The Envelope
The Envelope
12 years ago two boys grew up in the same hometown in the suburbs of southern California. They both lived extremely similar lives. Both went to the same elementary, middle, and high schools. Both took the same AP classes, had the same extracurricular activities, and had similar GPAs that placed them at the top of their class. Both even had the same chores such as picking up the mail from the mailbox after school.
Even their goals were the same. Both dreamed of attending UC Berkeley, the #1 public university in the United States at the time (and still currently at the time of this writing), in order to obtain an elite education at an affordable in-state cost.
When senior year began, the two students began working on their college applications at the same time. Both rushed to submit them just before the deadline struck.
With their applications completed, the boys spent the following months enjoying their last year of high school stress-free.
That is, until the end of March rolled around.
On March 30th, both boys went home after school and went straight to the mailbox like any other day.
But, this wasn’t any other day.
Both reached into their mailboxes, and both pulled out an envelope. Each of them had UC Berkeley written on the front, but there was one major difference between the two.
One envelope was thick, while the other was thin.
Later that fall, only one of them would be seen walking on the campus of UC Berkeley.
Only one of them had realized his dreams.
With almost every aspect of their academic and extracurricular profile being equal, what happened? What made the difference? What tipped the scales in favor of one over the other?
How to get the thick envelope
High school is a marathon. It’s four years of hard work. Unfortunately, when it comes to applying to highly selective colleges, just simply having the best grades or the most unique extracurricular activities doesn’t separate one applicant from another.
Because you see, it’s not always about the things you’ve done, but about how you talk about them.
When applying to college, this is achieved through the essays: the personal statement, activity list, and supplemental essays.
The essays are where you get the chance to speak for yourself. It’s the biggest opportunity for colleges to see who you are as a person, what you value, and what your vision for your future is.
But sadly, most students mess them up because they don’t approach them correctly.
Writing college application essays is not the same as writing essays for school. It’s an entirely different set of communication and persuasion skills, skills that even take adults decades to learn, so what should we realistically expect from our teenagers?
Tipping the scale
In the beginning, each of the two boys worked diligently. Each scoured the internet for any advice they could find, asked their counselor and family for help, and spent hours writing draft after draft.
The “thin envelope” student, believing he had done everything he could, finally submitted his application.
The “thick envelope” student was headed down the same path, but there was one key moment that changed the outcome. His parents made a decision that the other boy’s parents hadn’t even considered.
They hired an educational consulting company to help guide their son through the process. People who were expert writers and deeply knowledgeable about the college application process.
From that point on, the student learned how to brainstorm compelling ideas, utilize professional writing techniques, and had a team help steer him in the right direction every step of the way. With dedicated support, the “thick envelope” student crafted a strong narrative that’d make any college feel stupid for saying “no”.
This is the move that tipped the scales in favor of the “thick envelope” student.
You already know how the story ends.
If you believe that such knowledge, expertise, and personalized support is worth the investment — if you want to be pulling a “thick envelope” out of the mailbox instead of a “thin” — schedule a call or send us a message below to get started.
Pull the thick envelope
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