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At Ivy-Way, we often educate parents: your child doesn’t need to participate in a dozen competitions, do internships, conduct academic research, or join VEX or iGEM to get into top universities. Our student Howard, advised by Ivy-Way’s top counselor Dr. R.J., is yet another success story without these unnecessary add-ons.
Student Background
Howard started college counseling much later than most students. While many begin as early as 9th or even 8th grade, Howard didn’t join Ivy-Way until the summer before 12th grade. He worked directly with our senior counselor, Dr. R.J.
Fortunately, Howard hadn’t been influenced by advice from other consulting companies and misleading online information. He never wasted time on volunteering, internships, science research, summer programs, or “masterclasses.” Instead, he focused on what he loved and excelled at—computer science and gaming. Therefore, when he joined Ivy-Way, even though he was completely unsure how to move forward—how to stand out, how to position himself, and how to write compelling college essays, his foundation was already strong.
Despite starting late, Howard successfully got admitted to top CS programs, the most competitive major in recent years.
Howard’s College Counseling Journey
Howard was part of Ivy-Way’s Comprehensive College Counseling Program, which spanned about 10 months and included unlimited counseling hours as he applied to 12 schools. During the intensive process, Dr. R.J. guided him through every stage: Assessment, Background Development, Application, and Post-Application, using all 68 Ivy-Way College Consulting Services as needed.
After assessing Howard’s situation, Dr. R.J. focused on the following services:
1. “Spike” Analysis (Service #2)
To top university admissions officers, most Asian students “look the same”: 3.7–3.9 GPA, 1450–1550 SAT, 6-8 APs, and a generic list of extracurriculars: AMC, VEX, iGEM, USACO, volunteering in rural areas, CS summer camps, internships through family or consulting agencies.
Everyone seems busy, yet no one stands out.
That’s why our “Spike” Analysis service is especially critical. This service helps students identify what truly makes them stand out—and how to craft a compelling application strategy around it.
Howard was initially worried he had “no spike.” But after a few sessions, Dr. R.J. realized his biggest asset was his passion project: a game he had developed on his own. Dr. R.J. strategically positioned it based on his technical depth, teamwork, leadership, and the game’s launch on Steam, the biggest online gaming platform.
This game became the central theme of his entire application. Unlike other students with CS camps and competitions, Howard’s portfolio showed creativity, initiative, and real-world impact—qualities rarely seen, especially in Asian CS applicants.
2. Passion Project (Service #28)
Howard had already started developing his game, Just a RANDOM Game, before Ivy-Way. But during the counseling period, Dr. R.J. helped him systematically elevate it: setting weekly/monthly goals, refining the game’s features, launching on Steam, and crafting how the project would be presented across his application materials.
The game became the centerpiece of his application: the #1 item on his Activities List, the main focus of his Personal Statement, and the highlight of his interviews.
3-4. Activities List and Résumé (Services #31 and #32)
Many students either do unremarkable but expensive activities, or they do genuinely meaningful things—but don’t know how to present them effectively.
Dr. R.J. worked with Howard not only to build the project but to package it strategically. They aligned the project’s timeline, achievements, and keywords to make sure the story came through clearly on his Activities List and Résumé—showcasing Howard’s programming skills and leadership to admissions officers.
5-6. Personality Development & Passion and Motivation Development (Services #4 and #5)
Creating a fully playable game and leading a team requires emotional maturity, resilience, communication, and responsibility. These traits—so valuable to universities—were part of Howard’s character, but not something he had ever consciously highlighted.
Dr. R.J. worked with Howard to develop self-awareness and helped him present these qualities throughout the application. They helped universities see a high schooler who could already lead like a professional.
7. High-Value Vacation Activity Planning & Time Management (Services #17 and #8)
In the beginning, Howard asked: “Do I need to join a competitive CS program before 12th grade to stand out?”
Many parents and students think consultants are supposed to cram more activities into already-packed schedules. But Dr. R.J. recommended the opposite: cut the noise and focus.
Dr. R.J. helped Howard eliminate low-impact activities and redesigned his weekly schedule. That freed up time to concentrate on his game development, and ultimately allowed him to reach a major project milestone during senior year.
Had he not focused, he would have lost the most persuasive element of his application.
8. College Essay: Comprehensive Guidance (Service #49)
A great college essay isn’t about polishing something written last-minute—it takes months of brainstorming, reflection, and revision.
From the very first meeting, Dr. R.J. introduced essay fundamentals, reviewed successful examples, and helped Howard uncover the story behind his game project. This wasn’t just another CS story—it was the narrative of Howard’s personal growth.
The final Personal Statement walked readers through his early CS competitions, independent web projects, and the evolution of Just a RANDOM Game—a Steam-published game that demonstrated technical skills, UI design, teamwork, and creative vision.
Through deep questions and detailed edits, Dr. R.J. helped Howard transform a list of achievements into a cohesive, emotionally resonant story.
9-10. College Research & College List (Services #33 and #35)
Even U.S.-based students often don’t know what schools beyond MIT, Caltech, and UC Berkeley are strong in CS.
Dr. R.J. helped Howard deeply understand different U.S. universities—CS resources, faculty, environment, and career outcomes—and build a personalized College List based on more than just rankings.
11. Application Progress Tracking (Service #53)
With tight deadlines and ongoing schoolwork, Dr. R.J. created a custom timeline and tracked Howard’s progress across multiple application forms, essays, and recommendation letters—ensuring nothing fell through the cracks.
This may sound like a “minor” service, but it was crucial. Consistent tracking kept everything on schedule and prevented last-minute panic.
12. College Application Forms (Service #38)
Howard applied to multiple U.S. universities using different platforms: Common App, UC App, and others.
Every detail—from wording to structure—was reviewed by Dr. R.J., ensuring his forms presented the best version of Howard possible.
Results: Acceptance to 8 Top CS Programs in the US
Howard’s hard work and smart strategy paid off. He was accepted to 8 top CS programs in the U.S., including:
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) – CS Ranking: #5 (tied with Princeton). Final choice.
- University of Maryland – CS Ranking: #19; AI Ranking: #13.
- University of Wisconsin–Madison – CS Ranking: #13; Known for data science and software engineering.
- Ohio State University – National Ranking: #41.
- Arizona State University – CS Ranking: #24.
- Plus other top-50 CS/STEM universities.
These acceptances didn’t just reflect his technical ability—they showed how well he told his story, and how clearly he stood out in a hyper-competitive applicant pool.
4 Key Takeaways from Howard’s Journey
1. You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune During the Process
Some students spend over NTD $1,000,000 on extracurriculars due to pressure from consultants or peer competition. Howard spent almost nothing outside of his Ivy-Way package.
At Ivy-Way, our counselors act as advisors, not salespeople—we guide students toward high-impact, low-cost strategies.
2. “Standing Out” Is More Important Than “Stacking Activities”
Howard already had a strong profile. Dr. R.J.’s job was to help him identify his “spike,” frame it effectively, and guide him to present it as a unique, compelling applicant persona.
Howard’s success was a result of collaboration: his effort, the counselor’s guidance, and a bit of luck.
3. Many Students Do Too Much—And That’s Why They Fail
While other students attend expensive camps, join packaged iGEM teams, create nonprofits, or pay tutors for USACO prep, Howard succeeded by doing something meaningful: creating a game with friends that launched on Steam.
Even if Howard hadn’t been accepted to a top university, he still would’ve built a portfolio and experience that prepares him to become a game developer—possibly better prepared than many CS students at top schools.
4. It’s Never Too Late to Start
Many families worry it’s “too late” to begin in 11th or 12th grade. But Howard’s story shows that as long as you start, it’s never too late.
College counseling is like fitness:
- Start early → reach peak form
- Start late → still significantly improve
- Don’t start at all → worst outcome
Howard was like someone who had been eating well and casually exercising. Once he got a coach, he was able to sprint toward the finish line and raise his score from a 90 to a 95.
If he’d started earlier, he would’ve released a 2.0 or 3.0 version of his game, explored additional strategies, and hit a score of 98 or 100.
Every student has a different starting point. If you start at a score of 60 or 70, you can’t expect to reach a 95 in 5 months. That’s why starting early gives you the best shot at your dream schools and majors.
But even if you’re late, +5 points may still be the difference between acceptance and rejection.
The only truly bad choice is not starting at all.
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