A trio of undergraduates teamed up to bring accessible, high-quality education consulting services to the community. Now, they’re branching out beyond Rochester.
Two years ago, 24岁的Adarsh Mavathaveedu在家乡弗莱明顿帮弟弟填写大学申请, New Jersey, when he came to a realization.
“我可以为他提供丰富的资源和指导——这些资源是我希望自己在高中时就拥有的,” the University of Rochester neuroscience major says. “But being the eldest child in an immigrant family, I had navigated the process alone. 我想，‘如果有一种方法能让我哥哥和像他这样的学生得到免费的建议呢?’”
当Mavathaveedu向26岁的Hana Zhang提出自己的想法时，他是网赌论坛有哪些生物课的助教, a health, behavior, and society major from Westbury, New York, and Keira Donnelly ’26, a neuroscience and psychology double major from Victor, New York.
“Together, we founded Project Level the Field,” Mavathaveedu says. “Our motto is ‘making college applications ever better.’” (A take on the University’s motto of Meliora, meaning “ever better”).
The rise of educational consultants in college admissions
Free advice to aspiring college students is available online, 尽管在没有更熟悉美国大学申请流程的人的帮助或指导的情况下找到它并申请它可能是具有挑战性的. There are also numerous independent educational consultants, or IECs, available nationwide who work one-on-one with students. But that is a costly venture: According to data from the Independent Educational Consultants Association, most IECs charge more than $4,000 per year for services, with some as high as $40,000.
The IECA reports that there were about 1,500 full-time independent educational consultants in 2010, and that number has skyrocketed to nearly 10,000 this year, with an estimated additional 10,000 to 15,000 working part-time. The reasons for the influx include the increased cost of higher education, overworked high school counselors, and changing trends in college admissions that started, in part, with the introduction of the Common Application in 1975. 大约在一代人之前，考试成绩和平均绩点是关键的决定因素. Now, many colleges and universities, including Rochester, 减少对标准化考试成绩的重视，在录取选择时采取更全面的方法.
“Over the years, the college admissions process in the United States has become increasingly complex, in part because students are applying to more colleges,” says Jason Nevinger, Rochester’s senior director for admissions. “The increased application volume, 再加上招生办公室管理申请过程的非标准化方法——使用标准化测试, and various application plans such as Early Decision and Early Action这导致越来越多的家庭求助于付费的教育顾问，以帮助他们在大学录取过程中获得优势. But, in general, it’s those families with the financial means that can afford them.”
Making the college application process more accessible
Mavathaveedu, Donnelly, and Zhang created a program that would “level the field,“为代表性不足的第一代学生提供成功开展并完成当今大学申请流程所需的指导, which generally includes writing a long-form essay, compiling a resume or list of activities, securing letters of recommendation, and providing a high school transcript.
Project Level the Field currently has 12 volunteer student mentors—10 from Rochester, one from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and one from North Carolina State. “We connected with the non-Rochester students through LinkedIn,” Mavathaveedu says.
The group’s mission is to ensure that everybody has free, high-quality college application resources regardless of race, ethnicity, or financial status. Like paid educational consultants, the Level the Field students—who refer to themselves as mentors—provide various services, including resume-building, college essay editing, interview training, and financial aid assistance. As part of the mentoring process, 他们还帮助参与的高中生网赌论坛有哪些并编制一份他们可能申请的潜在大学名单.
Project leaders reach out to high school guidance counselors, offering in-person or remote one-on-one sessions. They also promote their volunteer work on the group’s website and Instagram (@projectlevelthefield). Outreach efforts and events have taken place at many Rochester area high schools, but mentors also have advised students at their former high schools.
“It’s all about giving back,” Mavathaveedu says.
So far, 150多名高中生——大部分来自罗彻斯特市学区——参加了这个项目, with students being accepted to a range of higher education institutions. Mavathaveedu说，学生们已经被康奈尔大学等常春藤盟校和网赌论坛有哪些等名牌大学录取, Penn State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Syracuse, as well as community colleges and small liberal arts colleges.
该组织计划在未来一年从网赌论坛有哪些和约翰霍普金斯大学分别聘请约20名新导师, and recently filed paperwork to become recognized as a non-profit organization, which would further expand their reach. They are expanding considerably even as Mavathaveedu, who conceived the project, prepares to graduate in May.
Leveling the field at Rochester while expanding beyond
Zhang, the daughter of immigrants, 她说，“平场项目”很有吸引力，因为她想改变那些和她有同样经历的学生的生活.
“I was scared to reach out for help when I was applying to college,” she says. “I didn’t share my admissions essay with anyone because I didn’t want to be judged. If I didn’t get in, I felt people would see me as a failure.”
张老师和她的学生们有着强烈的联系，因为她和他们目前的经历并没有太大的距离. “When we first went to East High School [in Rochester], I was a year older than the students,” she says. “I could empathize with their experiences and hardships.”
Last November, 项目水平领域与网赌论坛有哪些兄弟会在大学的河校区共同举办了一次医学预科研讨会 Sigma Phi Epsilon. The event included representatives from the University’s Office of Undergraduate Research, the Greene Center for Career Education and Connections, the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, and others.
More than 160 University of Rochester undergraduates attended.
“Level the Field has a great mission with a great cause,” says Jonathan Bratt, a senior career advisor at the Greene Center who took part in the symposium. “他们看到了需求，并开发了一种方法来支持和鼓励需要指导的高中生和大学生度过整个申请过程.”
Even with Mavathaveedu graduating, Project Level the Field’s other founders are excited about expanding beyond Rochester.
唐纳利说:“我们想在一些导师所在的地方建立新的分支机构。. “While the project originated in Rochester, its missions and values transcend the confines of any single community. We know it’s going to be difficult without Adarsh here. He’s been an accessible and insightful mentor, integral to our journey.”
Donnelly adds, “The greatest challenge lies in the uncertainty of the future, but as a team, we love to be challenged, and cannot wait to see how Level the Field will grow in the future.”
Tips from Project Level the Field’s student educational consultants
The founders of Project Level the Field—Keira Donnelly ’26, Adarsh Mavathaveedu ’24, and Hana Zhang ’26—offer tips for high school students interested in applying to college.
Opt for Quality over quantity.
High school students often engage in a “resume war,仅仅因为看到别人这样做，就觉得有必要参加自己可能不感兴趣的活动. When they compare themselves to their peers, they may unnecessarily feel like they are falling behind. In reality, everyone has unique qualities, 个人应该参加他们热爱的课外活动. This ensures that not only do you spend time doing things you love, but that it also translates well for the application process. 对一些你喜欢的活动有一个明确的承诺，比一长串肤浅的约定更有说服力.
Take a break.
许多学生在大学申请过程中忽视了他们的身心健康. We can only produce our best work when we’re feeling our best. This means actively protecting our health by scheduling periodic rest days, eating well, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.
Note, too, 很少有一个理想的时间开始写通常要求的大学申请论文. 通常，写一篇完美文章的压力会阻碍和拖延写作过程. However, some clues may indicate that you should take a break. For example, if you feel a mental fog, or if you’re having trouble staying awake or concentrating, it’s time to take a break. Go for a walk, take a nap, clear your head, and come back.
Similarly, 你的环境会起到很大的作用:我们建议找一个干扰最小的地方, natural lighting, and a setting that allows you to work well.
Keep an open mind.
A rigid mindset can prevent you from exploring schools and limit your application pool. College is largely about taking risks and discovering yourself, 所以不要犹豫，在申请过程中冒同样的风险，尝试新事物. 我们中的许多人都过于关注常春藤盟校的声望，而忽视了其他院校的绝佳机会, both nationally and internationally. 不管录取率如何，许多大学都提供同样有价值的教育经历. Taking risks means considering schools in unexpected locations. Sometimes, the place we least expect to find ourselves is where we truly belong.
Stay true to yourself.
You will attend the college you choose, not anyone else. Find a school that meets your criteria with regard to academics, cocurricular opportunities, athletics, and more. Visualize your ideal college experience, considering both social and academic aspects. Ask yourself: “Are there social organizations that represent my identity and beliefs? Are there student clubs tailored to my hobbies and interests? How does this university handle on-campus conflicts?“选择一个既能促进个人成长，又能提供安全空间的地方至关重要. 你探索得越多——阅读在招生网站或网上其他地方发布的学生经历, meeting with current students, 最后参加录取学生日——这样你就能更好地决定哪所大学最适合你.
