What Clients Say…
Ilene is a great listener and works with the child's personality. She has the knack to gently nudge and motivate without overwhelming my child. She has been very helpful with planning and researching the type of schools that would be perfect for my child. She is prompt and thorough in every communication. I am very grateful to have found her, and absolutely recommend her!
Shailu Jaswal, Parent, Radnor, PA 2024
The college application process has changed a lot since I applied. It can be all-consuming and daunting. From building a strong list of schools through sending in the last paperwork, Ilene kept my daughter organized, engaged, and enthused about the future. Thanks to Ilene for guiding us through the process and keeping everyone calm.
Ryan O’Connor, Ridgewood, NJ 2024
As a first generation, non traditional student, applying to medical school without guidance was extremely difficult. I am so grateful I found Ms. Rosen, working with her has changed everything for me. With the tips and tricks Ms. Rosen provided we were able to craft my personal statement in a way that told my story and checked all the boxes the admissions committee looks for, all while remaining true to myself. From my primary application to my secondary essays and interviews, Ms. Rosen has been there for it all and created an invaluable support system I didn’t know I needed. Her expertise in navigating the application season is matched by how much she cares for each student and I can truly say I would not be where I am today without her advice and guidance.-
Kate McC medical school reapplicant, 2024 (scroll down to read more about Kate’s story)
Ilene, we want to thank you again for all of your help navigating the complex world of higher education. You were there for us from the very beginning and your expertise has prepared us every step of the way. From the first time you talked with my son, it was obvious you wanted to really get to know him and understand what he was looking for in a college. You knew just what questions to ask and how to ask them - my normally shy son was perfectly at ease talking with you. Your guidance through the application process, essay development, FASFA information, and acceptance timeline was all spot on. We simply cannot thank you enough. Everyone hears the nightmare stories of the college selection process, but with you by our side, our story is more like a Dream Come True!
Casey Reardon, Parent, Berwyn, PA
We were so lucky to have found Ilene Rosen when we did. With Ilene’s thoughtful guidance, we went from a literal state of panic, stress and tears and fears to one of calmness, organization and focus. She provided honest professional guidance with the financial aid process, personal statement, and strategies in the school selection and application planning that lead to my son’s acceptance at his school of choice. I look forward to partnering with her again as my daughter goes through the complicated world of college applications in the future. Thank you Ilene.
Yasmine Ba, Parent, Devon, PA
We are so grateful that you have been a part of our daughter’s college application essay journey. She felt very comfortable working with you and gained a lot of confidence from your input and guidance. What could have been a painful, anxiety-ridden ordeal was instead drama-free and manageable. We would have no problem recommending you to others.
Lina Byland, Parent, Wynnewood, PA
Ilene was compassionate, understanding and beyond accommodating. Not only she was absolutely knowledgeable and was able to help us with everything we needed to complete my daughter’s applications, she was also a breath of fresh air amongst the midst of the application madness. She truly listened to our needs, was prompt and thorough in all our correspondence, was very efficient with time, all the while taking the time to put our daughter at ease when needed. We are very grateful to have found her, and we absolutely recommend her!
Veronika Haber, parent, CT
Here is a sample of where InsightEd students have been accepted. Remember, the goal is always to find best-fit colleges for each individual student!
UC Berkeley
UC San Diego
University of Pennsylvania
Cornell University
University of Michigan
University of Virginia
Carnegie-Mellon University
Drexel University
Ithaca Collge
Portland State University
Arizona State University
Villanova University
Bryn Mawr College
College of Charleston
University of Pittsburgh
American University in Paris
Penn College of Technology
NYU
Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Bard College
Skidmore College
Sarah Lawrence College
Penn State
University of Colorado at Boulder
Colorado State University
Emory University
Macalester College
University of Massachusetts
Rochester Insitute of Technology
Temple University
Purdue University
Emory School of Medicine
Kate’s Med School Success Story
She shouldn’t have been able to get into medical school. Kate failed several upper level science courses in college, and while she eventually passed with the help of a tutor she paid for herself, her BCPM was impossibly low.
So how did she gain acceptance into her dream medical school in her own hometown? With a 4.0 in her master’s degree program, outstanding clinical and leadership experience, grit, determination, a stellar medical character – and me to help her tell her story.
When I met Kate, I could see she had her work cut out for her. She needed to communicate her character and relevant experiences so compellingly that the admissions faculty would see beyond her low BCPM to her talent and potential. And she had to cover her bases, choosing to use all three admissions platforms – AMCAS (MD), AACOMAS (DO), and because she is a Texas resident, TMDSAS.
Starting with the Activities sections gives the application a solid foundation. Complicating the task, each application platform groups the activities in different ways and allows a different maximum number of characters. Fortunately, cutting essays to character count is my superpower.
We gave every activity the attention due to a short essay. Each one had to clearly communicate her experience and what she gained; as a group, the essays had to demonstrate that Kate possesses all the Core Competencies – qualities of a great doctor. And she does: Heading a project to honor cancer victims and survivors as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society showed leadership, and the event details showed her empathy and compassion. Examples from her paid work, including as a nanny, tutor, and pet food specialist, showed her maturity, responsibility, creativity. Kate’s ability to gain patients’ trust while working as a medical assistant illustrated her cultural competence in the most authentic possible way.
With the activities squared away, we could strategize about how and where in the applications to communicate more of Kate’s story. Kate has a long history with medicine, in different roles and different forms. She mined her memory for significant stories, and we evaluated how best to present each experience. For Kate’s Personal Statement, she began with a formative experience, as a six-year-old tagging along for her older sister’s bone marrow biopsies, wanting badly to understand how the painful procedure was making her sister better. She followed up with two impactful experiences as a medical assistant. One described the time she helped a diabetes patient who lacked the finances to pay for the medication and healthy diet recommended by the doctor. The other described her elation as she talked a nervous patient through a spine restructuring, sitting on the floor no less so the patient could see her through the hole in the medical table. Still more stories became the “most meaningful” selections in the AMCAS and TMDSAS. Yet each was more than an anecdote. Crucially, Kate included reflections about what she learned and how the experiences paved the way to her absolute commitment to becoming a doctor.
The last set of subjects, written for the primary application and pre-written for the secondaries, dealt with questions about diversity and hardship. To succeed at these questions, Kate had to explain her substantial challenges as a low-income/first generation student without a hint of complaining or excuse-making. It was equally important to Kate to maintain her dignity and that of her family. I am so proud of what she wrote on their behalf, saying she wanted to work as a doctor “to serve the community that raised me”. Answering these questions allowed Kate to put her low BCPM in context, and spell out the GRIT she showed in overcoming circumstances to earn her 4.0 in her master’s program.
Fast forward through submitting applications, writing secondaries, waiting for interview invitations, acing the interview, and several more nail-biting weeks of waiting. Kate asked for a meeting with me to tell me the good news!
She was accepted to medical school!!!!! The future that started when she was six years old wanting to understand her sister’s leukemia, can now begin. Her patients will be blessed to have her. And I couldn’t be happier that I helped to play a part in her future.