Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Summer 2009
Winning Applications Newsletter
The Best SAT Prep!
 
The best SAT prep may not be the best.
At this point Stanley Kaplan, Princeton Review or private SAT/ACT tutors have, for many, become foregone conclusions in the college application process.  They simply make sense,  as students can improve their scores if they prepare for the SAT.  Unfortunately, in these days of highly competitive admissions, perfect (or near perfect) standardized test scores are simply not enough.  Winning Applications is now offering a prep course for the most important part of the application process: the essays.
 
  • DRAG on and on:  While the SAT/ACT prep is finite, the rest of the application has the potential to drag on and on, inching closer to the ED/EA or RD deadlines.  Not only does that ratchet up the student's and parent's stress levels, but it can also adversely impact that applicant's chances of being admitted.

  • Better chance of getting in: Applicants have a better chance of being admitted when their application is evaluated earlier in the admissions cycle.  Just think about it...after an admissions professional has reviewed the skills of thousands of applicants, it becomes more and more difficult to show him/her something that is new and unique. If the essays, mock interview, resume, recommendation requests, and requisite thank-you notes are done early, the applicant has a better chance of being admitted.
  • Earn scholarship money:  The more competitive your child's application the better the chance colleges will woo your child with scholarship money.  The upside to taking a college essay prep course is the cost. It is less expensive than working privately with an admissions counselor, but it may pay dividends when students are considered for scholarships.
 
All in all, giving your child the best chance of being admitted in this highly competitive environment goes beyond SAT/ACT prep.  An essay prep course is designed to give him/her the best advantage and a Winning Application.
Admissions Q & A:  Activities 

 Q: My daughter is simply unmotivated. I hate to admit that I think she is not getting into college.  What can I do to get her going...literally?!

 
A: One of the best things parents can do for their prospective college student is to visit local schools.  It helps motivated and unmotivated students envision the next step.  As your daughter begins to develop preferences for certain schools over others, she will inevitably ask herself the question, "What do I need to do/change to get into school A or avoid school B?"       
 
 

Winning Applications in the News

 
Text of  "Winning Applications branches out"
 
REDDING -- Stephanie Klein Wassink has taken her experience on the admissions committee at Northwestern University's Kellogg School and developed a consulting firm of her own. Called Winning Applications, the service helps students prepare applications and essays that give them the edge in getting into top schools.
Now Wassink, a mother of four, is branching out and franchising the business model. By July she will be in full swing, starting a college consulting panel of franchisees with college savvy and writing skills.
"Colleges are looking for kids who stand out," said Wassink, a Brown University graduate, herself. "What I've done is identify aspects that not only help them standout but help them move more easily through the application process."
Wassink has helped high school juniors and seniors with the college application process for five years. The existence of her business spread quickly by word of mouth.
"Parents are very proud of their children and the colleges they go to," Wassink said. "So as my customers get into their colleges of choice, parents recommend me to their friends."
Gus Hampilos, of Ridgefield, has used Wassink's service for both of his daughters -- Katherine, now at Oberlin College, and Elise, now a senior at Wooster School who will be attending Gettysburg College in the fall.
"Katherine was considering transferring to Oberlin and needed help," Hampilos said. "Stephanie was so exceptional in the help she provided Katherine, we turned to her again when Elise was applying for college."
Hampilos found Wassink's strength being that she guides the kids through the college application process. The kids make all the decisions and are "in charge." But Wassink reminds them when each step in the application process has to be done. When they write their essays, she has proof-readers go over them and then reads them herself, making suggestions on improvements. Then it is up to the kids to make the changes or not.
Richard Flamberg, an adult and adolescent psychologist in New York State, used Wassink's service for his daughter, Jenna. Now attending Emerson College in Boston as a music major, Jenna was excited by the thought of attending college but was at first "overwhelmed" by the admission's process.
"Stephanie put us at ease," Flamberg said. "We were really impressed. As parents, we were not happy with how Jenna's high school initially led us into the application process for college in her junior year. She had a good counselor, but it wasn't sufficient. We were left in a quandary. It was very stressful."
Hampilos and Flamberg's kudos are just two of numerous positive endorsements of Wassink's service. Winning Applications was experiencing such strong market demand that Wassink decided to expand and franchise.
Would-be franchisees should have strong writing, marketing, organizational and people skills, Wassink said.
She worked with an outside consultant to develop a detailed training program. She also has specialists who will coach franchisees on topics relate to college admissions.
"There is a huge pipeline of kids who want help with a college application process that has changed dramatically since their parents applied," she said. "I am structuring the franchise as an admissions committee so I will always be in the background providing support." 
 
 
 
For further information on Winning Applications, visit winningapplications.net or call 203-938-3878.
Contact Susan Tuz at stuz@newstimes.com or 731-3352
 
 
Giving: Winning Applications Sponsors Ridgefield Athletic Club
Over the years Winning Applications has donated time and monies to both individuals who needed help with the admissions process and a variety of worthy causes.  The list of charities includes: A Better Chance, Ridgefield Guild of Artists, PowerPlay NYC, and as of January 2009 Ridgefield Aquatic Club (RAC).  RAC is a competitive swim program that teaches members valuable life skills. We are delighted to have been a RAC Swim-A-Thon sponsor and will continue to donate to excellent causes throughout the tri-state area.   
About Winning Applications
Welcome to Winning Applications!  We offer expert guidance in the college and graduate school application process.  Our franchisees help students get into preferred schools in the United States and abroad.  Through thoughtful and individualized effort, we enable students to develop successful applications that showcase each student's special talents and best attributes.
 
The Winning Applications team provides counseling and advice through all stages of the application process, from discussing your child's high school courses and activities to college selection, essay preparation and interview training. We help students (and their parents) navigate the admissions process with confidence and ease.
 
 
 
** Please note:  individual printer settings may impact your ability to print this newsletter.

Winning Highlights:

The Best SAT Prep  p.1

Admissions Q&A p.2

Winning Applications in the News p.2 

Giving p.3

About Winning Applications p.4

Session Dates and Rates
 
Session 1
July 27-29
10am to 3pm
Ridgefield Library
 
Session 2 
August 26-28
9am to 2pm
Westport Library
 
Session 3
September 12-13
1pm to 5pm
Wilton Library
 
Each session is $495. 
 
Space is limited to four students per session.
 
Registration will be filled on a first come-first serve basis.
 
 

To register call 203-938-3878 
 
Have three friends? We can set-up a class around your schedule.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Winning Applications is now offering a prep course for the most important part of the application process: the essays."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quick Links:
 
 
 
 
 
Winning
Applications
 
54 Danbury Road,
#223
Ridgefield, CT
06877
 
Phone:
203-938-3878
 
Fax:
203-938-4755
 
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Click Here!!!