College Counseling Case Studies
The Rocket Engineer
Samantha H.
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Worked with Don Keller
From the Counselor: Samantha has a unique combination of skills that made her a stronger candidate across the board. Her achievement, leadership, and drive to create something she was passionate about helped her stand out to schools.
Accepted to:
The Fit-First Pre-Med Student
Ava
Major: Biology / Pre-Med
Worked with Raymond Gonzales
From the Counselor: Ava showed genuine interest in the process, and her family was right there beside her every step of the way. When the UVA acceptance arrived, it felt like a win for the entire family.
Accepted to:
The Ivy-Bound Scientist
Sam
Major: Biochemistry
Worked with Raymond Gonzales
From the Counselor: Sam had it all: strong grades, outstanding test scores, and a great story. What stood out most were her lived experiences, and those became the foundation for the narrative we built together.
Accepted to:
The Future Vet
Jacob
Major: Pre-Veterinary
Worked with Don Keller
From the Counselor: Jacob was open to our advice and excited to put it to work. That willingness made all the difference in building his application. I now use his Common App activity list as an example for other students.
Accepted to:
The Ambitious Self-Starter
Isabella
Major: Engineering
Worked with Kim Shipman
From the Counselor: Bella was aiming higher. She did everything she needed to do in high school—she just needed our help packaging her accolades and pitching herself to the most competitive schools.
Accepted to:
The Young Changemaker
Aaron
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Worked with Raymond Gonzales
From the Counselor: We packaged Aaron as someone who wanted to help the world. He had already helped thousands of students—we had to demonstrate that the right college could help him reach millions.
Accepted to:
The Determined Nurse-in-Training
Ellie
Major: Nursing
Worked with Kim Shipman
From the Counselor: Ellie knew from an early age she wanted to be a nurse, and it was a true team-effort to get her to her dream program.
Accepted to:
The Dancer Mathematician
Taryn
Major: Math
Worked with Don Keller
From the Counselor: Taryn was open to our advice and genuinely excited about the process. With that great attitude, the biggest impact we made was showing her more options than she ever expected. Sometimes, exposure makes all the difference.
Accepted to:
The Aspiring Engineer
Jake
Major: Engineering
Worked with Allison Dahleen
From the Counselor: Jake was already a strong student when he came to HelloCollege, but together we found ways to strengthen his leadership, extracurriculars, and interest in his major to help him stand out to top colleges.
Accepted to:
More Student Success Stories
The Merit Scholar
Pre-Med Student Targeting Merit Aid
Major: Biology / Pre-Med
Accepted to:
The Business Builder
Marketing Major with Hands-On Business Impact
Major: Marketing
Accepted to:
The Determined Aviator
Aspiring Pilot Overcoming Academic Challenges
Major: Aviation
Accepted to:
The First-Gen Trailblazer
First-Generation Student Leader
Major: Business
Accepted to:
The Future Dentist
Pre-Dental Student with Clinical Experience
Major: Biology / Pre-Dentistry
Accepted to:
The Community Champion
Community-Focused Student with a Late Start
Major: Business
Accepted to:
The Full-Ride Scholar
Top Student With a Full-Ride Scholarship
Major: Business / Finance
Accepted to:
The Creative Entrepreneur
Creative Entrepreneur Accepted to a Top-5 University
Major: Business
Accepted to:
The Physician Advocate
Future Physician with a Passion for Advocacy
Major: Biology / Pre-Med
Accepted to:
The Political Visionary
Politically Engaged Pre-Law Student
Major: History / Pre-Law
Accepted to:
