The right student applying to the right schools and programs makes offers feel inevitable. At Palladis, applying is one part of the process. Dare I say: it’s not even the most important part. I ask my students to explore their interests and strengths, and make meaningful decisions, right out of the gate. By the time we have a school and program list built and are opening applications, everything makes sense. The student’s internal logic has been acknowledged, including their fears and wildest hopes, and informs how we make decisions about where to apply. Then, the application process and eventual offers feel practically organic because the student is a perfect fit for where they have applied. We worked strategically and authentically, so it all fell into place.
There’s a trend in college admissions where applying to a wild list of schools has become its own kind of currency. Students apply to a long list of reach schools just to say they applied, regardless of fit or genuine qualification. I understand the impulse, but I wouldn’t qualify that as a strategy. Or count that as a success rate. If a student puts in the work to be a qualified applicant to MIT or Oxford, yes, let’s absolutely include those schools on the list. If they haven’t, I am going to have questions.
Hurry up!
I know you want me to put on my running shoes and get to the percentages and stats. In a very real and empirical sense, 100% of my students are accepted to at least one if not all of the top three schools on their list (see above for how I approach that list).
Should I stop there? Never.
The numbers
The number I’m proud of is how rarely my students transfer after enrolment. Full disclosure, it’s not zero. Sometimes students need to experience something before they can really know what they want or don’t want. That said, I can count on one hand the students who have moved on from their first choice school. When a student picks the right fit from the outset, with guidance built around who they actually are rather than a generic list of names, they tend to land somewhere that works for them. That’s a direct result of the strategy work and planning we do together in our Kick Start Package. I would also point out that I know how many of my students find the right fit the first time because I’m usually around long after the acceptance. I’m there to course plan, help with co-op, internship, and study abroad applications, and have those first, tentative conversations about the next degree. It means I get to celebrate wins and help strategize when things turn out differently than expected. I call that success.
Process rigor
Every application I help build moves through a rigorous internal process. Our internal deadlines live well ahead of the real ones, which gives us room to revise, reconsider, and strengthen an application rather than rushing it. Every single aspect of the application process has been considered and applied thoughtfully and precisely to the student sitting in front of me. Families see the finished, polished application, as do the schools to which we apply. There is usually very little that gives away the vast experience, research, and months-ahead thinking that make this possible. Process rigor at Palladis ensures that parents get to be parents for the last year their student might ever live at home. I can’t count how many parents have expressed their thanks for not having to harp on their kids about the state of their university applications or make frantic phone calls about missed transcript deadlines. Rigor removes stress and creates more space for offers.
From my very first application to my Oxford offer, Sarah made every step feel manageable. I never once felt alone in the process. I am endlessly grateful to Sarah for helping me achieve my dream.
Results across the spectrum
My students have earned admissions to programs with single digit acceptance rates around the world, and span the full range of higher education from competitive summer programs through undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. admissions. I love working with students all the way through. Having a wide breadth of knowledge to bring to bear on nearly anything my students want to pursue ensures they get the same steady guidance from someone who knows them throughout their educational journey.
Client experience
None of this works without a genuinely good experience for the families I work with. Clients tell me the process feels organized rather than chaotic and that they always know where things stand. That clarity, of course, comes from the same rigor that drives the results themselves. It’s a big part of why families come back to work with me after the first degree.
Success, defined honestly
I measure success by whether a student is strategically positioned to succeed in the first place not by the length of an application list. Preparing qualified applicants who are genuinely ready for the academic experience after acceptance is where I focus my work. I define success at Palladis as each student readily meeting her or his bright future because they were set up for success all along.
– Sarah, 08 Sept. 2026
