Admission to Economics programs at 4 universities in the USA


with a scholarship of $818,516

Student request:

Alexander came to us with a clear career goal — to create his own company that helps newcomers break into a market monopolized by major players. A special emphasis was placed on the music industry. He wanted to make it easier for aspiring musicians and small businesses to enter the market.

The tuition budget was limited to $13,500 per year for all expenses. At the same time, the real income of the family turned out to be higher than initially expected, which reduced the chances of need-based aid and required separate work with universities to prove the need for financial support.

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Profile analysis:

What Alexander had at the start:

  • Participation in STEM conferences and projects
  • Leadership and organizational experience — founder of a school group, sound engineer for events, organizing balls and concerts
  • Mathematical vertical and IT class
  • Participation in 5 school clubs at once — from archaeology and geology to a drama studio and a rock band

At the same time, his GPA at the start was 4.4–4.5 out of 5.0 — not critically low, but insufficient for strong scholarship offers at competitive universities.

Work process:

Strategy and motivation. We built an admission strategy around Economics and entrepreneurship, and developed a unique motivation — fighting monopolies by supporting small businesses and musicians. We linked the interest in economics, IT, music, and leadership experience into a single profile story.

Academic part. The school actively collaborated with parents during the application process, which, together with additional academic activities, helped raise the final GPA to 4.7 out of 5.0.

Strengthening of activities. To build up the profile for the target areas, we compiled three sets of tasks and regularly sent additional activities in the general chat. As a result, Alexander:

  • Completed a summer school at HSE in the field of business with a case championship
  • Received a certificate of completion of pre‑professional training courses at Bauman Moscow State Technical University in the field of IT + business
  • Participated in the Cambridge Essay Competition with an essay on the topic “Economics and Globalization”
  • Became the winner of the All‑Russian Olympiad on financial literacy
  • Scored 100 out of 100 points in the “finance” section at the IEO 2025 Open‑Track, assembled a team, and reached the semifinals.
  • Was the team captain and a prize‑winner at the regional stage of the “Klyuch” case championship organized by HSE.
  • Launched his own startup — guides for beginner musicians on apps for recording and editing music, as well as on releasing music on streaming platforms.

Documents. We prepared a motivational essay, 3 letters of recommendation, a CV, and more than 10 additional essays tailored to the requirements of specific universities. We also prepared for the interview.

Financial appeals. We sent appeals to 3 universities at once to increase the amount of financial support, taking into account the family’s actual expenses.

Scale of submission. Jointly submitted documents to 8 universities — 7 in the USA and 1 in Europe (Erasmus University Rotterdam, where Alexander is currently on the waitlist).

Result:

Alexander received offers from 4 universities in the USA:

  • St. Olaf College — a scholarship of $250,800, covering 100% of tuition
  • Drexel University — $150,000
  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges — $206,752
  • Franklin & Marshall College — $210,963

The total amount of the scholarships offered is $818,516. Alexander chose St. Olaf College, which provided full tuition coverage.

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