IvyBoost Success Story: A Student’s Path to RPI
Grace was a curious and striving student from a private high school in California.
Grace understood the need for a game plan before tackling college applications, but didn’t know the exact steps she would need to take for such a plan.
Around the early part of her 11th grade during the Fall of 2023, Grace reached out to IvyBoost for support to shape her plans towards admissions for a STEM major.
With the advice of her IvyBoost counselor, Grace finished strong in her junior year with clear goals on college options with an abundance of opportunities in bioengineering or biomedical engineering.
How did she go step by step on her path to a great STEM college like RPI?
Testing and Summer Program Priorities:
The student had wondered about taking a different standardized test for higher scores. IvyBoost’s experience helped her stay on track for her goal by improving on the standardized test she was most familiar with, for a 1490 test score.
Additionally, with her counselor’s knowledge of her science interest and help, Grace was able to dive more into her STEM passion at a competitive summer program like COSMOS.
College Major Discovery:
Grace had an initial goal of a major in a STEM field, like biology. With IvyBoost counseling, she expanded her potential majors in the direction of bioengineering, and developed a career vision accordingly.
Emphasize Essential Info in College Applications:
For colleges with competitive STEM majors, IvyBoost helped orient Grace’s application strategy to bring out her multifaceted experiences in scientific research. Her essays also took the chance to include her rich experiences in creativity and art, after discussion with IvyBoost’s mentors.
In the spring of 2025, Grace was excited to receive her acceptances to RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) and the University of Washington, for biomedical engineering and bioengineering, among other schools.
With IvyBoost’s comprehensive guidance and knowledge, Grace considered new career opportunities and colleges, paving the way for her future success and STEM exploration!
Attribution: “Seal of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute” by Kenneth C. Zirkel is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
