Overview: CollegeAdvisor.com Client Success Stories
CollegeAdvisor has helped thousands of students turn their college dreams into reality, but the journey to get there isn’t always easy. Each student has had to forge their own path, and we think these amazing students deserve to have their hard work celebrated.
In our Client Success Stories, we interview students who are set to attend top universities around the country. We ask them what was most difficult — and rewarding — about their college application process and what it was like to work one-on-one with one of our expert advisors. Through these interviews, we hope to provide some firsthand insight into what it takes to successfully apply to college.
The truth is, behind every admissions decision are months or even years of preparation and hard work. Of course, admissions results are an important part of the journey. But these interviews also highlight the amount of time, reflection, and effort that goes into the process long before decisions are released.
In this edition of our Client Success Stories, we interviewed Vivi Zeng. Vivi is a New Jersey native who plans to attend a top liberal arts college this fall. Let’s learn more about her!
Meet Vivi
Like many successful college applicants, Vivi had a varied list of extracurriculars. She was involved in her school’s newspaper and participated in both Key Club and the Technology Student Association. Her activities and hobbies struck a balance between creative interests, service, and STEM-focused activities.
Vivi also stayed busy outside of school. “I was part of Holmdel [High School]’s first aid squad as a cadet,” Vivi said, “and I joined a nonprofit that provides music therapy for seniors at local senior centers.” During the summer, she interned at her dentist’s office, giving her early exposure to a professional healthcare environment and a possible future career.
With so many different commitments, Vivi had already built a strong resume by the time she began applying to college. On paper, she seemed like a student who had everything figured out. Still, even highly involved students can feel overwhelmed by the admissions process, and Vivi had plenty of questions about navigating it.
How did Vivi feel going into the college admissions process?
“I honestly didn’t know where to start,” Vivi told us. “It’s so long and tedious, and honestly really overwhelming. I just didn’t understand a lot of the process.” Like many students beginning their college search, Vivi felt intimidated by how many moving pieces there were to keep track of.
Choosing where to apply can be one of the hardest parts of the college admissions process, even before applications begin. When asked about her college goals, Vivi had this to say: “I had a little idea of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, but I wasn’t 100% sure. I was just a sophomore at that point, so I wasn’t very set in stone about anything.” At the time, she was still exploring what she wanted from both her academic experience and her future career path.
Rather than waiting until senior year to get her questions answered, Vivi decided to start exploring the admissions process early. She wanted to better understand what colleges were looking for and how she could prepare herself over the next few years of high school.
After watching one of our webinars about Rice University, Vivi became interested in learning more about CollegeAdvisor’s advising services. She decided to reach out, and soon afterward she was paired with an advisor.
Getting Started with CollegeAdvisor
Vivi began working with CollegeAdvisor during her sophomore year of high school. Because she started early, she had more time to explore her options and think carefully about what she wanted from college. Though she had to swap advisors early on, she was ultimately paired with University of Toronto and Harvard alum Ava Harrington.
Over time, Vivi and Ava developed a strong working relationship. “She provides the best feedback,” Vivi said about Ava. “If I have any questions, she answers me very thoroughly… She definitely puts 100% of her effort into all her work.” For Vivi, having someone available to answer questions and offer honest guidance helped make the admissions process feel far less intimidating.
Starting early with her advisor also gave Vivi time to thoughtfully build her college list rather than rushing through decisions during senior year. As we mentioned earlier, Vivi already had a few ideas about what she was looking for in a school. She said, “I knew I wanted a liberal arts school and a liberal arts education, so I focused on liberal arts schools located on the eastern coast, because I knew I didn’t wanna go to California or the Midwest.”
Vivi knew she wanted to attend college on the east coast, and she had some schools in mind. Vivi and Ava worked together on a college list that aligned with Vivi’s academic interests and long-term goals. “We went over my college list, and [Ava requested] a college list for me,” Vivi said. CollegeAdvisor’s specialized college list team works with a student-advisor team to create a tailored list of institutions to explore.
With so many colleges to choose from, students can easily overlook schools that may actually be a great fit for them. During her college search, Vivi’s advisor introduced her to schools she may not have otherwise considered. “I took some schools from that list and I combined it with what I wanted, and that’s how I ended up with the list I have.”
With her college list beginning to take shape, Vivi turned her attention toward another major part of the admissions process.
What was Vivi’s biggest challenge?
Like many students, Vivi found that college essays required far more time and energy than she initially expected. “I think writing the supplementals was pretty challenging,” Vivi told us. “They took a lot of effort…. The writing part was definitely an obstacle.”
For many applicants, essays become one of the most demanding parts of the admissions process. Beyond simply writing well, students also have to reflect on their experiences and communicate their personality authentically. Between brainstorming ideas, revising drafts, and balancing deadlines alongside classes and extracurricular activities, the process can quickly become overwhelming.
As deadlines approached, Vivi began to feel that pressure herself. “Towards the end of the early actions, I was pretty stressed out,” she said. Fortunately, she had Ava in her corner throughout the process. “I was definitely meeting with her a lot when I was trying to write my personal statement and a lot of my supplementals.” Having consistent support and detailed feedback helped Vivi stay organized and continue improving her essays even during the busiest parts of application season.
How Vivi’s Advisor Helped Her Find Success
Having an advisor to work with made the admissions process feel much more collaborative for Vivi. She didn’t have to navigate essays and deadlines in the Common App on her own. Vivi had someone to guide her through each stage of the process and help refine her ideas along the way. “We planned out everything,” Vivi said. “I wrote it first and then I would send it over to her. She would revise it for me, and then I would revise it again so it was 100% perfect.”
In addition to receiving one-on-one feedback from her advisor, Vivi also made use of CollegeAdvisor’s broader support network. “We also used the personal statement essay review team,” Vivi mentioned. Students who work with CollegeAdvisor gain access to our Essay Review Team, which provides detailed feedback on personal statements and supplemental essays.
Reading your own writing over and over can make it difficult to identify weak points. Some areas might not make sense to a first-time reader who isn’t familiar with you. Receiving feedback from someone who doesn’t already know you can help identify areas that may need more clarity or detail. “They were really helpful,” Vivi said, reflecting on the extra layer of support she received throughout the writing process.
For Vivi, the support extended well beyond essays. “[It was] the same for scholarships and the interview prep,” she explained. “[Ava] walked me through each step of the way.”
What was Vivi’s favorite part about working with CollegeAdvisor?
With the admissions process now complete, we asked Vivi what she appreciated most about working with CollegeAdvisor. Rather than focusing only on admissions results, Vivi reflected on how much she had grown throughout the experience. “I really liked seeing my growth as the year progressed. It was really cool to see where I am now compared to where I was, I don’t know, a year ago.”
Although applying to college can be stressful and time-consuming, the experience also encourages students to think more deeply about themselves and what they want from their future. For Vivi, that personal growth became one of the most rewarding parts of the journey. “CollegeAdvisor really helped me through the process, but also helped me explore myself,” she added.
With support from her advisor, Vivi gained a clearer sense of her goals and found the right path forward. Here’s where her college application journey led her.
Vivi’s Admissions Results and the Road Ahead
When all was said and done, Vivi applied to a total of 16 schools. “I applied to [one] ED deadline … then I applied to three early action deadlines,” Vivi said. Though Vivi applied early to Amherst, University of Florida, University of Vermont, and Villanova, her decision ultimately came through the regular decision process.
From the beginning, Vivi knew she was looking for a school that combined strong academics with a supportive liberal arts environment. Location and affordability also played an important role in her decision-making process. Ultimately, she found it all in Davidson College, a small liberal arts college in North Carolina where she’ll study biology this fall.
For Vivi, Davidson stood out not only for its academic reputation, but also for the opportunities it could provide long-term. “Davidson also has a great med school acceptance rate,” she explained. While she isn’t certain about medical school yet, Vivi was impressed by the demonstrated outcomes at Davidson. The school will give her strong options if she decides to pursue medicine in the future.
At Davidson, Vivi will benefit from a strong undergraduate focus and interdisciplinary liberal arts environment. At the same time, she can prepare for a possible future in medicine. We wish her the best of luck as she begins her time at Davidson this fall!
Vivi’s Advice for Future Applicants
There’s so much that goes into college applications that the process can feel intimidating when you’re just starting out. Reflecting back on the process, Vivi offered up this piece of advice to students beginning their own college application journey. “Start planning everything out early and start writing the essays early, because you can definitely save a lot of time and effort.”
While you’ll hear that piece of advice over and over again, it’s worth taking to heart. Between supplemental essays, applications, interviews, and scholarships, the admissions process can become surprisingly time-consuming once deadlines begin approaching. For Vivi, getting started early made the process feel much more manageable. “I think if I didn’t start that early, I would be so overwhelmed,” Vivi said. “So I’m just really happy that I started early.”
Why CollegeAdvisor?
When Vivi first began exploring colleges as a sophomore, she described the admissions process as confusing and overwhelming. By the end of the journey, she had found a school that fit her goals. Moreover, she’d gained far more confidence in herself and her future plans.
While the admissions process came with its fair share of challenges, Vivi said having the right advisor made a major difference. “It was at times really hard… I’m very grateful for Ava though, because I feel like without her, my essays would definitely not be where they are right now.”
Despite the stress that comes with applying to college, Vivi came away from the experience feeling proud of everything she accomplished. “I think it was a really successful journey.”
As Vivi’s experience shows, the college admissions process can feel far more manageable with the right guidance and encouragement along the way.
This article was written by Stefanie Tedards. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.
