Now more than ever, colleges are looking at more than just academic success - they are looking for confident, competent, unique young adults who are already showcasing their interests. Our Monthly Mentorship Program with Neha helps both parents and students.
Our Group Mentorship Program is designed to guide students in discovering their passions, developing essential skills, and preparing for future success. The curriculum focuses on extracurricular activity strategy, self-advocacy, and taking ownership of personal and academic life. Students learn to identify their interests, set SMART goals, manage time effectively, and build leadership skills. They also develop self-awareness, effective communication, and assertiveness techniques to advocate for themselves. The entire curriculum is built from Neha Gupta, graduate of both Rice and UPENN, where she learned at UPENN her Masters in Education.
As the year progresses, the program covers presentation skills, written communication, and planning for impactful summer activities. Students enhance their ability to present confidently, write professionally, and make meaningful contributions through summer involvement. In addition, the curriculum addresses building self-confidence, overcoming imposter syndrome, and cultivating emotional intelligence and empathy. These skills are essential for developing strong interpersonal relationships and managing emotions effectively.
In the latter part of the program, students focus on conflict resolution, collaboration, networking, and financial literacy. They learn to resolve conflicts constructively, work effectively in teams, and build and maintain professional relationships. The program also emphasizes the importance of financial literacy, covering budgeting, saving, and investment strategies. Finally, students are encouraged to seize growth opportunities, step out of their comfort zones, and develop a personal brand. This comprehensive curriculum ensures that students are well-prepared for academic and professional success, equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate their future with confidence.
In addition, on half of the calls, students will work on their research paper from ideation to completion and publication online. Students will spend time working on their paper, building their passion and interest, creating a 15-20 page research paper in their field of interest. More information about this is below. Again, we do not believe that our students need JUST a research paper, they need advice on classes, extracurriculars, and more.
Our monthly mentorship program with Neha Gupta brings together the top 15% of students from across the country who are hardworking, driven, and passionate about their future. This exclusive group offers unparalleled college admissions guidance, direct insights from Neha, and the opportunity to get all your questions answered. Neha will provide the latest content on college admissions, ensuring your student stands out in the competitive landscape.
Neha's mentorship focuses on comprehensive development, guiding students through soft skills training, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. Additionally, she offers expert advice on extracurricular planning, summer activities, and self-presentation. This program ensures that each student not only excels academically but also develops the essential skills needed for college and beyond.
Our innovative curriculum includes monthly Zoom calls with Neha, where students receive both soft and hard skills training. This program is designed to equip your student with the tools they need to succeed in all aspects of their academic and professional journey. Scroll further to learn about our included research program and how it can benefit your student.
Students in 8th-11th grade who already have a sense of their passion. Students who are in the top 15-20% of their class, driven, hard working, and are open to getting outside help. Students who want to join a community nationally similar to them.
Students who do not know what they want to do. If you need us to help your student to figure out their passion and build their interest, please look into our VIP one on one coaching program. Parents who do not value the power of coaching for their student, or students who are not going to carve the time out do this program. This is also not for students who do not show up and don’t do the work. You need to consider this an extracurricular activity as well in your schedule.
This is a one year commitment where students will have a total of 48 calls total. In these calls half will focus on soft skills and half will focus on the research paper. Homework - barely 1 hour per month outside of sessions. We keep everything within our calls as most of our students are top 10% and are busy with top classes and other items.h-11th grade who already have a sense of their passion. Students who are in the top 15-20% of their class, driven, hard working, and are open to getting outside help. Students who want to join a community nationally similar to them.
Yes, 100% of our students will get an online publication for their paper, and can share this on their resume for admissions.
100% of our students have solid summer plans with competitive programs across the country getting help with their applications and due dates. In addition, all of them have a strong sense of their extracurricular plans as well.
If you want just a research paper, there are tons of programs available that do just that. At College Shortcuts, we build innovative solutions that help students to get the edge in admissions, not just a published paper.
Training in soft skills is crucial because these skills are essential for success in both academic and professional environments. Soft skills, such as communication, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, complement technical knowledge and enhance overall personal effectiveness. They enable students to interact effectively with peers, mentors, and future colleagues, fostering strong relationships and collaborative efforts.
In our mentorship program, we focus on soft skills because they help students to navigate complex social situations, advocate for themselves, and adapt to diverse environments. These skills are vital for interviews, presentations, and everyday interactions, making students more confident and capable leaders. By developing soft skills, students can better express their ideas, manage stress, and work efficiently in teams, all of which are critical for college success and beyond.
Furthermore, colleges and employers highly value soft skills. They are often the differentiating factor that sets candidates apart in competitive admissions and job markets. By training in soft skills, we prepare students not only to meet academic challenges but also to excel in their personal and professional lives, ensuring they are well-rounded individuals ready to tackle any obstacle.
Due to confidentiality and competitiveness of admissions, we cannot give direct examples. We can share that students are writing detailed papers on finance, entrepreneurship, engineering, medicine, computer science, law, and many more topics. The papers are roughly 15-20 pages with over 20 sources and written in detail while we come up with the outline, topic sentence, thesis, and help guide students in 24 calls on how to go from a concept to a published paper. From soft skills, we have students who are building their LinkedIn profiles, learning how to handle conflict resolution in relationships, how to advocate for themselves, how to handle negative self talk, and more. Again, we would love to share our papers, but due to the competitive nature and stealing that can occur with student work, we cannot share the exact work as many of our families want their work private. You can see student’s testimonials here: https://collegeshortcuts.com/testimonials
48 calls total in a 12 month period. A research paper. A student who has more extroverted qualities, passionate, driven, confident, and stronger soft skills. A network of top performers across the US. An expert coach with over 20 years of experience.
What is not included is an independent capstone project. We do not build outside projects as we focus our 48 calls primarily on a research project and soft skills only. If you do want projects customized to your student’s passion we recommend one on one coaching: https://collegeshortcuts.com/vip-mentorship-program
Neha's group coaching program is powerful for families who want a guidance counselor on steroids who will give you direct feedback on what you need to do. Working with Neha, your child will be ready to tackle any competitive university environment successfully and confidently.
A guided research project for students to enhance their college admissions applications.
Our independent research program is led by Neha, graduate of UPENN Masters program. All students will work in a group setting and create a paper on their topic of choice. Students who have research have an improved chance of admissions by over 30% compared to students who do not have an outside of school project. Our team will have papers reviewed by someone in the field as well as help students get their papers published.
Especially for students entering into highly technical fields, it’s critical to show that they have the capacity to process information at a high level and find relevant data with valuable, real-world applications.
Many college admissions officers want to see why you are interested in a specific major. By creating an independent research project, your child will get a head start in every way. Not only will this help to shape their mind, but it will provide resilience, endurance, good study habits, and confidence as they move into college.
Research 101
Most teens don’t know a thing about quality research (unless it’s happening on Wikipedia or TikTok). We provide a crash course on how to effectively research, draw conclusions, and clearly communicate findings based on that research.
Group Mentorship
For the duration of the research program, your student will work with us on their project. We’ll help them find a topic they care about and flush out their ideas thoroughly.
Complete Support
Our team will review all drafts of the research paper and provide comprehensive feedback, editing, and advice as your teen puts together their project. We will also help them navigate the process of getting it reviewed, and getting it submitted for publication.
The key to college acceptance, especially at competitive schools, is distinguishing yourself from the crowd. Most teenagers are doing the same five things: volunteering at a local hospital, joining the science olympiad, taking AP classes, aiming for all A’s, and excelling on the SAT/ACT. While these efforts are commendable, they only get you in the front door of regular colleges. To truly stand out, you need something more.
Our mentorship program, featuring the exclusive Research Boost, offers a unique opportunity that sets your student apart. Few teenagers can boast of completing an academic research project before graduating high school. This distinctive achievement not only showcases their dedication and intellectual curiosity but also significantly enhances their college admissions resume.
By joining our program, your student will build a compelling and standout profile that captures the attention of competitive college admissions committees. Invest in their future today and give them the edge they need to achieve their academic dreams.
Community Platform
All Call Recordings and Lessons
Neha's Virtual Summer Camp - interviewing over 25 leading professionals in their fields
Take the first step to a bright future by joining our exclusive program today.
I was able to achieve the necessary grades in high school along with high ACT/SAT scores to attend my top college choice. Not only is she professional but caring and always available for consultation. Her method of coaching cannot be described as anything less than amazing.
Student @ University of Texas
Neha made my entire college process easy and quick. I was able to create essays and a resume that stood out way beyond my peers. Mine essays were much deep in content and more compelling. I got into my number one choice!
Student @ University of Texas
I feel like I can breathe easier. The College Shortcuts program helped me to get so much done in less than 4 weeks. I was able to apply to my top college by working on essays and the resume portion in such a quick time compared to my peers.
Student @ University of Florida
Having a college admissions expert help your family to know what you need to know in the process can increase the probability of your student getting into their dream school.
