The College Admissions Guide
98% of Arete students are admitted to one of their top three colleges and many receive merit scholarships. Arete families spend $10,000+ for expert college guidance. The Classroom Door (TCD) has partnered with the world’s leading college counseling firm, Arete Educational Consulting*, to help you get into your dream school.
“The College Guide was my secret weapon. I especially loved the “Ace the Personal Statement” lesson. I just got into Georgetown and couldn’t have done it without The Classroom Door!”
Jessica B.
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Learn From the World's Leading College Counseling Team
Exclusively for TCD, Arete reveals invaluable secrets on how to gain admission to your dream school.
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01
Build Your College List
- Welcome to Lesson 1: How To Build Your College List. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Understand what qualities you want in a school (programs, size, cost, location, etc.)
- • Create your college list
- • Know how to prepare for admissions requirements
- • Create a college tour schedule
02
The Applications
- Welcome to Lesson 2: College Applications. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Understand the two most common application platforms (Common and Coalition Apps)
- • Understand and know when to use specialized and niche platforms
03
Activities
- Welcome to Lesson 3: Extracurricular Activities. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Know how to create a strong roster of well-rounded extracurricular activities (e.g. music, sports, community service)
- • Have access to over 100 summer activity resources
04
Standardized Tests
- Welcome to Lesson 4: Standardized Tests. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Know which college admissions test(s) are right and/or necessary for you
- • Create a schedule for how to prep for and take standardized tests
- • Track tests you’ve taken, your scores, and future testing dates
98% of Arete students are admitted to one of their top three colleges and many receive merit scholarships. Arete families spend $10,000+ for expert college guidance. The Classroom Door (TCD) has partnered with the world’s leading college counseling firm, Arete Educational Consulting*, to help you get into your dream school.
05
The College Essay - Ace The Personal Statement
- Welcome to Lesson 5: Ace the Personal Statement. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Have a fully developed brainstorm for topics for your personal essay (and supplements, if applicable)
- • Plan a schedule for writing your essay(s)
- • Understand what makes a top notch essay through reading examples
- • Be able to avoid common essay-writing pitfalls
06
Ace the Supplemental College Essays
- Welcome to Lesson 6: Supplemental College Essays. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Understand the most common supplemental essay questions and themes
- • Apply your brainstorms from Lesson 5: The Personal Essay to your supplements
07
Decision Plans
- Welcome to Lesson 7: Decision Plans. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Understand all decision types (Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling Admissions, et al)
- • Know where to find your schools’ policies and timelines (each school sets its own deadlines)
- • Know how to use decision plans to your advantage in your application process
08
Financial Aid
- Welcome to Lesson 8: Financial Aid. At the end of this lesson, you will:
- • Understand different aid options (federal loans, grants, work study, et al.)
- • Understand what financial aid forms you need and how to use them
- • Know how financial aid affects your applications at need-blind and need-aware schools
