Welcome To Master the USA Admissions Game
Module 1
This opening module sets the foundation for mastering the U.S. college admissions system and understanding what truly drives acceptance decisions at top universities like Harvard, UPenn, and other Ivy League schools. You’ll learn why strategy—not essays or test scores alone—determines outcomes, and how starting early (Grades 6–12) gives students a real advantage in building a memorable application. We’ll break down how your application must be positioned long before writing essays. By the end, you’ll understand the roadmap for becoming a distinctive and competitive candidate in the U.S. college admissions process.
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Key Takeaways:
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What this course is designed to accomplish
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Why strategy is more important than essays or scores
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The importance of becoming memorable rather than perfect
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Downloads:
How To Get Into Harvard
Module 2
In this module, you’ll learn the real evaluation system used by top U.S. colleges, including Harvard’s scoring framework revealed during the Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard Supreme Court case. The lawsuit exposed how 160,000 real applications were ranked across Academics, Extracurriculars, Personal Qualities, and Athletics—each scored from 1 to 6, with 1 representing a truly exceptional applicant. You’ll understand why most students sit in the middle range, how rare a “1” score actually is, and why colleges prioritize specialists over generalists when selecting candidates from highly competitive pools. This module reframes what it actually takes to stand out and what “excellence” looks like in Ivy League admissions.
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Key Takeaways:
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The scoring model and what each category actually measures
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How real applicants earned top rankings and what patterns determine who stands out
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A new lens to evaluate your own application honestly and strategically
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The Truth About Admissions
Module 3
In this module, we pull back the curtain on how U.S. college admissions decisions are actually made and what holistic review really means at top universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. You’ll learn why there is no single formula to getting accepted and why schools build classes based on diversity of excellence. We break down how academic performance functions only as the initial filter, and why extracurriculars, leadership, recommendations, essays, and personality ultimately determine who advances beyond the first cut. The goal is to reset expectations and focus on what you can control to stand out in the process.
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Key Takeaways:
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Why academics are only the first filter before the real evaluation begins
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How holistic review actually works inside admissions committees and decision rooms
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Why most student become indistinguishable
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Downloads:
Nail Your Academics
Module 4
In this module, we break down exactly how much your academics actually contribute to your U.S. college application and why strong grades and standardized scores are the first and most critical filter in the admissions process. You’ll learn why academics function as a binary threshold—either you meet the bar or you don’t, and how SAT/ACT percentiles reveal where you truly stand relative to the schools you want to apply to. This module also clarifies when AP/IB choices matter, how honors and awards signal academic excellence, and what benchmarks top schools expect to see so that you can stay competitive before focusing on anything else
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Key Takeaways:
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How course rigor, testing decisions, and subject progression shape your competitiveness
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Why extracurricular excellence cannot override weak academic performance at selective schools
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Nail Your Extracurriculars
Module 5
In this module, we go deep into how admissions officers actually judge your extracurricular activities. You’ll learn a simple 5-part framework to evaluate every activity in your profile, from sports and internships to research, summer programs, and passion projects. We’ll walk through Tier 1–4 examples from real students admitted to top 20 U.S. colleges so you can see the difference between “everyone does this” and “this changes my application.” By the end, you’ll know exactly which activities to keep, upgrade, or drop—and where to focus your time to stand out in U.S. college admissions.
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Key Takeaways:
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How to evaluate every activity using a framework
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Why tiered activities and theme-based profiles stand out at top U.S. colleges
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How to design consecutive growth in your extracurriculars so your story gets stronger
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What No Tells Me About Your ECs
Module 6
In this module, we talk honestly about why most students’ extracurriculars are boring on paper. You’ll learn the difference between being “well-rounded” and having a clear spike that makes you memorable at Ivy League and other top U.S. universities. We’ll walk through six winning strategies and contrast them with nine common losing patterns. You’ll also see how to turn hobbies into serious profile assets, avoid over-investing in the wrong things, and plan extracurriculars that actually move your U.S. college application forward.
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Key Takeaways:
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Why “boring” extracurriculars make you forgettable
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Six winning strategies to build a focused, high-impact profile
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The biggest losing patterns when building an extracurricular profile
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Nail Your Honors & Awards
Module 7
In this module, we uncover one of the most overlooked but powerful levers in U.S. college admissions—Honors & Awards. While most students obsess about GPAs, SAT/ACT scores, and extracurriculars, it is actually competitive recognition that quietly separates the top 1% from the top 10%. At Ivy League and Top 20 schools, proof matters, and awards provide objective, verifiable evidence of performance, impact, and excellence. You’ll learn how to strategically choose competitions, plan timelines, connect awards to your academic narrative, and leverage recognition to strengthen your profile.
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Key Takeaways:
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Why national and international awards are powerful admissions proof when GPAs and SAT scores aren’t enough
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How to evaluate awards using a clear framework
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Why you must start early, plan timelines, and apply widely to secure recognition that strengthens your spike and differentiates you at Top 20 U.S. colleges
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Downloads:
The Bare Minimum
Module 8
This module breaks down what the realistic bare minimum looks like if you want to apply confidently to U.S. colleges in the Top 50, especially if you’re not aiming for Ivy League or Top 20 acceptance levels. We clarify what academic benchmarks create a safe range (IB 35+, 85% CBSE, A/B averages in IGCSE, SAT ~1300+), and what extracurricular structure is still required—because even the bare minimum demands meaningful effort and planning. We also walk through real student examples showing how average academics with thoughtful ECs lead to strong results.
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Key Takeaways:
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The bare minimum still requires strong academics and strategic extracurricular work
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A well-rounded EC profile needs community service, academic interest proof, leadership, and one award
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Understanding your academic level helps determine whether you need a spike or can rely on balanced, moderate-impact activities
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Admissions is a Person
Module 9
This module reveals a truth most students never think about: colleges don’t accept applications — people do. Behind every admissions decision is a real human being. Your job is not just to present perfect grades or a long list of activities — it is to make the admissions committee care, connect emotionally, and remember you when she enters the committee room to advocate for your admission.
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Key Takeaways:
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Admissions officers are real people — your application must make them care
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Most students look identical academically, so being memorable and authentic is the deciding factor
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Your Branding Strategy A.K.A. Memorability
Module 10
This module explains how elite college admissions is ultimately a marketing and positioning exercise. Once you pass the academic filter, your success depends on whether your application leaves a memorable impression — a clear personal brand that communicates who you are, what you care about, and why you matter to the school. The goal is to craft a tight storyline so that the reader walks away thinking, “I know exactly who this student is — and we need them in our class.”
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Key Takeaways:
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Memorability matters more than perfection
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Your application needs a clear personal brand
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Every component (ECs, essays, LORs, courses, qualities) must reinforce one tight storyline
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Downloads:
Create a Cohesive Storyline – Memorability
What Do I Do?
Module 11
This module walks you through what to actually do next based on the kind of student you are right now. It breaks students into four broad categories: (1) grades are too low and academics must be the only focus; (2) no major and no real plan; (3) has a major and plenty of activities but needs direction, where you re-tier your extracurriculars, cut low-value time (like endless tuition or disliked sports), and build a 3–6 month plan around higher-impact ECs; and (4) already in 12th grade, where the priority shifts from adding achievements to presenting them
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Key Takeaways:
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Diagnose which type of student you are (low grades, no plan, needs direction, or in 12th) so you know whether to prioritize academics, exploration, EC restructuring, or presentation.
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Use structured tools — time audits, 3-month plans, activity tiers, and monthly reviews — to cut low-value commitments and reallocate hours to higher-impact academics and extracurriculars.
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Downloads:
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
