Elijah's Journey to Western Washington University!

I want to congratulate our incredible '24 graduate, Elijah!

Elijah and his family joined our program in April 2022.

After two years of hard work, he was accepted into Western Washington University, where he will be a freshman this fall!

Keep reading to hear about Elijah's experience with CC.us!


Why did you join the program?

I joined because I didn’t want to miss any important steps or deadlines that would’ve been significant for me to get into college. My parents were also very eager to get me involved in the program so that they could know what needed to be done on their end and get any questions answered if they had any. Overall, it just made me feel better knowing I had someone to talk to if I was confused about something, needing help, or wanted input from someone with experience.

How did the program make you feel less stressed?

I’m someone who likes to follow a step by step procedure, especially when it comes to deadlines. I thought the program was very helpful in laying out when certain things needed to be done, when to start thinking about the next steps, and overall getting me ahead of what most people around me hadn’t started doing yet.

What was your favorite part of the curriculum and why?

Honestly, I think my favorite part might have been writing my personal statement because it allowed me to get creative and express more of myself in writing than what usually happens in school. Though I went through several revisions, I thought Piotr was very helpful in being constructive; both telling me what I had done well and where I could’ve improved on my writing. Overall, I thought this was the part of the curriculum where I got to be most creative and write about something I liked.

How did you feel compared to your friends at school?

I definitely felt like I was ahead of schedule, which overall was comforting because it made me less rushed in the process. I felt like the essays I was able to produce were better and more thought out because I had started drafting them so much earlier than what typically might be normal.

Why would you recommend the program to others?

I would recommend this program because of how much it feels like Jack, Piotr, and everyone involved genuinely care about making sure I got the support I needed and letting me know if there was anything more I could be doing in order to be more successful. I felt like not only myself, but my parents were able to come to a logical, straightforward path of next steps after talking to Piotr and reviewing the road map.

What was your experience with the roadmap?

It was definitely very clear and easy to follow. I liked how the different modules corresponded with times of the year, such as the summer after junior year or the fall of senior year. It helped me gauge whether or not I was on top of my work and finishing everything when I should have been, I also think the roadmap was very good in covering everything it needed to. There were a few times where I started wondering about various aspects of the process, such as UC applications, or letters of rec, but then I would look ahead in the roadmap and there would be videos about just that.

What are you most excited for about going to Western Washington?

I’m excited to experience life in a different environment than what I am used to. Because Western Washington is a smaller school, I feel like I’m going to be part of a nice community and get exactly what I want out of my classes rather than being in several lecture halls with little personal connection to any of the people around me, I’m excited to live in Bellingham, Washington, because it’s such a beautiful area, and I’m overall just looking forward to meeting new people.

Elijah, we are SO proud of you and cannot wait to see all the things you accomplish in the future!

If you have a hard-working student, like Elijah, schedule a call with us here!

Best of Luck,

Melina Kazanas

P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler (like Elijah) w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? We'll help get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges...and if we don't get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges, you don't pay us a penny.  Seriously.  College admissions isn't rocket science...but it is a science.  And we've cracked the code...year, after year, after year.  You can learn more about our world renowned all-inclusive, start-to-finish college coaching here and to see if your family qualifies for an introductory call.

P.P.S - Our most common question is "When should we start?!"  The answer is, if you truly care about giving your high schooler the best chance of college planning success, you should start NOW. 9th grade is not too early to start! 10th grade is certainly not too early to start! And 11th grade is far, far too late! (supporting data here to show just how much of an advantage you give your child by starting the process early).