Command Education equips students to be accepted to their dream study programmes by conveying their passions and true selves to admissions teams at elite US universities
Getting into the world’s most prestigious universities has never been more challenging. Despite stellar grades and near-perfect test scores, many seemingly competitive applicants face rejection. However, Christopher Rim knows exactly what elite universities are looking for today. With a GPA (grade point average) of 3.7 out of 4.0 and less-than-perfect scores, Chris earned acceptance to Yale University due to his passion for mental health education and bystander intervention.
“During high school, I started a mental health anti-bullying organisation that caught the attention of Lady Gaga,” says Chris. “It was my distinct passion, used in service of my community, that ultimately made me stand out to the Yale admissions committee. Other students at high school began to ask me for help with their applications – my first student got into MIT, and, by the time I left, I had a successful business.” By 2016, the work that Chris did with applicants blossomed into Command Education, a boutique private college admissions consultancy.
Command Education’s singular approach to college admissions emphasises the importance of discovering one’s passion and telling a cohesive narrative through all of the application materials. The philosophy is rooted in Rim’s personal experience as well as the emotional-intelligence research he conducted while studying psychology at Yale, which found that students are most successful academically when they pursue their genuine passions and interests. Command Education’s team of expert mentors encourages students to explore the distinct interests that allow them to reach their potential. A talented writer might write a book, a budding entrepreneur could start a business or social enterprise. One student ended up on TV pitching to Shark Tank – the US equivalent of Dragons’ Den – while another started her own YouTube makeup channel, gaining endorsements from the likes of Kylie Jenner (the student is now on her way to Stanford).
The firm’s pioneering approach to the college admissions process has a proven track record of success. Over the past five years, 94 per cent of students who have worked with Command Education earned admission to at least one of their top three colleges. Clients come from the highest echelons of society – parents include presidents and prime ministers, royals, and CEOs and founders of leading conglomerates – seeking the results and a highly personalised VIP service.
“We understand each and every student we work with,” says Chris. “So we have the ability to personalise the application and create something unique and authentic. These parents can afford the best private schools, but those schools aren’t often focused on individual students – they want to get ten kids to Harvard and that could be any ten – whereas our sole focus is getting a student into a top university that fits their unique goals and interests.”
Chris believes that the relative youth of his team allows Seniors Mentors to better relate to and form strong connections with students, helping to bring out their potential in creative ways that are led by the interests of the students. “Through our one-on-one mentorship, one student who was very nervous grew into a confident public speaker,” he says. “They got into Harvard, but their parents were more excited that they had gained skills, aspirations and self-assuredness. Our job is to motivate our students by finding what fascinates them and help them realise their full potential, so that they not only get into their dream schools, but excel once they get there.”
www.commandeducation.com