The Path to Caltech: Inside a 3% Acceptance Story

Welcome to College Admission Secrets, your go-to resource for navigating the college admissions process with clarity and strategy.

In today’s email:

• Success Story: How Our Coaching Student Got Into Caltech – With a 3% Acceptance Rate

• What to Do This Week: Key Academic & College Planning Steps for Every Grade Level

• Scholarships: Three New Opportunities for High School Students, Including STEM & Writing Awards

• Lesson of the Week: How to Start a Personal Project That Stands Out on College Applications

Whether your student is mapping out their academic path, searching for leadership opportunities, or preparing for summer applications, this week’s insights will help them take the right next steps.

SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK

How Our Coaching Student Got Into CalTech - With a 3% Acceptance Rate

Meet Alana, one of our recent coaching students from the suburbs of Chicago who joined Caltech's Class of 2028 as a Chemistry major. Her journey highlights the power of organized planning, authentic passion for science, and the importance of pursuing diverse interests beyond just STEM.

Her Academic Foundation

Alana's story demonstrates how early planning and genuine curiosity can shape an exceptional academic journey. She maintained all A's throughout high school while thoughtfully increasing her course rigor each year - from one AP class freshman year to six AP classes senior year.

What set her apart wasn't just taking advanced classes, but how she approached them with intention and passion, particularly in science. She took AP Physics earlier than most students at her school and created a color-coded master schedule as early as freshman year to ensure she could take as many science courses as possible.

Her Activities Journey

What makes Alana's extracurricular profile unique is how she balanced deep STEM involvement with other authentic interests:

• Completed two years of chemistry research internships at the University of Illinois Chicago

• Created "Ality" - a personal 118-week project exploring every element of the periodic table

• Served as President of Science National Honor Society

• Participated in Northwestern's pre-college chemistry program

• Balanced STEM activities with 4 years of speech team and drama club

• Worked as stage manager for school productions

• Served on student advisory board working with the principal

Her ability to connect seemingly unrelated activities - like how stage management skills translate to lab management - showed remarkable insight and authenticity.

Finding Her Perfect Match

Alana's connection to Caltech went beyond its prestige or location. Her interest in astrochemistry perfectly aligned with Caltech's strengths in both space science and chemistry. She demonstrated serious interest by:

• Visiting campus three times

• Participating in WeStem program at Caltech

• Being selected for Caltech Up Close program (200 selected from over 1000 applicants)

• Building relationships with admissions officers through these programs

How our Team Helped Her Get Accepted

Working with our Blueprint program, Alana received support in:

• Structuring her application timeline

• Crafting essays that effectively communicated her unique story

• Organizing and presenting her activities in the most impactful way

• Building a balanced college list with reach, target, and safety schools

Her Advice for Future Applicants

Her journey shows that success in college admissions comes from authentic passion, thoughtful planning, and the courage to pursue interests beyond just what "looks good" on applications.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

Week of February 4th

As we move further into February, this week focuses on finalizing summer plans, preparing for upcoming tests, and ensuring you’re on track for the next academic year.

Middle School Families

Encourage your child to explore extracurricular activities that align with their interests and strengths

• Look into school clubs, community programs, or skill-based activities like coding or public speaking

• Discuss their interests and brainstorm new hobbies or activities to try

• Set small goals for consistent participation in chosen activities

9th Grade Families

Identify a leadership opportunity or ongoing commitment to build upon for next year

• Look for school club officer roles or community service leadership positions

• If involved in sports or an activity, consider ways to mentor younger students

• Explore launching a small project or initiative based on a passion or community need

• Keep track of involvement and responsibilities for future applications

10th Grade Families

Begin exploring potential summer internships, research opportunities, or volunteer work that can strengthen your profile

• Research local and virtual summer programs in your field of interest

• Reach out to organizations, professors, or community groups for potential mentorship or shadowing experiences

• Identify volunteer roles that allow for hands-on leadership or skill-building

• Mark application deadlines for competitive programs and start working on essays if needed

11th Grade Families

Continue brainstorming college essay ideas – start a list of significant moments or challenges that have shaped you

• Reflect on personal growth moments, challenges, or achievements

• Think about defining values or experiences that have influenced your identity

• Free-write short paragraphs or notes on key moments to revisit later

• If unsure where to start, consider talking with a mentor or journaling about meaningful experiences

12th Grade Families

Confirm that your FAFSA and CSS Profile have been submitted, and check your email for any financial aid verification requests from colleges

• Log into your FAFSA and CSS Profile portals to confirm submission status

• Review financial aid deadlines and check for missing documents

• If selected for verification, gather and submit required documents ASAP

• Compare financial aid packages from different schools and note follow-up questions

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships of the Week

Each week, we handpick a few scholarships that are currently accepting applications. Here are this week's opportunities:

Humans of Dementia Scholarship

• Award Amount: $1,500

• Deadline: March 3, 2025

• Eligibility: Be enrolled in high school or college in the U.S. or Canada. Home school students are eligible to enter. Feature someone currently living with or who has passed away from Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Keep your written submissions to no more than 750 words and your photo submissions to no more than THREE photos.

ASHG Annual DNA Day Essay Contest

• Award Amount: Up to $1,000

• Deadline: March 5, 2025

• Eligibility: Open to high school students (grades 9-12) worldwide. Essays must be in English and no more than 750 words. Word count includes in-text citations, but not reference lists.

Make Noise Today Scholarship

• Award Amount: Up to $2,000

• Deadline: March 21, 2025

• Eligibility: Students must be high school students in grades 9–12 (public, private, parochial, or homeschool) in the United States. Open to students who identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander.

LESSON OF THE WEEK

How to Start a Personal Project in High School

A personal project is one of the most powerful ways for students to showcase initiative, creativity, and passion in the college admissions process. But many students struggle with where to start or worry that their idea isn’t “big enough” to matter.

Here’s the truth: Colleges don’t expect a fully polished business or breakthrough invention. What matters most is that your student identifies a problem, takes action, and demonstrates growth.

Why Personal Projects Matter

• They make applications stand out. Schools love students who take initiative outside of school assignments.

• They showcase leadership and problem-solving. Even a small, self-driven project shows a student’s ability to think independently.

• They help students discover interests. A project can clarify whether they actually enjoy a field before committing to a major.

Our Simple Framework for Starting a Personal Project

If your student isn’t sure how to begin, breaking it into clear steps makes it easier to take action:

1. Pick a topic that genuinely excites you – Something you’re curious about or a problem you want to solve.

2. Define a simple, achievable goal – Think of a Version 1.0 rather than a perfect final product.

3. Take your first action step – This could be creating a prototype, writing a blog post, or launching a survey.

4. Document your progress – Keep a record of challenges, adjustments, and wins (this helps with college essays later).

5. Share it – Whether it’s a website, a YouTube video, or a local event, putting your work out there adds credibility.

Want Step-by-Step Guidance?

Join us this Thursday at 6 PM PST for an in-depth breakdown of how to plan, launch, and showcase a standout personal project, even if your student isn’t sure where to start.

We’ll cover:

• The best types of projects for college applications

• How to find mentors and resources to accelerate progress

• The #1 mistake students make (and how to avoid it)

• Real examples of students who built impactful projects from scratch

By the end of this session, your student will have a clear, actionable plan to launch their own project. No more waiting or overthinking!

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