How to Find Your Path and Earn Acceptances to Purdue and Beyond

Background

Shobhit Pradhan, Class of 2024, partnered with Dewey Smart for counseling and test prep, where he discovered his academic interests, built a focused strategy, and crafted strong essays.

The Challenge

Application Essays & Narrative

Finding Academic Interests

Building College List

Before joining Dewey Smart, Shobhit felt uncertain about his future. He wasn’t sure which colleges he should apply to, or even what areas of study he wanted to pursue. This lack of direction made the application process confusing and overwhelming. Without a clear path, choosing schools that were a good fit seemed nearly impossible. On top of that, writing admissions essays was difficult because he didn’t yet have a narrative tying together his achievements and interests. He knew he needed guidance to clarify his academic direction and present himself authentically to colleges.

Goals

• Identify his academic interests and potential majors
• Build a focused list of colleges to apply to
• Write compelling essays that connected his past work to his chosen field

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The Strategy

Shobhit’s counselor worked closely with him to explore his interests and clarify what he wanted to study in college. By reflecting on his past experiences, achievements, and academic strengths, Shobhit was able to narrow down potential majors and identify colleges that aligned with his goals.

Once his list was established, the focus turned to essays. His counselor encouraged him to frame his past activities and accomplishments in a way that highlighted his curiosity and potential in his chosen area of study. Through multiple drafts and revisions, Shobhit learned to approach his essays with a fresh perspective, ensuring they were authentic and compelling. This strategic process not only helped him strengthen his applications but also gave him clarity about his future direction.

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