aerial view of buildings and green grass fields

Optimize. Achieve. Succeed.

Maximize your chances of getting admitted into your chosen universities by elevating your SAT, ACT, and AP scores and learning how to write original, impactful essays.

Our Story

We Know What Admissions Officers Want

We're in constant contact with admissions officers from universities and graduate schools around the world. They tell us exactly what they prioritize in admissions. Among the things a student can drastically improve in a matter of months (unlike grades), these three make the biggest impact:

1) Standardized Test Scores

These are still proven to be the best indicators of success in college and graduate school. While many undergraduate schools have gone test-optional, less than 100 have gone test-blind. Consequently, out of 2,828 four-year U.S. universities, over 97% still consider test scores.

2) Unique Personal Statements

We've worked as college readers; we've had to read 75 personal statements in a day, and all but one or two seemed generic and trite. A compelling personal statement rescues a reader from boredom and elevates a student above the vast majority of applicants.

3) Specific Supplemental Essays

Undergraduate and graduate schools are obsessed with a metric called yield rate. It's like a batting average; it tells the world what percentage of the students offered admission by a given university actually enroll at that school. Falling yield rates result in declining rankings and reduced funding, so schools use algorithms to determine which students are most likely to attend a given school if extended an offer. We help create university-specific supplemental essays designed to be chosen by the algorithms.
________________________________________________________________________

With the ever-changing landscape that is college admissions, we must do everything we can to equip students with the necessary information, resources, and guidance to successfully navigate the path to college. Our commitment to helping students achieve their academic goals drives our relentless pursuit of knowledge and expertise in the field.

a close up of writing on a piece of paper

smirking woman wearing red and black checkered top and eyeglasses

“On her practice tests, my daughter was getting near-perfect SAT scores in English but she couldn’t seem to top 700 in Math. After just a few months with Optimal's tutors, she scored a 780 in Math! Thanks to Optimal, she improved significantly and achieved a super score of 1570, which earned her admission into five Ivy League schools.”

- Priscilla M, New York, NY

Testimonials From Happy Parents and Students

“I am a professional writer, but I was too emotionally invested to critique my son’s essays fairly. After being deferred from his top choice during the Early Decision round, we hired Craig. His knowledge and ability to interpret exactly what was being asked by the schools gave my son clear direction. On Ivy Day, I heard my son scream, ‘I got it!’ He was one of 74 out of 4,204 admitted into Brown University PLME (8-year undergraduate and medical school program).”

- Hannah C, North Charleston, SC

"With the SAT three weeks away, I needed to improve my super score by 70 points to qualify for the Bright Futures award. I didn't know how I’d find those points between English and Math. With just six tutoring sessions over 12 days, Craig helped me increase my English score by 80 points. I didn't even need the Math tutoring. I qualified for the scholarship and got accepted into my dream school!”

- Zach A, St. Augustine, FL

a man in a hat is smiling for the camera

“We really sprung one on Craig, but our daughter insisted on getting additional tutoring for her ACT English and Reading sections one month before the August 3, 2024 exam--despite the fact that we had a six-day family vacation planned during that month. Craig worked around Sarah's schedule and immediately diagnosed her deficiencies. After about 10 sessions of tutoring and practice tests over a 25-day period, she went from a:

29E, 30R, 29Total to a:
32E, 33R, 33Total

Choosing Craig to tutor Sarah was the best move we could have made. She is now looking at an entirely different tier of colleges. Thank you so much, Craig.

- Eryn F, Fort Worth, TX

Pre-application text:

“Thank you, Craig. I know I didn't give you much notice, but I am delighted you were able to edit my personal statement. Your insightful suggestions helped me make some excellent modifications!”

Text after acceptance to first-choice university:

“I got into Pitzer! Thank you so much; I couldn't be more thrilled! I'm so grateful for your assistance. I know the essay was decent when I sent it to you, but your insights and pointers helped transform it into a masterpiece! Thanks again!”

- Jani B, Tustin, CA

Contact Us

Email

Phone

info@optimalprep.com