Welcome to Application Blueprint
Module 0
This opening module sets the foundation for your entire application journey. Tina walks you through what to expect, how the course is designed, and why each piece matters. You’ll understand how this course builds on the “big-picture strategy” from the previous module and now moves into the practical, high-stakes elements of your application: ts
colleges, writing Activities and Honors, planning recommendations, staying organized across 10–20 schools, and preparing for interviews. You’ll also learn why every part of the application requires multiple drafts, examples, and strategic thinking — not one-and-done writing. By the end of this module, you’ll know exactly how to navigate the course and how each lesson connects to building a coherent, high-impact application without needing an expensive consultant.
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Key Takeaways:
• What this course covers and how it fits into your larger admissions strategy
• How to approach Activities, Honors, LORs, interviews, and research with depth
• A clear roadmap for completing your application confidently and independently
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Downloads:
Checklist-Application Blueprint Supporting Documents
Application Blueprint Modules
Application Timeline For US Colleges
How Admissions are Evaluated
Module 1
There’s no formula for getting into Harvard or Stanford. These schools build a diverse class — not one “type” of student. Academics are the first filter, but once you clear that bar (as thousands do), decisions come down to what makes you memorable: your activities, story, recommendations, and personal qualities. This module breaks down how holistic review actually works, why applications are read in 4–10 minutes, how committees make final calls, and why so many strong students land in the LMO (“Like Many Others”) bucket. You’ll learn exactly what you can control — and how to stand out in a pool full of students with similar grades.
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Key Takeaways:
• How holistic review really works in top U.S. colleges
• Why academics open the door but storytelling earns admission
• How to avoid the LMO (“Like Many Others”) bucket and become memorable in minutes
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Downloads:
How Candidates are Evaluated
Stay Organized with College Apps
Module 2
There’s no formula for getting into Harvard or Stanford. These schools build a diverse class — not one “type” of student. Academics are the first filter, but once you clear that bar (as thousands do), decisions come down to what makes you memorable: your activities, story, recommendations, and personal qualities. This module breaks down how holistic review actually works, why applications are read in 4–10 minutes, how committees make final calls, and why so many strong students land in the LMO (“Like Many Others”) bucket. You’ll learn exactly what you can control — and how to stand out in a pool full of students with similar grades.
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Key Takeaways:
• How holistic review really works in top U.S. colleges
• Why academics open the door but storytelling earns admission
• How to avoid the LMO (“Like Many Others”) bucket and become memorable in minutes
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Downloads:
Student Example College App Tracker
Template College App Tracker
College Research the Right Way
Module 3
Most students build their college list blindly—based on rankings, rumors, or advice passed around school. This module teaches you how to research with strategy: understanding selectivity, academic fit, campus culture, financial aid, major rigor, and whether a school actually aligns with your goals. You’ll learn how to build a balanced, smart college list using objective and qualitative criteria.
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Key Takeaways:
• A research method that goes beyond rankings
• A balanced, personalized college list
• A clear sense of academic and cultural fit for each school
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Downloads:
Data Goldmine-College Research
Example of Deep Research-CDS For Chapel Hill
Questionaire- Determining Your College Attributes
Building a College Shortlist
Module 4
Most students build their college lists based on brand names or guesswork. In this module, you’ll learn the four factors that actually matter: international acceptance rates, your academic strength, the real quality of your extracurriculars, and where your SAT/ACT sits compared to each school’s range. We walk you through a real student example—how she researched majors, evaluated culture and fit, and used SAT percentiles to classify Likely, Target, Reach, and Super Reach schools. By the end, you’ll know how to create a 20-school list that is both strategic and exciting to you.
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Key Takeaways:
• A simple 4-factor system for building a realistic college list
• How to classify schools using SAT percentiles + EC strength
• A repeatable research process for choosing 20 schools you truly want
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Downloads:
Student College Research & List Building Example
Moody's Quick & Dirty College List Building
Student Example Self Evaluating Academics & Extracurriculars
Early Action & Early Decision Strategy
Module 5
ED/EA is the single most powerful decision you make in admissions. This module explains how early rounds actually work, why acceptance rates differ, and how to choose the right early school to boost your chances. You’ll learn how to weigh strategy vs. safety, understand realistic odds, and avoid common mistakes that cost students admissions each year.
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Key Takeaways:
• A clear ED/EA choice based on data
• Understanding of how early rounds impact acceptance odds
• Avoiding the major strategic errors most applicants make
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Downloads:
Data-Early Decision and Regular Decision Data
College Application Programs
Student Sample- Early Decision Startegizing
Activities Section Tutorial
Module 6
The Activities section is one of the most misunderstood parts of the application. Here, you’ll learn how to turn ordinary activities into powerful, story-driven entries using a formula for writing high-impact 150-character descriptions. We show you real examples, rewriting weak entries into strong ones, and helping you structure your 10 activities for maximum clarity and depth
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Key Takeaways:
• A template for writing standout 150-character descriptions
• A ranked list of your top 10 activities
• Before-after rewrites that strengthen every entry
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Downloads:
General Tips For Improving Word Discriptors
Student Sample-Common App Activities
RLS Student Samples-Edited Common App Activities
Template- Common App Activities
Honors Section Tutorial
Module 7
Honors are often filled with irrelevant or poorly described achievements. This module teaches you how to select, prioritize, and structure your top 5 honors using selectivity, scale, and academic alignment. You’ll learn how to turn even school-level awards into compelling entries, and we provide examples that show how to elevate weak descriptions.
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Key Takeaways:
• A clean, compelling top-5 Honors list
• Precise wording that highlights selectivity and impact
• Clear understanding of what counts—and what doesn’t
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Downloads:
Student Sample- Is It an Honors or an Activity Example
Student Sample-Common App Honors & Awards Example
Student Sample- Honors & Awards Example
How to Get a Great LOR
Module 8
Strong recommendations are built, not gifted. In this module, we show you how to prepare your teachers to write evidence-based, story-driven recommendations that reinforce the narrative you’re building in the rest of your application. You’ll also learn how to choose the right teachers, what to share with them, and how to follow up respectfully.
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Key Takeaways:
• A complete LOR preparation packet to give teachers
• A narrative that your recommenders can reinforce
• Confidence in choosing the right teachers
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Downloads:
Student Sample-Document to Share For LOR
How to Give a Superb Interview
Module 9
This module helps you build confidence and clarity for alumni or admissions interviews. You’ll learn how interviews are scored, the types of questions that matter, how to structure answers, and how to leave a memorable impression. We also include mock interview frameworks and sample answers for common questions.
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Key Takeaways:
• A repeatable structure for answering any question
• Sample answers and mock interview practice
• Strategies to stand out as mature, thoughtful, and self-aware
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Downloads:
Student Sample-Document For Interview Prep
Brainstorming Your Application Strategy
Module 10
Most students write essays as separate pieces, which leads to repetition and a scattered story. This module shows you how to brainstorm strategically, find the themes that define you, and map each story to the right essay. Using a real student example, you’ll see how “brand tags” (2–5 word identity anchors) help shape your Personal Statement and guide every supplement. You’ll also learn how to sort experiences into the right buckets, connect your activities and recommendations, and build an essay ecosystem—a single, clear narrative instead of disconnected essays.
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Key Takeaways:
• A structured brainstorming method that uncovers your strongest stories
• How to define your personal “brand tags”
• A system for assigning stories to SOP vs. supplements for a cohesive narrative
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Downloads:
Why Strategy & Positioning Matter
Student Example Of Positioning & Startegy
Template- Master Brainstorming Exercises
The 4 Elements of a Successful Essay
Module 11
Most students focus only on structure—hooks, transitions, neat conclusions—and end up sounding exactly like everyone else. This module teaches the deeper craft behind unforgettable U.S. personal statements: insight, showing (not telling), core values, and vulnerability. You’ll learn how to move beyond description into meaning, write scenes that let admissions officers experience your world, reveal the values that define who you are, and add the emotional openness that makes your growth believable. Through real examples, you’ll see why these four elements separate ordinary essays from the ones that truly move readers—and why missing even one can flatten your entire story.
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Key Takeaways:
• The four elements every memorable Personal Statement must include
• How to combine insight, vivid storytelling, values, and vulnerability
• Practical examples showing how strong essays reveal identity—not just achievement
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Downloads:
Lesson-Detailed Essay Writing Tutorial 101
How To Create An Essay Outline
Module 12
Most students get stuck on their Personal Statement because they start writing without a plan. This module teaches you a fast, reliable method to turn any idea into a complete essay outline — the same system Tina uses for students admitted to Yale and other top U.S. colleges. You’ll learn the five core elements every strong SOP needs (purpose, passion, anecdotes, core qualities, lessons learned), how to choose the right story, and how to make each paragraph reinforce your identity. Using the real outline of a Yale admit (“Una”), you’ll see exactly how raw memories become a clear, compelling essay structure.
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Key Takeaways:
• A simple 5-part outline structure used by top applicants
• How to choose the right purpose, anecdotes, and core qualities
• A real Yale admit outline you can model for your own SOP
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Downloads:
Student Example-Yale Admit Essay Analysis
How To Use AI for Your Essays
Module 13
AI can make your essay clearer, deeper, and faster to write — but only if you use it correctly. This module walks you through an ethical, practical workflow for using ChatGPT as a coach, not a ghostwriter. You’ll learn how to prepare strong raw materials, identify storylines, choose narrative vs. thematic structures, draft multiple versions, and run “insight” and “values” checks without letting AI rewrite your voice. Using Tina’s exact prompts and step-by-step examples, you’ll see how AI can push your thinking, sharpen your stories, and highlight gaps — while keeping the writing 100% yours and avoiding the generic, detectable style that gets students flagged or rejected.
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Key Takeaways:
• An ethical, safe workflow for using AI without sounding generic
• Prompts for brainstorming, outlining, insight-checking, and refining your voice
• How to use AI as a thinking partner — while keeping your story and words your own
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Downloads:
Checklist- Is My Essay Working
Lesson-Essay Topics Which Don't Work
Lesson-How To Use AI As An Essay Coach-Incuding Prompts
Student Sample-Final Essay For Harward-RLS
Student Sample-Bank Of Personal Statement Essays
Student Sample-Bank Of Supplimental Essays