Mission
We are a boutique admissions consulting company dedicated to helping students maximize their academic potential and pursue their academic dreams. To that end, we help domestic and international students get admitted to top U.S. colleges, business schools and other graduate programs by employing a distinct, proven, and personalized approach. We are not flashy; we get results.
Undergraduate
MBA
JD and LLM
Finance
Public Policy
Risk Management
Education
Engineering
Our Approach
Private, personalized admissions advising from the pros
Highlight Your Hook and Forecast Your Fit
We understand that each student is unique and accordingly we offer customized admissions counseling and advice. The key to our success is ascertaining, developing and then highlighting a student's "hook," which distinguishes the applicant and increases the likelihood of admission. With every application, we also forecast a student's "fit" within a particular school by demonstrating the value an applicant brings to the school and vice versa.
So how do we do "highlight your hook" and "forecast your fit"? It begins with a Discovery Session, which is an in-depth one-on-one interview with you to ascertain your personal qualities, special talents, and unique experiences. This discussion forms the basis for creating engaging, impactful and memorable essays, and strong, crisp professional resumes. During the Discovery Session, we also discuss your academic interests and career goals. The part of the discussion informs which admissions strategies we employ and helps us devise a realistic list of reach, target and safety schools. We close the Discovery Session by discussing which service is right for you. We offer comprehensive Full Service Packages as well as a la carte services such as Essay Advising, Resume Advising, and consultations for Application Strategy and School Selection.
If you choose to enroll in a Full Service Package, you will have the opportunity to participate in a series of follow-on Tracking Sessions which are interactive sessions intended to review progress, discuss work product such as essay drafts, and revisit goals and the path forward. Tracking Sessions enable us to refine your "hook" and "fit" and strengthen your overall application. Tracking Sessions also give us flexibility to adjust our strategy and approach and to incorporate additional information as the application process unfolds.
Services
Activity Advising
Searching for an activity that will help you stand out? Seeking to strengthen your current activities?
- Identify your passion(s)
- Connect that passion to an activity that suits your strengths
- Create new opportunities (e.g., clubs, workshops, campaigns, etc.) where none exist
- Strengthen existing activities by following Role, Recognition, Rigor and Rarity guidelines
- Be interesting! (This is the key to getting admitted to top schools)
Essay Advising
Started your essay but not sure you're on the right track? Or still brainstorming and not sure where to begin?
- Select the right topic
- Highlight your “Hook” to distinguish yourself
- Forecast your fit to demonstrate your value and interest
- Create engaging content to impress Admissions Officers
- Flawlessly written
Resume Advising / Activity Presentation
Having trouble describing your accomplishments clearly and concisely? Or looking for advice to enhance your resume?
- Create a professional resume
- Enhanced descriptions of you activities on your university applications
- Use of action verbs and strong diction
- Organize properly
- Polished and aesthetically-pleasing final product
Cultivating Recommenders
Not sure which teachers should write your letters of recommendation? Need to cultivate a relationship with them?
- Cultivate relationships with teachers, professors and supervisors
- Choose your recommenders strategically
- Coach your recommenders into writing glowing letters of support
- Waive your right to view the letters
Application Strategies and School Selection
Wondering how to increase your chances of acceptance? Wish you knew the inside scoop on your dream school?
- Admissions secrets and inside information
- Score Choice, Super Score, and other test options
- Applying Early Action / Decision
- Finding the right fit based on your academic interests and career goals
- Learn the truth about rankings
- Understand the importance of school location
- Best schools to leverage for transferring
Admissions Advising Team
Rob Annis
Admissions Expert and Founder, The Art of Admissions
Harvard Admissions Interviewer (former)
Harvard University, Bachelor of Arts, with honors
Cornell Law School, Juris Doctorate, with honors
Columbia Business School, coursework
Rob is a seasoned admissions expert who has helped thousands of students turn their academic dreams into reality. His students are successful because he offers customized advice and treats each student holistically. Rob has an uncanny ability in finding that unique quality or talent in each applicant which often makes the difference between acceptance and rejection.
Rob has designed and manages a comprehensive admissions advising program for 400 international students. He regularly conducts webinars and in-person seminars on "Pursuing Your Passion," "Glowing Letters of Recommendation," "Effective Application Essays" and more. Rob loves writing and is a published author. Before founding The Art of Admissions, Rob practiced law with a prestigious global law firm headquartered in New York City. Prior to that, Rob founded a test prep company for domestic university applicants.
Rob is an avid traveler and has lived in Washington, D.C., Cambridge, MA, Greenwich, CT, London and New York City, where he currently resides.
Rob leads an all-star team of trusted and experienced admissions advisers, who graduated from top U.S. and UK universities, many of whom were Admissions Officers and maintain close relationships with their former colleagues. Together, Rob and his team deliver the most effective admissions advice available.
Anne
Princeton University, Bachelor of Arts
INSEAD (France), Master of Business Administration
Anne has more than 20 years of experience as an admissions adviser and as an Admissions Interviewer for Princeton (20+ years) and INSEAD (15+ years). Anne was recently the Princeton Alumni Schools Committee Regional Chair for the past 7 years.Anne specializes in admissions strategies, athlete recruitment and scholarships. As a former varsity swimmer at Princeton, Anne enjoys writing articles for a national collegiate athletic news organization. Before working in education consulting, Anne spent 20 years as an international corporate finance executive. She is bilingual in English and French and speaks Spanish proficiently.
Anne has four daughters and lives in the Los Angeles, California area, where she enjoys photography and running outdoors.
Cristina
Harvard University, Bachelor of Arts
Middlebury College, Master of English
Fordham University, Master of Education
Cristina is an experienced admissions adviser with an expertise in application essays. As an accomplished journalist and writer herself, Cristina guides students on finding and effectively articulating their personal stories in polished, memorable essays. Cristina's writings and articles have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek Japan, Harvardwood Highlights, Words Without Borders, Roads & Kingdoms, and many other publications. Prior to journalism, Cristina was an English teacher in New York City, Barcelona, Spain and at an international school in Boston, Massachusetts.
Cristina founded an eBook company and recently completed an educational novel. She enjoys running, playing squash and tennis, dining out, and visiting art museums.
Chi
Harvard University, Master of Education
London School of Economics, Master of Economics
With 10 years of experience in admissions advising and a master's degree in Education, Chi has seen it all. She counsels international students applying to top-tier universities in the U.S., UK and Europe. Chi’s counseling approach focuses on the whole person to understand each student’s unique academic interests and career goals and to assist them in crafting their personal message. Chi has lived and worked in the UK, United Arab Emirates, China, and Vietnam. Having spent time living, studying, and working in multiple countries outside of the U.S., Chi has a unique perspective on the role of international experiences and studying abroad on a student's personal development. Chi has an unparalleled ability to develop a strong rapport with students which is one key to her success as an admissions adviser. Chi resides in Boston, Massachusetts with her family.
Erik
Yale University, Master of History
The Catholic University of America, Master of Arts
Born in Norway and based in Washington, D.C., Erik has been in the education industry for almost 20 years, including as a test prep instructor and teacher trainer for a nationally-recognized test prep company. Erik has worked with thousands of students and has deep knowledge of the undergraduate and graduate admissions processes. Although he can be demanding, Erik is very personable and and passionate about his work. Erik is also a published author who has written academic history articles and content questions for test prep publications. Erik can read or speak 10 different languages. In his spare time, Erik loves to eat adventurously and travel internationally (he's been to 77 countries!).
Jason
The Catholic University of America, Master in Rhetoric and Composition
Oxford University, History and Literature
Jason has more than 15 years of experience in college advising with an expertise in essay writing. In his parallel career as a writer and editor, he has published 16 books under a pseudonym, one of which reached #1 in the Amazon Free Kindle store for a day and a half. In the last decade, he's completed or contributed to over 70 different pieces of long-form writing--international travel books, opioid crisis nonfiction, aviation terrorism thrillers, toxic workplace memoirs, comedic screenplays, you name it.
Before entering the field of education, Jason worked in the Hollywood feature film industry as a script analyst and in journalism at The Washington Post. He was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to The Catholic University of America, where, in a little over four years, he earned both a B.A. in literature and an M.A. in rhetoric and composition. Jason graduated magna cum laude and was designated a University Scholar for his excellence in the honors program.
Marcelline
Harvard University, Bachelor of Arts with High Honors
Princeton University, Master of Arts and PhD candidate
Marcelline is an internationally recognized scholar and higher education specialist. She has extensive college-level teaching experience and has won numerous academic and literary awards including a Research Grant from the Gunzburg Center for European Studies, a Publication Grant from Columbia University for a scholarly book, a Dean's Scholarly Travel Grant from Princeton University to participate in academic conferences, and a Dean’s Summer Thesis Research Award issued by Harvard University. Marcelline is also a recipient of the John Harvard Scholarship and a Hadar Foundation Scholar.
A native New Yorker, Marcelline is a member of a range of local and national artistic and literary organizations and societies such as the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG)/AFTRA and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Marcelline is fluent in French and is incredibly intelligent, kind and generous.
Pam
Harvard University, Bachelor of Science
Georgetown University, Master in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology
Stanford University, PhD in Neuroscience
Pam has more than a decade of experience in admissions consulting both as an independent consultant and as a member of the Stanford University Admissions Committee. Given her diverse academic expertise and interests, Pam works with students pursuing a range of academic fields from STEM (Computer Science, Machine Learning and Neuroscience) to the Humanities (History, Literature, Sociology and Anthropology). Prior to working as an admissions consultant, Pam was the Assistant Director of the Stanford Program in Clinical Psychology where she was also a member of the faculty teaching courses on Cognitive Behavior and Bioscience. Pam was also an instructor for Stanford Pre-College Studies courses designed for high-achieving high school students. Pam has supervised several dozen student research projects which have won Science awards and research papers which have been published in academic journals. Pam resides in the Bay Area, California.
Mark
Purdue University, Bachelor of Arts
Purdue University, Master of Science in Sociology, Psychology and Child Development
University of Hawaii, PhD candidate in International Education
Mark has dedicated his career to education, specifically international education, with 15 years of experience as a teaching assistant and resident advisor. He lived in China for 9 years, where he helped international Chinese students navigate the U.S. university application process and prepare to study abroad. Mark’s interest in education and mentorship began at Purdue where he was a Resident Advisor and led the New Student Orientation and Student Advising Programs. More recently, Mark was the Executive Director of a student development program in China.
Students rave about Mark's upbeat, positive and easy going nature. He loves to stay informed and active by enjoys reading books, swimming, and surfing on the beautiful coast of Hawaii where he is pursuing his PhD in International Education.
Soliana
Harvard University, Bachelor of Arts
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Master of Fine Arts, New Artist Award
Soliana is an accomplished artist and experienced admissions consultant. She works primarily with students interested in the Arts, Design, Film, and Architecture. Soliana has advanced degrees and certificates in Film, Photography and the Performing Arts. Given Soliana’s experience and formal training as an artist, Soliana also advises students on their art or architecture portfolios. Soliana has been invited to perform throughout the world in London, Paris, New York City, and Los Angeles. She has been commissioned to design art and film projects for New York Fashion Week and at the Simon House in Los Angeles. Soliana’s art work has been exhibited at galleries in London and New York City. Soliana was selected to serve as an artist-in-residence in Ibiza, Spain and Los Angeles, where she currently resides.
Zoe
University of California-Santa Barbara, Bachelor of Science
Cornell University, Master of Science
Zoe studied Chemical Engineering, Food Science, and Materials Science & Engineering which led to a career in food packaging R&D at a top food company. She then pivoted to Education working as an Educational Consultant and Manager. For the past 15 years Zoe has served Cornell University as an Admissions Ambassador, advising applicants and prospective students. She has extensive experience in academic research as well as technical writing, editing, and proofreading.
Zoe resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her family, where she supports the Minneapolis Institute of Art and mentors collegiate women. Zoe is also certified as an official by USA Swimming. She participates in two monthly book clubs, and enjoys genealogy, paleo cooking and yoga.
John
Stanford University, PhD in Sustainable Design, Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Southern California, MS in Architecture
Harvard University, BS in Engineering Sciences
Aline
Harvard University, MS in International Education Policy
Harvard Business School, Public Entrepreneurship
University of California-Los Angeles, Bachelor or Arts
Sulaiman
New York University, MS in Education and Human Development
Amherst College, BA in Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought
Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, Director of Academic Programs
Rija
Cornell University, BS
Quyen
Harvard University, Master of Education, International Education Policy
Iowa University, BS
Kayla
University of Pennsylvania, Master of Social Work
Cornell University, BA in English Language and Literature
Recent Work
Abroad and Virtually
Supervised Independent Research Program
A valuable educational experience for smart, motivated and academically curious high school students
- Explore an academic field or deepen understanding of a particular topic
- Learn valuable research skills
- Demonstrate genuine interest and academic curiosity
- Stand out in college applications by pursuing a meaningful project
- Earn recognition through publication or presentation of your work
- Build confidence in your ability to learn independently and outside the classroom
- Write about your research experience for your college application essay(s)
Structure
- Duration: 8 - 12 weeks
- Sessions: 10 private 1-to-1 virtual sessions with your Adviser (approx. 45 minutes each)
- Schedule: Sessions may be scheduled regularly (i.e., weekly) or as needed
- Topic Selection: Choose a pre-approved topic or develop an original one with your Adviser
- Evaluation: Receive an evaluation from your Adviser
Final Capstone Project
- Publication in an academic journal
- Entrance into a science fair or other competition
- Application for an official patent
- Exhibition in a museum, gallery or other venue
- Presentation as a podcast or seminar
- Funding for further research or practical application
Advisers
Our Advisers are professors and former professors with advanced degrees from top universities,
extensive experience supervising academic research projects and are leading experts in their
respective fields. Adviser biographies including prior student projects are available upon request.
Results
100%
of our students were accepted to one of their top 5 choices
80+%
of our students were accepted to their top school
Testimonials
"The admissions process was really overwhelming. Rob created a clear plan for me from start to finish. He broke down large assignments into smaller ones that were more manageable, and gave me insights on each school I applied to, including tips to increase my chances. I couldn't have done it without your help!"
- Student at Columbia University
"The essay was the most challenging part for me. When I look back at the essay I wrote before I met Rob and the one I submitted to universities after we spent time (weeks, actually) digging much deeper to find that perfect topic ... that's what made the difference."
- Student at Stanford University
"I had no idea how to write a college essay for an American school, and I had no idea what to write about. Rob tapped into unique experiences I had that made me stand out from the crowd. It worked!"
- Student at Georgetown University
"Cornell accepted my application! Honestly, a lot of my success right now started with you. I've become a much more sophisticated writer after working together and I'm more confident in my ability to excel. This wouldn't have been possible without your help."
- Student at Cornell University
- Schedule Your Initial Consultationor Sign Up for the Next Webinar160 West 24th St., Suite 15O
New York, NY 10011