Crimson Pathfinder: A New Tool For Students To Get Started With The College Application Process

The college application process isn’t as easy as it used to be, and it’s more complicated than ever! Their extensive to-do lists make managing tasks and deadlines overwhelming and even a little scary. Students looking at top colleges like Harvard, Stanford, or Princeton may be wondering what activities or extracurriculars will help them stand out from the rest of the talented pool of students. What do the admissions teams look for in the application?

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As college admissions become more competitive, high school students are looking for innovative ways to prepare for college. They want to know what looks good on college applications and what extracurriculars and activities will give them the best chance of getting into their dream colleges.

Overview Of The College Application Process

• Academics: Your grades are one of the most important parts of your college application. The grades that you have already achieved should be entered for the college to see. Predicted grades for this session may also be entered, or the college will ask for grade reports and transcripts from your school.
• Test Scores: As well as your grades, colleges will also look at your standardized test scores to gain an overview of your ability. Whether you are completing the ACT or the SAT, each college you are applying for will have a score they are looking for, so check this ahead of time. Learn more about what make a good SAT/ACT score.
• College Essays: Your college essay allows colleges to find out more about you and gain a sample of your writing.
• Extracurriculars: Your college application should also include details of any extracurricular activities that you partake in – from part-time jobs, sports clubs or anything you are involved in outside of the classroom. It is important to discuss these and what you have gained from them within your college application.
• Recommendations: Recommendation letters are written by your teachers or coaches, and their purpose is to give the colleges that you are applying for further insight into your character and if you would be a suitable candidate for their institution.
• College Application Fees: You will have to pay to officially submit your applications. This can cost between $25 and $90, depending on the college. If you are struggling to afford this fee, speak to one of our college counsellor, who may be able to help with this as there are circumstances in which the fee should be waived. Learn more about Financial Aid opportunities

How To Get Started With The College Application Process?

What if there was a way to take the overwhelming stress out of the college application process? Or maybe a tool that would simplify the application process, tell students exactly what they need to include, and break down the deadlines in easy-to-manage steps?

That tool is finally here! Crimson Education just released Pathfinder - a comprehensive in-app tool that not only helps students stay on track but helps them quantify the value of activities they do in preparation to apply to competitive US schools.

Master the College Application Process With Crimson Pathfinder

Pathfinder is an exclusive tool created by the Crimson Product team in collaboration with current and former admissions officers from eight top universities, including Dartmouth, Stanford, and Oxford, to help applicants quantify the value of their activities in preparation to apply to competitive US schools.

Here is a breakdown of what the admissions officers valued the most:

1. Academics, 35% (e.g., grades, class rank, course difficulty)
2. Extracurriculars, 20% (e.g., activities, competitions, arts, sports)
3. Personal development, 20% (e.g., maturity and thoughtfulness, reading habits, writing skills, personal relationships)
4. Standardized tests, 15% (SAT/ACT, TOEFL/IELTS if applicable)
5. Majors, careers, and schools, 10% (including major preparation, college research, and networking)

After aggregating the input of these admissions officers, Crimson’s team used applications from thousands of past Crimson students to calibrate the tool.

Contained within the Crimson app, Pathfinder is a master list of everything a student can do during high school to increase their chances of admission to top US universities. Pathfinder includes over 280 goals, each with an assigned point value based on how much admissions officers will value that achievement.

As students complete goals and accrue points, they move up through ‘levels’ in Pathfinder, which correlate with increasingly competitive universities. These levels include Scout, Seeker, Venturer, Voyager, and Globetrotter. The higher they score on Pathfinder, the more competitive an applicant they’ll be.

Gamify the Value of Your High School Activities

Crimson has created a first-of-its-kind tool that quantifies the value of high school activities in the context of college admissions success. This tool doesn’t factor in application essays or financial aid needs, but Pathfinder has been tested against data from numerous Crimson students of all qualifications. Its levels correlate clearly with specific admissions outcomes.

Prepare for College Applications with Crimson Pathfinder

Every student’s Pathfinder looks different because it’s customized to their interests, needs, and objectives. It ensures they stay on track between now and when they apply to college. The more students use Pathfinder, the smarter the tool becomes. Pathfinder accurately predicts a student’s admission results (based on their achievements) with unbelievable accuracy. Combined with guidance from their personalized Strategist, students become masters of their college applications.

Final Thoughts

Crimson conducts ongoing calibration, using the hundreds of data points gained in each application cycle. It’s also updated annually as admissions processes, weighting, and desired traits grow and change.

Pathfinder is a groundbreaking tool designed exclusively for Crimson Education’s students. Check out the Crimson Pathfinder introduction video to learn more about this innovative and exciting new tool.

If you have further questions, contact one of our Crimson advisors.