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We have a unique approach at ESM Prep College MatchPoint. It all begins and ends with our ultimate goal: for our students to thrive in their selected college.
The college application process can feel overwhelming, no matter how strong the student. But at ESM Prep College MatchPoint, we believe it should be organized, personal, and even fun, and we provide a framework that reduces the stress throughout the journey.
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Activity Planning
The most successful college applicants have engaged in activities that are based on their interests, aptitudes, and motivations. This guide presents our i4 framework and walks you through how your student can optimize their interest, involvement, initiative, and impact to successfully engage during high school and develop into a strong college applicant.
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Today’s teenagers are not choosing college for the same reasons their parents did. In a recent survey of over 5,000 college freshmen, only about 20% say the “college experience” matters most in their decision. The rest are thinking about outcomes. They want a return on investment, a clear path to a career, and a way to use their strengths in the real world. This is a major shift. Parents once picked colleges for community and campus life. Students today are evaluating programs, job placement, and practical skills. The modern college search is about connecting a student’s natural aptitudes with programs that lead to success after graduation.
Some students transform during the school year. He transformed during the summers . Three intentional summers helped him uncover a passion for data, find direction in his academics, and ultimately earn a spot in UT Austin’s Statistics and Data Science program . Each summer built on the last—moving from curiosity to skill to mastery. By using his breaks to explore what he loved, he changed not just his college options but his confidence in who he was becoming.
When she finished 10th grade at her public high school, she felt lost. Her GPA was solid but not in the top 15 percent, and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. She played soccer, worked hard in her classes, and liked psychology—but none of it pointed clearly toward a college major or future path. Two years later, she had admission offers from Georgetown University, The University of Texas at Austin, and even an Ivy League school. The change didn’t come from adding more activities or raising her GPA. It came from how she used her summers—h ere’s how she found clarity, confidence, and direction .
Winter break is a rare pause in a busy year. It gives students time to rest, reflect, and reset before the spring semester. Without homework and tests, students can step back and focus on personal growth. These few weeks can help them clarify goals, explore interests, and get organized for what is next.
For this year's high school seniors, early decision notifications stretch from early December through mid-February. These rounds shape the majority of incoming classes at many selective colleges, and they reveal much about where competition is tightening. This week-by-week guide highlights only Early Decision (ED1 and ED2) schools, including their exact notification phrasing and admit rates when available.
For the Fall 2026 admissions cycle, highly selective colleges and universities across the country are experiencing a surge in early applications once again. After a few years of post-pandemic fluctuation, this year’s data show a clear trend: students are applying earlier, in greater numbers, and with increasingly strategic intent. Schools reporting significant increases include Boston College (up 15%), Duke University (up 8%), Emory University (up 21%), Northwestern University (up 15%), New York University (up 10%), the University of Georgia (up 14% in Early Action), the University of Pennsylvania (up about 12%), and the University of Virginia (up 11% in Early Decision). The upward movement at these institutions continues a broader pattern of front-loaded admissions cycles, where students aim to maximize every possible edge.