitive or rigorous school, you might consider taking this information to the ranking reports and see which schools might be a good fit. Others might use a resource like... http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/u/choose_a_school.htm ...to narrow down on small class sizes, large campuses, or programs with a lot of academic support services. Okay, I know that feels a bit backward because I haven’t yet talked about a good academic match. Well that’s because for the majority of students don’t have a really specific niche yet and that’s because many students haven’t experienced enough to know what they don’t know about the opportunities in careers in the world. For the majority of students, I’d recommend having a general idea of the industry or job function you’d like to go into after college and narrow down the application list to those that have that type of program available (think broad: marketing = marketing, psychology, sociology; business = applied math, economics, business; teaching = child development, psychology, education). If in the rare case you are one of those high school juniors/seniors that knows what they want to be – the above list is still something to think about, but you may want to apply the thought topics to list of schools that already exists for your specialized interest (music conservatories/colleges, programs with strong pre-med or combined degree programs, business schools, etc). The next step after creating a solid list (the usual is between 7-12 schools) is visiting them (if you haven’t already) and making sure the schools are diversified in terms of possibilities for acceptance (reach schools vs match schools). Good luck in finding a few great choices for your best fit! Choosing to concentrate in Natural Science for my undergraduate degree was not a difficult conclusion to arrive at. I’ve always had a fascination with all living things and grew up with a whole host of pets from tortoises to parakeets. I enjoyed Biology very much in school, did reasonably well and it felt to me like the most natural progression to continue doing what I enjoyed most at college level.
The more difficult question to field was when asked what I wanted to do with a degree in Natural Science. I used to envy my friends who chose more conventional paths – you become an engineer after an engineering degree and a doctor after a medical one. Although it might seem blindingly obvious that the conclusion of a science degree would be to become a ‘scientist,’ I had no idea what scientists actually do minus the crazy-haired, wild-eyed ones I saw on television bent on world-domination. And like every good college student, you ignore the problems you cannot answer and promise to ‘look into it’ some other time. And so I did, and looking back, I am quite thankful as it gave me the time and the freedom to actually enjoy the degree. Although I did eventually end up becoming a ‘scientist’ of some sort, many of my friends did not. We went to the same dissection classes, the same microscopy workshops but many chose career paths that do not involve safety goggles and lab coats. Some became management consultants, putting the analytical skills they learnt in class to good use in the corporate world. Others joined the civil service, taking positions that involved structuring science policy in schools and universities. And there were others who decided to go to graduate school, eventually deciding that they wanted a career in medicine or law. Others, like myself, chose to pursue a doctoral degree in the sciences, spending much of our time dedicated to full-time research with the final aim of providing a body of research which is novel and of intellectual value to the academic community. In real world terms, this actually accumulates to a lot of thinking, reading and talking to people about science. I discovered that I thoroughly enjoyed the process of identifying a relevant problem, thinking of the right questions to ask, designing the experiments to answer these questions and finally, to look at the answers and decide whether they are relevant to support your conclusion. Looking back, I guess it was not too big a surprise as I have always enjoyed observing nature in motion, be it the neighbors pets or the metabolism of a cancer cell. So I was fortunate that I did eventually, find out what to do with my science degree. But what might you be able to do with yours? There probably isn’t a single right answer for this, but I think the most accurate one is probably, anything you want! Choosing a major is declaring your interest at that point in time, with a strong conviction that you will be motivated to make the most out of it. Certainly do not take it to mean that you are bound to it. While there are very many science-related careers that might benefit from a science degree, there are as many or not more that are less conventional yet as relevant to using the skills you learnt in science. Having a trained scientific mind is an asset to be reckoned with. Science is driven by a curiosity to ask the simple questions about everyday occurrences and the tenacity to find a hypothesis to describe these observations consistently. These qualities are extremely valuable in any field and I strongly believe that if nothing else, my degree definitely taught me to never stop asking questions. Go to college focused but with an open mind. Pursue what interests you most in the present and never stop talking to people about what they want for the future while thinking about your own. Take the time to ask yourself what you are good at and what to improve on. It’s what I did and hopefully, you too will arrive at the same conclusion as I did on what to do with your science degree. Starting a company is never a straight forward endeavor. The one thing that was extremely clear cut among the 3 founders was the mission of the company. The three of us have an immigrant background and came to the United States in pursuit of a system that valued meritocracy. While the United States definitely upholds meritocracy, we have come to acknowledge the sheer luck and privilege it requires to get in to top schools. We decided that we wanted it to be our mission to level the college admissions playing field.
The benefits that privilege bring start way beyond the time the application process starts. From personal tutors, to being a legacy applicant, the setbacks to those not in the 1% are numerous. The disparity between the have and have-nots are even more pronounced when it comes to the application process. Kids who can afford it fly around the country to visit schools. They send out multiple applications without any regard to application fees. Parents send their kids to private schools that have multiple counselors swarming all over their applications or pay tens of thousands of dollars for celebrity college admissions consultants. There is absolutely nothing wrong with utilizing all the resources you have to put yourself in the best position possible. That said, it does put others at a disadvantage which is what we hope to remedy at Lucent. We worry about two things. First, that people who do not have those resources give up on attending top schools before applying. Second, that people who have limited resources will turn out worse applications because they lack the funds or network to get coaching, feedback, and support. The first issue of giving up without trying, we try to remedy by telling stories of unlikely candidates who made it to top schools. We also give out scholarships to prospective students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Very often, we do free consultation sessions with people. The second issue of resources limiting access to help, we solve by splitting up our services in to multiple segments of the admissions process. Within the admissions process, most people are great at some things and not so great at others. There is absolutely no reason for you to pay someone to do something you are already great at! Therefore, by breaking up the process in to pieces, you only purchase help for parts where you are not confident. Instead of paying $20,000 for services you didn’t need, you end up paying $2,000 to focus on where you really needed help. It sounds cliché, but we really care about getting you in to the best school you possibly can. We hope that this article gives you a glimpse in to the minds of the people at Lucent Education and we look forward to helping you get in to your dream school. Looking back to my high-school days, I would be hard-pressed to find too many unpleasant memories. Many of my best friends today I met during those awkward teenage years and having the freedom to explore varied interests have turned many into lifelong passions.
Fast forward a decade and several degrees later, I have come to appreciate that a lot of what I am proud of today is a direct consequence of the unwavering support I have had from family and friends. Being able to pursue an interest unburdened by the expectation of ‘making something of it’ has unfortunately become a rare luxury in today’s increasingly competitive academic environment. The unbridled inflation of college admissions criteria makes a successful application seem more and more like the exclusive preserve of the wealthy and privileged. This toxic mix of expectation and anxiety seemed a world away from what I was used to. When I met Agnes and Tilia, I was struck by how similar (and how much more enjoyable) our own experiences were. Lucent Education was borne of this dedication to make the admissions process not so much an examination, but more an affirmation of one’s educational experience. We did not see ourselves telling students what clubs to join, what sports to play and what books to read, because we believe you already know that. Instead, we envisioned ourselves as partners in the journey, providing the support, advice and opinions that we were all fortunate enough to have. My personal motivation with Lucent is that with that small nudge in the right direction, your college admissions process would be one less wrought with insecurity and self-doubt. Going to college is the start of an amazing journey and it would be great to know the journey started from a collection of experience of your own choosing and a collection of circumstances on your own terms. We do hope that we can be the partner to reaffirm the belief that you have in your academic journey thus far. -Sui Seng I came from a family that didn’t have a lot, but always had enough; we tried the test prep classes and bought all the different brands of prep books. But for the most part, I knew what I wanted, was organized, and had a family that supported my goals. I was lucky enough to have older cousins that stumbled through the college applications process and gave me tips on the general system since my parents did not attend undergraduate school in the US. There was one big gap that I had as a senior in high school in comparison to applying to graduate school – I had no network of people to help critically read and support out of the box thinking for writing an impactful college application essay.
This revelation, in conjunction with my other passion (I run a non-profit that has programs for children and families of all incomes), led me to where Lucent Education is right now. Working with low-income families as a college student, I realized how income, circumstances, and lack of resources and knowledge affected a child’s success in preschool and then elementary school. It just wasn’t fair that those with the income also had all of these other “tricks” in their bag to give their children the best possible chance at success. I knew that the very young children I was working with could compete on a level playing field with those of middle or above incomes if the families just had the knowledge on how to acquire resources and the best possible education for their children. These ideas translate to my passion for what we do at Lucent; I know that we can fill the gap in the knowledge and bring more “tricks” to a student’s bag that they may not have had access to otherwise. I want to fill a gap in the application process that is affordable, high quality, and fits into the rest of the natural (and many times free!) college application mentors that are available to the typical high school senior. -Agnes The title to this article is pretty intimidating. If you’re a college senior (or rising senior) and starting to get serious about going to more selective schools, a good start to writing your essays is to outline and highlight important pieces of your life. You can also polish this outline to use along with your resume when you ask your teachers, coaches, and mentors for recommendations.
Ok, you’re ready to get started? The easiest way is to start from the present and start listing your biggest highlights from high school, some of which will already be on your resume. Then think back further to highlight various aspects of your life. Have you encountered birth or death? Have you led a group of your peers in a petition? Have you started your own business selling lollipops you made at home? Are you your grandma’s favorite? Were you overshadowed by siblings or cousins? Did you argue with your parents about getting serious about swimming instead of tennis? Next, think back on the little things that have happened in your life that might have impacted you in a big way. What are the inside jokes your friends have about you? Are there stories that your parents tell about you to their friends? Check in with your friends and family and ask them about what they felt were big moments in your life or the highlights of your personality. Now that you have a good list of highlights, start to think back on each of these moments in your life and write a few phrases about how they made you feel, what you learned, or how it affected your future goals. For some of the moments, you’ll have a hard time articulating, others you’ll realize that they were defining moments in your life. After completing this portion of the exercise, start to prioritize the moments that you’d like to share with the college admissions officers. Mainly, prioritize the moments that truly represent who you are and help to share your unique story with application readers. Here’s an example of how your outline might look: -Brother is born (I was age 3) -I used to watch him in the back of our van as our parents shopped; we always rough housed by I once flipped him so hard that I could tell this was unlike any other time. This is when I realized my responsibility for him. -Big family dinners each week -We traveled over an hour each week to visit the family on my dad’s side; with over 15 cousins and still counting -The inside joke of the family was that my cousin J was super talented, cousin F was a genius, and I was the cutest of them all; took this to heart and found a passion I could work hard at and excel at in my own terms Now that you’ve put together some important moments and lessons from your personal history, you have a rough outline to work with. As suggested earlier, you can now pick out the pieces that you feel will convey who you are and make you shine to include in your college application essays. However, your application doesn’t include just your essays. With the outline that highlights your life, you have a lot of good information that you can still share with the admissions committee. Before putting the essays together, it’s time to think about how to strategically piece together an entire application package. As an exercise, make columns for the different components of your application: essays, resume, and interview. With your “highlighting your life” outline, think about how you’d categorize the top 10-15 topics. Is the topic one of the easiest to describe in two sentences or less? Then it’s probably best in your resume. Is it a deep personal philosophy? That might be better suited for one of the essays. Is it about one of your favorite teachers, but doesn’t really fall into something you can write a whole paragraph about? Perhaps save that for the interview since many interviewers ask about your favorite class or teacher. Many applicants sit down and tackle each component of the application separately, however, the admissions officers will be looking at the whole package – so you should be completing it as a whole package. Take the time to be intentionally strategic about what you want your entire application to convey about you. |
About Lucent:College, Graduate School, and Career Coaching. Archives
May 2022
Categories
All
|