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Founder Lauren Joyce Hensel shares insight into DEMONSTRATED INTEREST, how some universities use it, and how to master it living outside America. Lately, we are meeting many families who do not know anything about demonstrated interest - particularly at international schools, where counselors may need to know multiple application processes. It seems demonstrated interest falls to the wayside, and families are losing valuable insight into this factor used in American university admissions. So what is demonstrated interest? Demonstrated interest is the extent to which a students shows a university their eagerness to attend that particular school - with one of the most popular ways being the beloved campus visit. Over the years, demonstrated interest has grown into an important factor in some admission offices. In the past the submission of an application led universities to believe a student was interested in attending; however, as students are applying to more colleges than ever. In 2015, NACAC reported 35% of undergraduate students applied to seven or more colleges. As more students are applying to schools for a limited number of enrollment spots, an application is not enough to justify interest. Thus, universities are adapting to meet their enrollment goals. In fact, between 2004 and 2011 (see page 23), the percentage of school utilizing demonstrated interest in admissions rose from 7% to 23%. Why? Simply put, universities want to know if you really love them and are likely to graduate. Demonstrated interest is one way to assist them in predicting if YOU are that person. Since international students and expats living abroad often have a hard time making it to university campuses for visits if they are living outside the continental US resulting in the question, you may be wondering how you can demonstrate interest if a campus visit is not possible? Fortunately, in the digital age, universities are providing more and more ways for students to engage with them and show they would love to be part of a school’s campus and community. Below are five simple ways students living abroad can demonstrate interest WITHOUT physically visiting campus. Interact with the school representative at university fairs. Schools send representatives all around the world looking to connect with students like you! Take the time to visit the representatives at college fairs. The Council of International Schools (CIS) lists global university fairs by region on their website. Save the date on your calendar and get networking! Apply before deadlines. Students who are excited about attending a university will often apply BEFORE the deadline - and not by minutes. The earlier you submit your completed application (all components), the more you are interested in attending - pure and simple. At LAUNCH, we work with clients to strategize application submission dates based on interest to maximize their admission chances and show counselors a student’s interest in a school. Like and follow schools on social media. Just because you are not on campus, doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the action. Like, share, comment away on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat. Keep comments positive. Make sure to tag schools as well if you chat with them at a university fair. They will notice! Attend a webinar or virtual tour. More and more schools are offering students the option to attend a webinar or virtual tour that you must register for ahead of time and actually sign onto via the internet. This is a way for universities to know you are about the school as well as particular programs. A simple webinar could make all the difference in being admitted or not. Do you want to leave your future up to 30 minutes that you had control over? Open those emails. You know which ones I am talking about right? All those emails from universities that you think are spam and choose not to open. If any of those emails are from a university on your list, open it, read it, and click through the links to the website. Universities are using the data such as open rate, click through rate, and more to help determine if a student is interested in them. Leave no email unopened. By the way, tracking demonstrated interest doesn’t stop once you are accepted. Universities will want data after you graduate as a way to determine if you are going to donate. Perhaps demonstrated interest is just preparation for the university's future fundraising plans? #dreamlaunchsoar

Co-founder Sara Bittner provides insight into starting the The College Essay process early and working on it the summer before senior year. One of the most unique aspects of the US college and university admission process is the personal statement, or as American high schoolers would put it: The College Essay. The point of the personal statement is to introduce yourself as a person to the admissions department. They don’t expect flawless prose or an earth-shattering experience. They do expect to have a pretty good idea of who you are as a person and what matters to you. Many US colleges and universities use the Common Application to streamline the application process for prospective students. Year to year, the seven essay prompts might change slightly, but largely stay the same every year. As a result, students can start writing their personal statements long before they even know for certain where they want to apply. So the question remains, when should you start? At LAUNCH, we recommend students write their essay the summer before their senior year. International students won’t always get in-class time to write their college essays, so it’s important to set aside a sizable chunk of time they can devote to the essay writing process: choosing a prompt, brainstorming a topic, first draft, revision, revision, revision! Admissions officers want to see how an experience changed you or taught you about yourself, and to be able to communicate that effectively, you will need time and space to reflect on it. We know it can be challenging to find extra time during the school year, which is why we advise writing in the summer. Many institutions also require supplemental essays. These essays are often shorter, and vary from college to college. Once you have narrowed your college search and know where you want to apply, then you need to be able to devote your time to writing the additional supplements. This will happen in the fall of your final year of high school. With all the demands of high school, extra-curriculars, and social life, it is important to get in front of your deadlines, and crossing such a large task off the to-do list is a serious stress reliever. To schedule your own personal statement workshop with LAUNCH, contact us. And remember to #dreamlaunchsoar!

Founder and Head Guidance Coach Lauren Joyce Hensel highlights the Top 10 reasons there is value in using an ethical Independent Education Consultant for the university application process. 1. IECs have qualifications. To gain membership in the Independent Education Consultants Association (IECA) and International Association of College Admission Counselors (International ACAC), LAUNCH has to meet stringent guidelines. Qualifications for IECA membership include: a bachelor’s (associate member) or master’s degree (professional), at least three years of admissions counseling experience, professional references, and experience working with students. Members must also have a commitment to continuing education and professional development. International ACAC requires members to have a recommendation from a current ACAC member and clear outlines of one's business expectations. LAUNCH is currently an Associate Member of the IECA and a proud member of the International ACAC. 2. IECs visit schools regularly. Members of the IECA continually visit colleges and universities to increase their understanding of campuses and educational opportunities for students. Members average 25 visits per year in their area of specialization. During a visit, LAUNCH team education counselors meet with members of the admissions teams to talk about what kind of student would fit in well at the institution. We are given a thorough tour of campus, an overview of the school curriculums, student clubs, social life, faculty member highlights, research opportunities and internships, career centers, and more. We meet with and talk to current students to understand their experiences and get their viewpoints about the institution as a whole. These visits help us to further make recommendations to our clients about where their interests and opportunities align to find the best fit for them. 3. IECs specialize in a focus. When joining the IECA, members must pick one or two specializations (Graduate Programs, Therapeutic Programs, International, Learning Disabilities, College and School) to better serve students and their families. LAUNCH specializes in serving third-culture families and student-athletes in the "College and School" niche. To serve as many students as possible, we continuously build our referral network for additional services that lie outside our expertise. All LAUNCH referrals match our values and approach to school advice and university guidance. 4. Independent Education Counselors advocate for students. IECA members operate independently. They are not affiliated with any school or university, which means their sole purpose is to advocate for students by learning about the environment that is best suited to the needs of the student. They help students sift through the overwhelming amount of information available by keeping up to date on changing trends, policies, deadlines, and more. We help research to save families time and guide them on where to allocate their time. 5. IECs provide individualized attention. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends secondary school counselors have a student load of 250:1. However, the national average in America is 408:1 per the most recent study completed in 2023 (Rakestraw, Kathleen). Furthermore, a recent survey by the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC) found that counselors typically only dedicate 30% of their time to college counseling, which averages out to 38 minutes per student. This means many students and families are left to navigate the ever-changing college admissions process alone or with misinformation. At LAUNCH, we work with no more than 10 students per graduating class, which means families receive in-depth guidance with a personalized and holistic approach to the university admission process. 6. IECs utilize an unbiased approach. To maintain an ethical approach to school and university guidance, IECA members objectively get to know a student, their values, likes and dislikes, ambitions, and more so they can delve deep into meaningful research. Our goal is to find multiple best-fit options, as typically students will find more than one throughout the school search process. We rely on a combination of facts, historical knowledge, student reviews, campus tours, alumni earnings, and more to provide a well-rounded view of a school. This helps us to understand if our clients will fit with the culture and community of campus. 7. IECs follow sound, ethical standards. The leading organizations for Independent Education Counselors (IECA and HECA) provide ethical guidelines for all their members. In addition, the International ACAC requires members to adhere to NACAC’s stringent and robust ethical and social responsibility guidelines. Breaking these guidelines can have severe repercussions and result in professional consequences from any of these organizations. 8. IECs offer advice, not guarantees. IECs cannot guarantee acceptance into any school, college, or university. As a result, IECs offer unbiased advice and structured guidance which lead to a strong admissions strategy. They work with families to disseminate false or inaccurate information about schools, programs, organizations, and professionals. At the end of the day, a client is responsible for making their final choices, but at LAUNCH we aim to create increased opportunities through sound, competent and informed advice and a trusting relationship with our clients. 9. IECs encourage independence. All IECA members encourage students and families to be active participants in their school search process. Through a personalized process, IECs can broaden perspectives and opportunities, discuss possibilities in a meaningful way, and encourage students to reflect deeply upon their priorities, wants, and needs regarding a school. By working with a reduced client load at LAUNCH, we are able to actively encourage personal discovery throughout the entire school application process. 10. IECs are your family’s partner in the process. An IEC’s personalized approach allows them to become partners with students and their families. At LAUNCH, we want families to celebrate their milestones with us throughout the process and beyond. We want them to remember us as a safe place where they were able to launch their future. To start your partnership with LAUNCH, apply online at www.launcheducationadviors.com/bookings and remember to #dreamlaunchsoar! About the Author Lauren Joyce Hensel is the Founder of LAUNCH Education Advisors. She has 15 years of College Admissions experience and a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Illinois Institute of Technology. As a former D1 collegiate volleyball player and coach, she has a passion for college athletics and recruiting. Lauren currently resides in Chicago, Illinois with her family. Sources: 1. Rakestraw, Kathleen. 2023. Student-to-School Counselor Ratios in the United States. Retrieved from [https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a0565224-7cc7-4119-883a-2aa900e296b6/student-to-sc-ratios.pdf] 2. National Association for College Admission Counseling. Counseling and College Counseling in America's High Schools. Retrieved from [https://brandcollegeconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/NACAC-counselor-paper.pdf]

by Sara Bittner One of the most unique points of the American college and university system is the prevalence of sports on and around campus. When we talk about college sports, most people will think of stadiums filled with fans cheering on world class athletes. While universities competing in the Big East, Big 10 or ACC and similar conferences will most certainly have that experience, it is only the tip of the iceberg of the college sports experience. NCAA: Understanding the Backbone of College Athletics The NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA are the governing bodies of college varsity sports. This means that one of the aforementioned organizations oversees and regulates athletic practice and competition at over 1900 colleges and universities in the US. They have regulations to protect the athletes (including limits on mandatory training hours and banning competition and mandatory practice during final exam periods), and to ensure fair play among participating institutions. D1, D2, and D3 Explained The NCAA is the most popular and divides the competition into three divisions, very creatively called Division I, Division II, and Division III, or more often known as D1, D2, and D3. D1 programs generally have bigger budgets and are permitted to offer more scholarship money than D2 programs (and even though the Ivy League is D1, they do not award athletic scholarships). D1 programs also have the most stringent academic requirements for athletic eligibility, requiring a minimum 2.3 GPA in addition to a minimum ACT/SAT score. D2 requirements are slightly less strict, requiring a minimum 2.0 GPA and a sliding scale of ACT/SAT scores, while still being permitted to award some athletic scholarships. As D3 universities do not offer athletic scholarships, the NCAA does not regulate academic standards for these athletes. Although they do not receive athletic scholarships, 75% of D3 athletes receive merit scholarships or need-based grants. Even after dividing participating universities into three divisions, each division still has hundreds of participants, so how do they organize competition fairly? Each division is divided into conferences, approximately ten universities that regularly compete against each other in all sports. Universities in these conferences typically have similar budgets for athletics, ensuring a relatively even playing field for in-conference competition. Also worth noting, scholarships at D1 and D2 universities can only be awarded for NCAA-sponsored sports. Currently, this does not include men’s field hockey, sailing, or men’s rowing. These sports may exist at some universities as club sports, but funding will be much more limited. Another remarkable exception to this rule is the up and coming world of Esports. NAIA and NJCAA: Alternative Pathways to College Sports Success The NAIA sponsors 14 varsity sports and often the schools are smaller, have smaller budgets, and limit the amount of travel their students undertake resulting in a well-balanced student-athlete lifestyle. At some NAIA schools, the competition is just as competitive as schools in NCAA D1 and D2. A key feature of the NAIA is its lack of recruiting restrictions, which means student-athletes and coaches can converse as much as they want throughout the recruiting process, which helps ensure the best fit. The NJCAA is a viable option for many students and is often recommended by NCAA or NAIA coaches in sports such as Baseball, Basketball, or Football. NJCAA schools are junior colleges (also known as community colleges), where student athletes can build their athletic ability, focus on GPA strengthening, or develop socially and emotionally before heading off to a four-year program. The NJCAA has the least restrictions of any governing body but still aims to protect its student-athletes while offering a memorable athletic experience. When determining what level a student should compete at, LAUNCH encourages students to explore their academic and athletic ambitions and aim for a program and school with integrity, ambition, and resources to help them #dreamlaunchsoar. Did you know That both LAUNCH founders were collegiate athletes? LAUNCH offers personalized college recruiting guidance as well. We're happy to chat and answer your questions! Sara Bittner is a co-founder of LAUNCH education consultants as well as a guidance and community coach. She specializes in American east-coast schools, student-athletes, expat and third culture families, and application essays. In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking, and fitness. She currently resides in the Netherlands with her husband and two children.

by Sara Bittner Is Community College a Good Option? Community College, also known as Junior College (JuCo), is often confusing for domestic and international students alike. Since junior college has different cultural meanings, there is confusion about the level of education. Couple this confusion with the proliferation of misinformation, and many students and their families do not view JuCo as a viable route to obtaining a quality and comprehensive education that will prepare them for the job market and post baccalaureate studies. Contrary to these beliefs, I believe JuCos do an amazing job at providing educational training, preparation, and opportunity to a diverse set of students, including those seeking or are currently pursuing vocational or white collar careers. With this post I hope to combat five popular myths about JuCo’s and open up doors of opportunity for our followers. MYTH 1 Community College is not a good school for students with good grades. Junior colleges are required to meet the education requirements of their regional accrediting agency, which means a top university in the same region as a junior college must meet the same requirements for faculty, curriculum, and more. Oftentimes, students and families choose junior colleges as they are often more affordable and require less financial commitment. High-achieving students can apply to become members of Honors Programs, which often require submission of the ACT or SAT, where they will receive additional academic support and challenges to help inspire and mentor their ambitions. MYTH 2 Community College credits will not transfer to four-year universities. While it is never an easy process to transfer, transferring credits does not have to be difficult. Private and public colleges have different policies to follow when deciding to accept credits so it is important for students to work on their four-year university transfer list to better understand which classes to take at a JuCo. Additionally, many colleges have transfer agreements which outline the courses a student needs to take at the JuCo level. In addition, there are many secondary school students who enroll in classes at JuCo’s (called dual enrollment) to earn post secondary credit while in secondary school and allow them to accelerate their courses at university. In addition, many four-year university students enroll in summer classes at JuCos to get ahead of their class schedule over the summers. MYTH 3 Community Colleges have little to no student life or athletics. Just like four-year public and private universities, JuCos offer their students opportunities to meet others with shared passions and interests, build their leadership skills, and compete in various athletic teams (governed by the NJCAA). In fact, many athletes use their JuCo time to develop and hone their skills, do GPA strengthening, and prepare to make a difference at the four-year level. Sports teams also help build a sense of campus life and spirit. While many JuCo’s do not offer on-campus housing, a number utilize their social capital within their communities to offer affordable housing options to students. In regards to international travel, JuCo’s form consortiums, which allow schools to pool their resources and provide increased travel and study opportunities than if they were to plan them as a sole institution. MYTH 4 Community College courses are easy. Junior colleges offer varying levels of courses depending on student’s abilities including Honors Programs such as those at Northern Virginia Community College, Saddleback Community College, and Tallahassee Community College. The varying programs allow students to prepare for their next life transition in a way that is affordable and intellectually suitable for their ambitions. While professors aim to make classes comfortable and welcoming, they hold students to high expectations and push them outside their comfort zones. MYTH 5 Community College professors are subpar. I end with this because this is perhaps the biggest fallacy of all. Oftentimes, professors teach at JuCos because they truly get to teach more than once or twice a semester, which is often the norm at larger, research-based universities. In fact, a 2008 study by the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) found 90% of faculty solely focus on teaching instead of research. As underserved groups make up a large portion of students at junior colleges, professors aim to focus on student well-being and success, which prepares them for later life transitions. LAUNCH believes JuCos offer students a variety of exciting and door opening opportunities for many students. So while many people perceive JuCo’s are less, they in fact are more than people expect. To begin your educational journey, make sure to book a free consultation with LAUNCH education advisors. #dreamlaunchsoar About the Author Sara Bittner is a co-founder of LAUNCH education consultants as well as a guidance and community coach. She specializes in American east-coast schools, student-athletes, expat and third culture families, and application essays. In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking, and fitness. She currently resides in the Netherlands with her husband and two children.

Written by LAUNCH co-founder Sara Bittner Back in the Stone Age (or early 2000s), when my sister was deciding where to go to college, the first thing my mom did was buy a guide to all the colleges and universities in the US. Seems practical right? Not so much. That thing was the size of a phone book, and the universities were listed arbitrarily. Either straight alphabetical order, region, or sports conference? It doesn’t matter. You can’t ctrl+F a book, or sort results by price (low to high). The information was printed, and it was up to you to find what you needed and make a choice. Except, sorting through a book with hundreds, if not thousands of colleges and universities was daunting. It has been this way for quite some time, and when people can’t sort through all the information presented to them, they trust someone else to evaluate the data for them. Since 1983, for many Americans, this has been the US News & World Report’s Best Colleges list. How do College Rankings Work? The Best College list as reported by the US News & World Report weights and combines 16 different factors to rank colleges. Some of these factors are objective and can be externally verified, but other factors, such as test scores and GPAs of admitted applicants, rely on confidential information. This information is self-reported by universities and as we found out in the recent University of Oklahoma case, this information is not always submitted honestly and accurately. Still, other factors can be gamed to increase ratings; university spending per student, for example, is easy to increase by upholding costly, inefficient amenities. Universities know how their admission decisions impact their ranking, and do everything in their power to game the system to their advantage. Unfortunately, this often leads universities to lie about the real statistics of their incoming freshman class. Many of the ranking factors also adversely affects racially and economically diverse student bodies. One such example being alumni giving. Intended to measure how satisfied students were with their college experience, it is easy to inflate by admitting wealthier students who come from a higher income bracket family before entering college, as it is safe to assume they will remain wealthy and in a position to donate to the school. Students from a lower socio-economic status are more likely to graduate with student loan debt and less likely to afford sizable donations. Therefore, schools serving a highly socio-economically diverse student body may rank lower, which fortifies the higher rankings of the schools with wealthier student bodies. I could go down the list of factors of USNWR and explain how the ranking method is adversely affecting college admissions, but that isn’t necessarily helpful, not to mention a big downer. Where can families turn to find the information to help them make this decision? LAUNCH is here to help guide you and provide you shortcuts to discovering better measures for US universities. Other Ways to Evaluate a School One answer is the National Survey of Student Engagement. Instead of collecting data from university administrations, the NSSE surveys undergraduate students in areas proven to have a positive influence on student outcomes. Most notably? The NSSE does not support the use of their data to rank colleges and universities. Using student surveys provides you advice from students who are living the experience in the classroom, lab, field, dorm, etc., which is what you pay for as a parent. At LAUNCH, we comb through these data points in order to carefully curate the list of recommended colleges, and might draw your attention to a school you might not have considered if all you had been looking at is the USNWR rankings. In addition, we love reading students' reviews (both good AND bad) on Niche.com and about the school culture in the Fiske Guide to Colleges. By using multiple touch points instead of pure rankings, we guide families in developing a better idea of the schools, their communities, cultures and priorities, and the likelihood of post-graduate success. #dreamlaunchsoar ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sara is a co-founder of LAUNCH education consultants as well as a guidance and community coach. She specializes in American east-coast schools, student-athletes, expat and third culture families, and application essays. In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking, and fitness. She currently resides in the Netherlands with her husband and two children.

In this post, LAUNCH founder and head guidance coach Lauren Joyce Hensel reflects on the 2019 US college admissions bribery scandal and its fallout. VARSITY BLUES: The College Admissions Scandal of 2019 When I heard about the US college admission scandal, I immediately thought, “Oh no, this won’t be good.” I felt angry, betrayed, frustrated, resentful, and generally unwell. LAUNCH’s website was only two weeks out from going live and we were preparing to accept clients. After spending the better part of the past month building out the services LAUNCH would offer (including university guidance), the past two months taking online classes to improve our knowledge, and the past five years wondering when to literally launch, I felt the news would de-legitimize the business. To us, this scandal (which is now a netflix documentary!) could mean disaster before our business began. But, we were not willing to give up yet. IEC Counselors' High Standards You see, I grew up in a blue-collar household with a father who was a journeyman pipefitter and a mother who was a pharmacy technician. In our family, you earned status through industriousness and resilience, where hard work created luck and opportunity, and where the truth would set you free. My parents ingrained in me that education could not be taken away, but the opportunity could if you did not work hard. So instead of giving up on my ambition to open LAUNCH, I persisted and intensified my efforts. I expedited my application to the Independent Education Consultants Association to legitimize our ability to guide and advise families in an ethical manner. In fact, the IECA said it has seen membership requests increase as a result of the scandal, which they are viewing as an educational opportunity. I enrolled in additional classes to increase our knowledge base in guiding international students to avoid any bias, improve intercultural communication, and break the exploitation cycle occurring in independent education consulting. Lastly, I attended the IECA convention in Chicago to learn from experienced consultants and the IECA itself on best and next practices so LAUNCH can better serve its community (read more about IECs here). The importance of College Advisors While I knew the wealthy always had an advantage (do you really think everyone at Harvard got in on merit alone?), I believed in the possibilities and opportunities America is supposed to offer every single person. Although I acknowledge the power money holds over people and its ability to sway decision making, the scope and depth of unethical behavior outlined in the scandal shows the extremes families (including those in Operation Varsity Blues) will go to achieve or maintain a perceived status. This is not acceptable behavior. Corruption may work in the short term, but cheaters will be found out. The parents in the scandal robbed their children of opportunities, confidence building activities, and the ability to be their own person. As a former collegiate All-American volleyball player, I am grateful for the trustworthy and industrious coaches who led my teams throughout the years. Since my parents only have high school diplomas, I relied on my school guidance counselor, whom I only met with for less than 30 minutes at age 16, volleyball coaches, and advice from friends and/or family. While I landed on my feet, some of the advice was not prudent or helpful. In fact, some advice stunted my ability to step outside my comfort zone. At LAUNCH, I want to provide trustworthy school guidance based on integrity and curiosity. We vow to every client and their family, that we will never participate in unethical behavior, but instead will provide them with quality coaching to help them discover their gifts and talents and introduce them to schools that will value what these students have to bring to the table. College Admissions is Complicated America has over 4,000 universities to choose from, and it can be tempting for parents to only consider schools ranked in the traditional top 50, as they want to be sure their child is getting the best education possible. The catch is admission rates to these schools continue to decline (This post explains how admission rates affect rankings and how universities game the system). In addition, tuition costs are on the rise, and financial aid funds are not always keeping pace, and in some cases, even decreasing. Top 50 schools are becoming increasingly more difficult for students to gain admission, either for financial or academic reasons. Luckily, there are at least 3950 other schools to choose from, all with their own sets of strengths and opportunities. There are more paths to success than just the Ivies; it takes flexible thinking, research, planning, and deep knowledge of the process. If the average person were to take on this research, they may overlook a great, unknown educational opportunity. Instead of paying someone off to unethically secure a spot, work with a qualified independent education consultant who offers students and families opportunity, trust, and ethical guidance. #dreamlaunchsoar ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lauren Joyce Hensel is the Founder of LAUNCH Education Advisors. She has 15 years of College Admissions experience and a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Illinois Institute of Technology. As a former D1 collegiate volleyball player and coach, she has a passion for college athletics and recruiting. Lauren currently resides in Chicago, Illinois with her family.