Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Ramos and Milan Hamilton.
Tracy and Milan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We are a mother/daughter collaboration that helps families navigate the crazy college application process and gives strategies for making college as affordable as possible. How did we start? Check out our story from each of our perspectives.
Milan: For me, this process began Freshman year of high school. My high school did a really good job of preparing its students for college. I went to a performing arts high school in Dallas, called Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and it ran like a well-oiled machine – helping students create resumes, portfolios, and dance solos that college representatives would see at our annual College Showcase. I had the opportunity to showcase my talents and interview with college reps before even applying to some of these schools. This process enabled me to think about college early on, and helped me realize where I fit in this whole college decision process. Initially, the big question for me was: What type of school do I want to attend – Dance Conservatory or regular academic University? I discovered that, although I wanted a school that gave me a variety of opportunities to dance, I also wanted a school that provided strong academics for me to explore any other areas of study I may be interested in. I had this unique high school background and a plethora of activities (mostly dance). So in my college application process, I knew I had to figure out a way to use my unique experience to my advantage to make me a competitive applicant. That’s when I looked to my mom.
Tracy: Almost as soon as my daughter Milan started her Freshman year in high school, she started talking about where she might want to attend college. I knew her high school years were going to fly by and that she seriously needed to start putting a plan into place early to get into some of those colleges. The colleges on her list accepted less than 50% of its applicants … and a few accepted less than 10%. So the questions racing through my mind were: Where does she even start with the college application process? Would her grades be enough? What strategies would she need to implement to set herself apart from the tens of thousands of other students applying? And then finally … At the end of the day, how in the world would we pay for it? I set out on a mission to learn everything I could about the process. I read everything I could get my hands on and interviewed high school counselors and former college admissions officers. I absorbed all of the information and analyzed what it might mean for my daughter. Then I had an epiphany … As a trial attorney for over two decades, I could teach my daughter persuasion skills that I used in the courtroom to create a college application that stood out from the pack. It worked! She was admitted to almost every school on her list and ended up choosing Duke University (which accepted less than 9% of all applicants in her applicant pool). After seeing my daughter’s success using these college admission strategies, I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself. I had to share it with other students that would soon be going through the application process! I started working with students individually and collaborated with my daughter on group training sessions that help students get into schools like Harvard, UCLA, UT Austin, Howard, Notre Dame, University of Virginia, Spelman and so many others.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
After Milan was accepted to Duke, we were actually amazed by how many students and families started asking for advice on navigating the college admissions process. Milan went off to college and wasn’t able to give a lot of 1 on 1 assistance. We wanted to make sure each student received the same attention we gave to Milan’s applications. Unfortunately, because of the number of students, time constraints started to make that impossible. Speaking to different student groups, church groups and other organizations allowed us to share some information but didn’t allow us to go as deeply as we wanted with specific college application strategies. That’s when we decided to create an online course that would share the exact same strategies and methodology with a larger number of students, and at their own pace.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Get The Admit – what should we know?
We are creators of the online course “Get The Admit,” which teaches students and their families how to successfully navigate the college application process. We’ve learned that most people are entering this process blind, and oftentimes with the wrong approach. We help students walk step by step through this stressful process without completely losing their sanity, time and money. We dispel commonly believed myths that often trip applicants up. We give information that most other applicants won’t know in order to create strategies that most other students won’t have. We show students how to set themselves apart from the 10,000 other applicants who may also have good grades, good test scores, activities, etc. A lot of students (and their parents) mistakenly believe they won’t be competitive unless they’ve solved world hunger by the age of 14. We’ve all heard other stories recently about parents blatantly cheating to get their students into certain schools (basically creating a profile of a student that doesn’t even exist.) We believe the only way to approach this process is ethically. That obviously means not cheating. But it also means not trying to force a square peg into a round hole (e.g., not trying to force a student who hates science and math into an engineering program). Students each have something unique about them. Our hope at Get the Admit is that we can teach students how to craft an application that highlights their own talents, experiences and dreams and matches them with the best school for them. Many students also under-match schools. They have the credentials to get into their dream schools but lack the strategies to get there. We want to help give students that competitive edge.
Finally, we understand the panic overpaying for college. We’ve been there. College is crazy expensive, and for most families, it’s almost impossible to save enough to cover the full cost. Our course teaches families how to make college as affordable as possible.
What sets us apart? This question reminds me of the story of Harriet Tubman, a slave who escaped to freedom in the North and then went back to the South several times to help hundreds of other slaves escape as well. Imagine a person who is trying to escape being given two different options: 1) They can use a map drawn by someone in the North, who had possibly studied geography, but never actually taken the route; or 2) They can walk step by step with the person who had once been in their shoes and successfully escaped … the person who knows the pitfalls and places to avoid … the person who knows how to successfully get to the other side. We’ve been there. We’ve gone back and successfully taken others there. Now we’re trying to help even more families!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First, our story wouldn’t have happened without our Aunt Rubbie, a retired high school counselor who spent over 40 years, helping students get into their dream schools and pay for it. We basically sat at her feet and absorbed every piece of information she could give us. We also give credit to our first customers, mainly family and friends, that recognized the work we were putting in and the knowledge we hoped to gift to students going through the college application process after us. We figured we had already done the difficult part – gathering information, creating the strategies, and making college tangible and affordable. It worked so well for us that it seemed a waste to keep it to ourselves.
Pricing:
- Families who purchase the Get The Admit course get the exact same information, strategies, and step by step instruction that we used to provide to our 1 on 1 clients!
- We will take you through 7 Regular Course Modules plus a Bonus Module: 1- The Stuff Nobody Tells You; 2- The Game Plan; 3- The Money; 4- The College List; 5- The Application; 6- The Essays; 7- The Wrap Up; Bonus Module: Navigating College Life
- We are currently offering this course for $495. (Hiring a private consultant typically costs between $4,000 – $12,000 or more)
Contact Info:
- Address: Tracy Ramos
- Website: www.gettheadmit.com
- Email: tracy@gettheadmit.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/gettheadmit
Image Credit:
Omar Ramos Photography
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