Q&A with Ian and Jen: Exceptional Support Leads to Exceptional Results

Ian: Our services are unlimited, which means that we are available to meet with students as frequently as they need or want, but once per week is typically the baseline. During high-pressure periods, including application season, end-of-semester exams, or large-scale school or independent projects, Senior Mentors meet with students multiple times per week. At the same time, because our mentorship is holistic, our support and guidance doesn’t end when the check-in call ends. Even between sessions, our mentors stay closely connected to their students, providing feedback on essays, assignments, and projects asynchronously throughout the week. We are there for our students, whatever they need, whenever they need it!

Jen: Absolutely. Not only are high school students in the process of learning how to manage their time, but they are doing so while juggling numerous responsibilities. Our primary goal is to help students proactively develop time management and organizational skills so that they can avoid the stress of last-minute deadlines. But we understand that students are striving to excel in coursework, club leadership, passion project development, sports, and personal responsibilities, and sometimes deadlines sneak up on them. In those circumstances, mentors go above and beyond to meet with students outside of their regular meeting times to complete projects, study for tests, or prepare for presentations.

Ian: I’ve done this many times with students—for instance, I worked with a student who struggled as a writer. He had a significant final paper due on a Friday during exam season, and between his challenges with drafting and his other responsibilities, he was worried about completing it. I hopped on Zoom as soon as the student reached out to me; I encouraged him in his abilities and assured him that I would be right there with him as he wrote. We basically pulled an all-nighter together on Thursday finishing it, but the student produced a paper he was truly proud of—and most importantly, he knew that he was supported by someone who truly cares about his success.

Jen: Command Education’s emotionally intelligent approach uniquely equips younger students as they prepare to excel in high school and eventually build their college application profiles. Being an emotionally intelligent mentor means that I show up each day deeply aware that I am engaging with another human on the other side of the Zoom call. I’m not there solely for an admissions result—I am there to help students thrive not just in the college application process, but also in their lives. This means that I am in a unique position to help younger students develop their interests, cultivate their voice, and develop the life skills needed to excel in high school, college and beyond.

Because I know my students on a personal level, I am able to identify when they are feeling motivated versus when they need a listening ear or some encouragement, and I adapt our sessions accordingly. If their body language and tone is telling me that they’re exhausted or discouraged, I take it as an opportunity to perhaps pause, set aside what I planned for the day, and address the student’s immediate needs.

For instance, I once had a session with a student I hadn’t seen for weeks because she was really busy with school and a number of other things. When we had our first call together after that hiatus, I made sure to prioritize time to get reacquainted and hear about what was going on in her life. We then revisited her goals and set some new goals together, making sure she was aligning her time with her goals and values. At the end of the session, she said, “I feel like we really bonded.” Of course, our team has helped students reach their collegiate goals, and we have a track record of proven success in admissions, but we are doing it in such a way that our students feel personally supported and cared for. We actually manage to make this stressful process fun and enjoyable.

Ian: One of the most important objectives of our work with younger students is helping them identify and refine their “hook”—a core academic or extracurricular interest that guides the rest of their high school experience. This will ultimately form the basis of their application narrative; the sooner a student begins to understand their guiding passion, the deeper they will be able to dive into their interests. This includes building a passion project. A student who begins ideating their passion project in ninth or tenth grade will be able to develop a meaningful endeavor to positively impact their community that can be scaled throughout their high school experience. Ultimately, these early years lay the foundation of skills and introspection that can make all the difference in a student’s application come senior year.

Ian: One of my students was applying with a strong hook in government and public policy, but she also had a deep and genuine interest in film and film criticism. Rather than brushing that aside because it didn’t “fit” her primary narrative, we decided to embrace it. I worked with her to set up a Letterboxd account, where she curated thoughtful analyses and reviews of her favorite films. We then included the link on the Additional Section of her Common App. It was a small thing, but it showcased her creativity and unique perspective, and it was also a fun opportunity for me to help her incorporate her diverse interests into an application that told a fuller and more complete story about who she really was.

Jen: The most meaningful moment for me was when a student who I had been working with for a little less than a year said to me at the end of our session: “You got me to open up. You’re a safe space. I don’t usually open up to people like I do with you.” Her words really demonstrated that this work is about more than checking boxes or perfecting essays. While I am always thrilled to see my students achieve the results they hoped for, I particularly cherish the connections that I build with my students. To know that I am someone that students feel safe and comfortable with is such an honor—I am mentoring and showing up in a way that is truly aligned with the impact I want to have on my students.