In Part I of this case study, we assess a current senior’s candidacy for highly selective colleges, from a 1540 SAT and strong AP record to the transcript nuances and course selection choices that shape their academic profile.

We then examine the student’s climate, energy, and environmental-policy positioning: a clear through-line with relevant leadership, but limited niche differentiation, scale, and major external recognition.

We close by identifying the profile’s main strengths, weaknesses, and remaining opportunities before turning to the Common Application sections in Part II.

——
“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its students gaining admission to a top-choice school in the 2025–26 application cycle.

Its students have recently gained admission to Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Northwestern, UC-Berkeley, and WashU (among many others) and are admitted to the Ivy League at a rate 14x the national average (90% when applying early).

Web: greatmindsadvising.com
Contact: greatmindsadvising.com/#contact
Newsletter: greatmindsadvising.com/#newsletter
Email: info@greatmindsadvising.com
FB: facebook.com/GreatMindsAdvising/
IG: instagram.com/greatmindsadvising