Overview: AIɫɫAdvisor.com Client Success Stories
Here at AIɫɫAdvisor.com, we’re so lucky to work with such motivated, interesting, and accomplished students each year. Our students achieve so much in their college application journeys, and we believe these students deserve to have their hard work celebrated.
In our Client Success Stories, we highlight students’ unique experiences working with our advising team. We discuss their worries and the challenges they faced throughout the college admissions process, as well as the successes they reached along the way.
Whether students join us in middle school or the summer before their senior year, each has a unique story and perspective worth sharing. While we just love bragging about these students’ accomplishments, we also hope that students about to embark on their college admissions journey can learn something from others who have already done it!
In this edition of our Client Success Stories, we talked with Marlyn, a first-generation college student who had great success with her college admissions journey. Let’s learn more about her!
Meet Marlyn
Marlyn Novas Lima was born in the Dominican Republic. As a child she moved to New Jersey with her family for a few years. Upon returning to the Dominican Republic in the 10th grade to finish her high school years, she knew she wanted to continue her secondary education in the US. However, as a first-generation student, she wasn’t confident about navigating college applications on her own.
Marlyn explained that her experience was different from most: “I am a first-generation student, so with my background, entering the college process was a bit different. I had moved countries and all my plans were just, ‘I’m trying to figure things out.’”
Understandably, as a first-generation and international applicant, Marlyn was hesitant about being ready to start the application process. But she had no problem keeping herself motivated and getting involved throughout high school.
Marlyn’s Interests and Extracurriculars
“Since I was in ninth grade, I knew I wanted to study business,” Maryln told us, “because I really love it. My dad is an entrepreneur and I really love that part of entrepreneurship and businesses and all the psychology of how [it works]. Like sales. I love sales. I would love to learn more about that in college.”
With an area of focus in mind from an early age, Marlyn participated in plenty of relevant extracurriculars. She worked in social media marketing as a brand manager and had a graphic design internship. Additionally, she co-founded a social impact platform.
While students may not know exactly what they want to study when choosing extracurriculars, following your interests never fails. For example, what classes do you love? Are there clubs or independent research projects related to those interests? You don’t need to be the president of the robotics club to show an interest in STEM. But, showing interest outside of the classroom will go a long way when crafting your application narratives.
Even having long-term goals can help students stay on track. Maybe you don’t know the exact career you’d like, but you know you want a flexible schedule — how can you create a life like that? For example, Marlyn has one big future goal: “I would love to start my own business and just be my own boss. That’s my end goal as my vision right now.”
With those interests and end goal in mind, Marlyn was ready to start working with a college advisor who could help her accomplish her goals and highlight her impressive experiences.
How did Marlyn feel going into the college admissions process?
Marlyn has always felt strongly about her future studies. “[I was involved with] organizations helping students learn more about applying to US universities and expanding their horizons, and just learning more about how they can expand their way of education and thinking.” While she was deeply involved in supporting others, she wasn’t confident about how to approach applying to US schools.
“My dream was to study in the US, but also I was super scared. I had worked a lot in high school, but I didn’t know how to put that into a college application. I was scared I wasn’t good enough or thought maybe I’m not doing this right.”
Many first-generation students struggle with taking on the application process. It is an overwhelming process for all students, so being the first in your family to take it on can feel especially nerve-wracking. Marlyn said, “I didn’t have that support…that reassurance that I was doing a good job [on applications]. And in my school, they do offer those services…but they don’t give you specialized information, and I was struggling.”
Getting Started with AIɫɫAdvisor
Not sure of how she was doing in the application process, and with deadlines quickly approaching, Marlyn did an internet search and found AIɫɫAdvisor. She told us, “AIɫɫAdvisor was a really good thing for me because it was online, it was virtual. And it had a good reputation which was something I was looking for. I was [also] looking for a more affordable plan.”
After checking off her boxes, Marlyn was ready to get started. She was assigned to work with college advisor , an experienced college admissions advisor with a Master’s in Education from Harvard University.
Marlyn’s Biggest Challenge in the Application Process
Marlyn faced various challenges as a first-generation student. Without specific guidance from her parents, she wasn’t sure what to do and didn’t want to come across as an inexperienced applicant. And, like many students, she was nervous about meeting deadlines and writing essays. However, her biggest hurdle was creating a college list.
While Marlyn knew she had an interest in strong business programs, she didn’t know exactly which schools to apply to. Largely, this came from not knowing which schools she’d be a competitive applicant at. She confessed one of her fears early on, “Maybe I’m just going to get into the worst university ever because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Marlyn, like many students, initially lacked confidence in the application process. However, having a former admissions counselor and college advising expert on their side gives students that extra reassurance that they’re on the right path. Let’s take a closer look at how Roystone helped Marlyn apply with confidence.
Creating a AIɫɫ List
While some students have posters of their dream school plastered on the bedroom walls from an early age, other students have no idea how to even start compiling a list of schools to apply to. And, with so many colleges in the US to choose from, it’s hard to narrow down the options. Having professional guidance on what schools you can get into and what schools you can strive to get into gives students a place to start the process, with more definitive goals in mind.
Coming into the college advising experience late — October of her senior year — Marlyn and her advisor Roystone had to work quickly and efficiently. They promptly started on her biggest, most relevant issue: finalizing her college list.
Marlyn said, “The part I needed the most help with was the universities, what universities I was going to apply to…I didn’t know what schools to apply to. I had the main ones…Roystone, my college advisor, really helped me on that part to figure it out. He really helped me make that decision… I really trusted him in that process, because I honestly didn’t know what universities to pick from.”
With the help of her advisor, Marlyn was able to quickly finalize her college list, focusing on schools with excellent business programs. Once the list was final, it was time to start tackling essays and meeting deadlines.
Staying on Track
Because she started working with her advisor in mid-October of her senior year, Marlyn had to laser-focus her attention and prioritize her time. Deadlines were challenging for her, and she worried about not getting it all done. Having someone to hold her accountable really helped.
When speaking about the most helpful parts of working with Roystone, Marlyn said, “I think the parts that really helped me a lot was the information about deadlines, like priority scholarship deadlines and all of that. [Also] the college list and essay editing. I think those three were the main ones for me, honestly.”
Marlyn worked with Roystone on her essays, emailing back and forth, to streamline the process and get them done quickly. She mentioned, “Something that I really liked was that he made a schedule for me of all the essays and their due dates.” This allowed Marlyn to stay on track and motivated to get through each of her essays on time.
Coming into the college admissions process later than normal, Marlyn appreciated how responsive Roystone was through the process. She mentioned, “He was really quick at answering and providing feedback. I really appreciated that part because that was the main focus for me.”
Marlyn’s Admissions Results and the Road Ahead
Marlyn ended up applying to twenty schools; she was accepted to six. “I got into the University of Notre Dame, Babson AIɫɫ, Tufts University, Bentley University, University of Virginia, and University of Rochester…oh, and I got off the waitlist from the University of Miami.”
Impressively, Marlyn applied to the majority of her schools early action. She was accepted to the University of Notre Dame, Babson AIɫɫ, and the University of Virginia early, and received scholarships and/or financial aid from the schools she was accepted to.
In the end, in part thanks to a generous financial aid package, Marlyn decided to enroll at the University of Notre Dame. “I got the highest scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. I got like 80-something, that almost covered all my tuition…I just need to pay like $1,600 per year.”
While she’s not positive about what sub-specialty she’ll major in, Marlyn is sure it will be in the business realm. “Maybe finance or strategic management and marketing. I don’t know if I’ll be double majoring…but [something] in the business area overall.”
Marlyn’s Advice for Future Applicants
With a wealth of knowledge from her own experience, Marlyn has some wise advice for those getting ready to start their own college admissions journey.
“Ask questions. Look for help. Because honestly, you’ll be scared, you will feel like maybe you are not doing [things right]. Look for resources that give you that reassurance. That’s something really important to do during that process, especially for first-generation students, to ask questions.”
Like many students, Marlyn wanted to understand each step of the application process. More than just what she needed to do, she wanted to know why. For Marlyn, fully understanding the process would allow her to navigate it easier than on her own. This was one of the reasons why she sought out professional guidance. And, as a first-generation student, it’s helpful to have an experienced advisor keeping you on track and making sure you submit your most competitive applications by the deadlines.
Marlyn also added this piece of advice. “Always keep trying to look for a better way to improve what you’re doing, which is something really important and that will help you for the rest of your life.”
Being overwhelmed by the application process is something that most students struggle with — no matter if they are first-generation students or not. Marlyn’s wise suggestion of reaching out and asking about the process is a great way for students to get the support they need.
Why AIɫɫAdvisor?
AIɫɫAdvisor offers personalized college admissions counseling for students at every stage of the application process. Marlyn started with her advisor just before her applications were due, however, some students start as early as freshman year. Our advisors can help students with everything from creating a college list to applying to financial aid to writing essays.
Marlyn came across AIɫɫAdvisor through a simple internet search. However, what made her commit to the process was the accessibility and personalized attention. Marlyn was able to get specific help for her situation, at a price that was lower than many other companies. And the fact that everything is digital was great for her since she’s based in the Dominican Republic.
Marlyn has her own unique story and admissions success. We’re thrilled for her that she is able to accomplish her dream of attending university in the US, with an impressive scholarship at a top university. If you’d like to create your own success story with AIɫɫAdvisor, reach out to learn more from our admissions experts.
This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click 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 can support you in the college application process.
