The process
How It Works
Four stages with one accountable advisor, planned around the school year the student is actually in.
- 1
Weeks 1–2
Assessment
A 90-minute session with the student and parents, a review of the record so far, and a written roadmap that names realistic target tiers and the gaps to close.
- 2
Weeks 3–6
Plan
Shortlist across tiers and regions, subject and admissions-test choices, and — for younger students — the enrichment, research or leadership work that reflects genuine interests.
- 3
The final school year
Applications
Essays and personal statement drafted by the student and challenged by us; references coordinated; every UCAS, Common App and direct-application deadline tracked.
- 4
Autumn to spring
Interviews & decisions
Recorded interview practice, then support through offers and conditions, and a hand-over on visas and enrolment.
Year by year
The timeline from Year 10 to enrolment
Deadlines are general patterns for the UK and US systems; each university publishes its own, and those govern.
| School year | What happens | Our role |
|---|---|---|
| Year 10 (Grade 9) | Subject choices, first look at target regions | Diagnostic; annual profile plan |
| Year 11 (Grade 10) | Enrichment, reading, early admissions-test awareness | Profile review each term |
| Year 12 (Grade 11) | Shortlist; SAT/ACT or UK admissions tests; summer programmes | Strategy engagement begins |
| Year 13 autumn (Grade 12) | Oxbridge/medicine mid-October; US early rounds early November | Essays, statement, references, interviews |
| Year 13 winter–spring | US regular round early January; UK main deadline late January | Remaining applications; offers |
| Summer after Year 13 | Results, conditions met, visas, enrolment | Hand-over and visa briefing |
Who does what
The student's work and ours
Universities expect the application to be the applicant's own. The division below is how we keep it that way.
| The student | Citizenship & Co. Study |
|---|---|
| Chooses the universities and the course | Builds the balanced shortlist and challenges the choice |
| Writes every essay and the personal statement | Plans, questions, edits — never writes |
| Sits the tests and attends the interviews | Plans test dates; runs recorded practice interviews |
| Asks teachers for references | Briefs on what a strong reference covers |
| Submits each application | Tracks every deadline and checks each submission |
In brief
An engagement runs assessment, plan, applications, and interviews in that order. Starting in Year 10 leaves two years to build a genuine profile; starting in Year 12 focuses the work on the application itself. The student writes and submits everything; we plan, challenge, edit and track the deadlines.
Not sure which stage you are at?
The assessment answers that in one conversation, and tells you honestly whether further support is worth paying for.