• COVID-19 Update: All coaching sessions are conducted remotely and the crisis has not impacted our operations.

College Admissions

This Summer Is the Perfect Time to Launch a Spike
This Summer Is the Perfect Time to Launch a Spike 538 476 Lloyd Nimetz

If you’re laboring away trying to figure out what to do this summer, labor no more; build a Spike. It’s the most fun, developmentally challenging and rewarding way for teens to spend their summer AND it’s pandemic proof!

How to Stand Out to Colleges When Tests are Optional
How to Stand Out to Colleges When Tests are Optional 1000 675 Theo Wolf

It’s impossible to know precisely how these shifts will affect college admissions, but one thing is certain: academics are going to play the smallest role they have ever played. As admissions officers have less and less confidence in their traditional measures of student aptitude, they are going to look more and more to the untraditional. Spikes will be more important than ever.

Announcing our 2020 Admissions Results
Announcing our 2020 Admissions Results 1280 459 Theo Wolf

We are proud to announce the results from our students in the class of 2020. These students worked extraordinarily hard over the…

The Front, Side and Back Doors into Elite US Colleges
The Front, Side and Back Doors into Elite US Colleges 1080 674 Theo Wolf

The massive admissions scandal shook the foundation of the American college admissions system. In particular, it exposed the existence of immoral and illegal “side doors” into elite universities. This article explains what you need to know going forward if you’re considering hiring a private counselor for college applications.

The Spike Lab’s Reason for Being
The Spike Lab’s Reason for Being 1080 674 Lloyd Nimetz

This article explains our company’s mission: to develop “purpose-driven innovators for life”. We are working to foster a fundamental paradigm shift in adolescent education that puts the development of purposeful innovators at the center.

When Each College Posts Their 2019 Admissions Decisions
When Each College Posts Their 2019 Admissions Decisions 800 230 Theo Wolf

Seniors are awaiting college admissions decisions with bated breath. In this post, we provide the dates that students can expect to hear their decisions from all of the top colleges.

Guide to Sending an Update to Colleges After Applying
Guide to Sending an Update to Colleges After Applying 800 546 Theo Wolf

If you’ve already applied to colleges and are waiting to hear back, there’s still something you can do to move the needle on your chances.

A Guide to Why it is 2–3x Harder for International Students to get into Top US Colleges
A Guide to Why it is 2–3x Harder for International Students to get into Top US Colleges 1280 384 Theo Wolf

Our research has found that it is substantially harder for international students to get into top US colleges when compared with their domestic counterparts. In this post, we’ll outline some of the possible explanations for why that may be the case.

It is 2–3x Harder for International Students to Get into Top US Universities
It is 2–3x Harder for International Students to Get into Top US Universities 1280 384 Theo Wolf

Our research indicates that on average, acceptance rates at top US universities tends to be between 2-3x harder for international students when compared to domestic students. Find out what this means and what you can do about it

How to Optimize Your Digital Footprint for College Applications
How to Optimize Your Digital Footprint for College Applications 1280 384 Lloyd Nimetz

A large percentage of college admissions officers now Google applicants to learn more about them. Your online profile, including your social media accounts, will influence your application so don’t make the common mistake of forgetting to consider it part of the college application process.

Colleges You Can Apply to Without a Supplemental Essay
Colleges You Can Apply to Without a Supplemental Essay 1280 384 Theo Wolf

College applications are extremely time consuming, thanks mostly to supplemental essays. This post details some of the colleges that don’t require supplements and could make great additions to your college list with little to no time commitment.

A Guide to Demonstrating Interest to Colleges
A Guide to Demonstrating Interest to Colleges 1280 697 Theo Wolf

Do colleges actually care if you’re interested in them? In this post, we give you a glimpse inside colleges’ official stances on how they consider demonstrated interest, as well as what you can do to signal that interest.

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