Question 1

What does Momentum College Prep do?

Accepted Answer

Momentum College Prep is a college admissions consulting firm that provides personalized, one-on-one guidance to high school students and families applying to U.S. and international universities. We help students build a balanced college list, develop their academic and extracurricular profile, and craft strong, authentic essays and applications, from early planning through final submission.

Question 2

Who does Momentum College Prep work with?

Accepted Answer

We work with students across all grade levels, both in the U.S. and internationally, starting as early as the end of 8th grade through 12th grade. We also offer support for undergraduates planning ahead for graduate school applications.

Question 3

Where does Momentum College Prep work with students?

Accepted Answer

Momentum works with students and families remotely, wherever they are. Our advisors are spread across a plethora of time zones, so scheduling around your family's time zone is never a worry. This lets us work with domestic U.S. applicants and international students alike, without being limited by geography.

Question 4

How is Momentum College Prep different from other college admissions consultants?

Accepted Answer

Momentum is built around two things most consultancies don't do. First, every application is reviewed by more than one person, including our founder, before anything is submitted. That mirrors how admissions committees actually work: at most competitive schools, more than one reader evaluates every application, so we built our process the same way. Second, every student works with a near-peer advisor, a recent graduate of schools like Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Brown, Duke, Dartmouth, and UCLA, who understands the process firsthand. That closeness to the experience makes it easier for students to open up, which shows in stronger, more authentic essays.

Question 5

When should my child start working with a college admissions consultant?

Accepted Answer

As early as possible. The more time your student has, the more we can help shape their course selections, extracurricular choices, and overall profile before it's time to apply, rather than just packaging what already exists. That said, it's never too late to start, whenever you're ready is the right time to begin.

Question 6

Is it too late to hire a college admissions consultant in senior year?

Accepted Answer

No. We regularly work with seniors and have had strong outcomes doing so. The main difference at that stage is that we can no longer help shape a student's academic or extracurricular profile, since that's already set. What we can still do is help position that profile as strongly and authentically as possible in the applications and essays.

Question 7

Does Momentum College Prep work with 9th and 10th graders?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's actually one of the best times to start. Working with a student in 9th or 10th grade lets us really understand their goals early and plan course selection, activities, and timeline thoughtfully, so there's no last-minute scramble senior year.

Question 8

Does Momentum College Prep only work with students targeting Ivy League or highly selective schools?

Accepted Answer

No. While we have deep experience with Ivy League and other highly selective admissions, our approach works for any school a student is targeting. A strong, authentic application is a strong application everywhere, so we support students applying across the full range of selectivity, not just the most competitive schools.

Question 9

Does Momentum College Prep help build a college list?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We get to know each student's goals, personality, and preferences, then build a balanced list that mixes reach, target, and likely schools based on their academic profile. Beyond selectivity, we also factor in fit, academic environment, campus culture, and personal preferences, so the list reflects where a student will actually thrive, not just where they might get in.

Question 10

Does Momentum College Prep help with college essays?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We act as your student's thinking partner throughout the essay process, helping them understand their own story, brainstorm ideas, and structure their writing. We do not write essays for students. The writing itself is done by the student, but they get extensive feedback through comments, calls, and coaching at every stage, along with help polishing the final details.

Question 11

Does Momentum College Prep help with the Common Application?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we help with every part of the application, including the Common Application. That covers the informational and family sections as well as the extracurricular activities section, which we treat as one of the most important parts of the application to get right.

Question 12

Does Momentum College Prep offer research mentorship?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We run an annual summer program where students design and complete an original independent research project in a group setting, and we also offer one-on-one research mentorship. The program is led by Dr. Joy Li, a published researcher with a PhD from Duke University.

Question 13

Does Momentum College Prep help with extracurricular activities?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is actually one of our core strengths. We start with a full audit of your student's goals, interests, and the opportunities available to them, then help identify and develop the extracurricular activities that will genuinely strengthen their profile well before they apply. At highly competitive schools, nearly every applicant already has strong grades and a rigorous course load, so extracurriculars and essays are often what actually sets a student apart, and we help build that well in advance.

Question 14

Does Momentum College Prep help with college interview prep?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While interviews aren't a major factor in undergraduate admissions decisions at most U.S. universities, we still help students prepare through mock interviews so they feel confident and comfortable. This isn't limited to college admissions interviews either, we also help students prepare for interviews for internships and other opportunities.

Question 15

Does Momentum College Prep help with applications to UK universities like Oxford and Cambridge?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While our core expertise centers on U.S. college admissions, we also work with students applying to top UK universities, and our clients have been admitted to schools including Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics. If your student is applying to both U.S. and UK universities, we can help you navigate both processes.

Question 16

Does Momentum College Prep work with international students?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We work with both domestic and international students. In fact, our founder was an international student himself, which shapes how we understand and support students navigating the U.S. admissions process from abroad.

Question 17

Does Momentum College Prep work with students in the Middle East?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We regularly work with students and families in the Middle East applying to U.S. and international universities, and our fully remote model means location is never a barrier to working together.

Question 18

Who will work with my child at Momentum College Prep?

Accepted Answer

Your student will have one primary advisor as their main point of contact, the person they'll meet with most often. Beyond that, every application is reviewed by our founder before anything is submitted, and the founder will meet directly with the student as work progresses. We also make it easy to connect your student with other advisors on our team, for example, if a target school is Harvard, we're happy to set up a few sessions with one of our Harvard-graduate advisors so your student can hear directly from someone who went through that specific experience.

Question 19

How involved are parents in Momentum College Prep's process?

Accepted Answer

The primary relationship is between us and your student, since that helps them build ownership over their own process. That said, we know it matters to you as a parent to know your child is being taken care of, so we keep you updated as frequently as you'd like, and you're always welcome to reach out with questions along the way.

Question 20

How often will my child meet with their advisor at Momentum College Prep?

Accepted Answer

Meeting frequency depends on where your student is in the process. When you first onboard, we typically meet weekly or every other week to get to know each other and build an initial plan. In 9th and 10th grade, once that plan is set, we usually check in every 4-6 weeks. Things pick up in 11th grade, especially second semester when we start building the college list, we typically move to about once a month or more as needed. From the summer before senior year through the first semester of senior year, when application work is heaviest, we recommend meeting twice a week, though this is flexible and adjusts to your schedule and package. After applications are submitted, there's often a short break, then we check in weekly for a few weeks to help with anything from letters of continued interest to choosing between offers. Throughout, we're flexible, and additional sessions are always available if you need them.

Question 21

What happens during Momentum College Prep's free consultation?

Accepted Answer

We'll start by understanding how much you and your student already know about how admissions works today, since the process changes over time, then walk you through our perspective and how Momentum approaches it. From there, we'll get to know your student's goals and current profile, talk through what we think could be strengthened, and, if it's a good fit, walk you through the options for working together.

Question 22

What universities have Momentum College Prep students been admitted to?

Accepted Answer

Momentum students have been admitted to hundreds of schools over the years, including Harvard, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, and many others across the full range of selectivity.

Question 23

Does Momentum College Prep guarantee admission?

Accepted Answer

No. No reputable college admissions consultant can guarantee admission to any university, admissions decisions are made independently by each institution. Our role is to help your student build the strongest, most authentic application possible.

About Momentum

About Momentum

How we think about admissions

How we think about admissions

How we think about admissions

Judgement over checklists

Judgement over checklists

Clear guidance, at every step

Clear guidance, at every step

Clear guidance, at every step

Thoughtful guidance for today’s admissions landscape

Thoughtful guidance for today’s admissions landscape

The Momentum Network

The Momentum Network

How we evaluate applications — before colleges do

How we evaluate applications — before colleges do

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