How Command Education Helps Students—No Matter their Background and Goals

Command Education was founded with the mission to empower each individual to find their passion while developing valuable life skills for college and beyond. Our students build upon their passions, creating dynamic applicant profiles that stand out to their dream schools. But how do we support students who don’t have the slightest clue what their interests may be? What about students who have no sense of direction, least of all with regards to their collegiate careers? And what if a student isn’t interested in applying to the Ivy League?

Command Education Senior Mentors work with students who have a diverse range of skill sets and backgrounds. Some students begin working with our team with near-perfect grades and the ambition to attend one of the nation’s top schools, while others seek to level up their options or stand out to reputable state schools. Some come to Command Education simply wanting to find direction, motivation, and develop their soft-skills. We know that a top college or university isn’t right for every student—our goal is to help students find the school at which they will flourish and chart their path for success in the future. Our Senior Mentors meet students wherever they are in their personal and academic journeys and coach them to find their passions.

For students who find themselves unmotivated, struggling to keep up in school, or lacking a sense of direction for their future, Senior Mentors primarily focus on:

Our Senior Mentors know that the first step to coaching a student to reach their potential is instilling a sense of self-confidence and capability. Many students lose motivation and drive simply because they fall into the traps of comparing themselves to others, feeling that they have let down those they want to impress, or letting one mistake or bad grade define their abilities. Helping students to regain their trust in their unique skills and talents is the first step toward motivating them to succeed.

Developing soft skills such as time management, organization, communication, problem-solving, and flexible thinking is another crucial component of our work with students who struggle academically or with executive functioning. Students who struggle with procrastination or disorganization can quickly fall behind, a problem that snowballs as time goes on. Instilling these skills helps students not only catch up in their high school careers but prepares them for the increased rigor of college coursework.

For many students, academic issues arise from a lack of support. Our Senior Mentors help students better understand their learning styles in order to tailor their study habits and day-to-day academic work around what works best for them. Additionally, we guide students in identifying the proper channels and resources (whether in the classroom through the help of a teacher or outside of it through tutors) to provide them with the support they may need to boost their academic performance.

Empowering students to grow into leaders in their communities is at the core of Command Education’s mentorship model. Once students have established the foundational skills they need to thrive, Senior Mentors work with them to hone their interests and passions through extracurricular activities. As students begin to identify the activities and involvements that are most exciting to them, they work with their Senior Mentors to identify leadership opportunities and avenues to contribute creatively within their communities. Whether running for president of a club, bringing new ideas to a group (along with a plan to execute them), or starting their own club or organization tailored to their interests, stepping up in their communities provides valuable opportunities for growth while enriching a student’s applicant profile.

Finally, as students become more rooted in their skills and passions, they are able to look toward the future and consider their goals for college and beyond. Senior Mentors help students evaluate their college options on the basis of their academic and career interests, test scores, and grades, and identify options that fit their personalities and passions. Goal setting looks different for every student—some students may decide they want to take a gap year, others set their sights on a top school, while others identify a program that interests them at their local state school. What matters is that students are rooted in their core passion and equipped with the skills they need to achieve their goals.

Julia first started working with Command Education Senior Mentor Jane Pritchard during the fall of her junior year. She had already taken advantage of many opportunities available to her as a student in a major metropolitan area—she attended law-related classes at a local university, participated in her high school’s nationally ranked mock trial team, and even interned at a humanitarian aid nonprofit. But while Julia had built an impressive résumé, she lacked a unique narrative that would make her law-oriented profile stand out from thousands of other applicants’.

In her free time, Julia was an avid artist who enjoyed both painting and graphic design. Though she thought this interest was irrelevant to her passion for law, Jane saw it as a prime avenue to explore Julia’s creative and unique approach to the legal field. With Jane’s guidance, Julia began developing a website where she designed helpful and eye-catching infographics that broke down complex political issues for teens. By developing a Tik Tok and YouTube account, Julia began building an audience for her work that slowly gained more traction throughout the summer of her junior year. As her design-focused approach to legal education gained traction, she was featured in news outlets and contributed visuals to grassroots politics and law blogs. When it came time to apply, Jane helped Julia through numerous rounds of drafting and editing application essays that showcased the success of her project and highlighted her original approach to the legal field through education, access, and innovative design.

Ultimately, Julia was admitted early to her top-choice school, Stanford University. Through Jane’s mentorship, she not only maximized her extracurricular impact but also learned how to tell her story in a way that resonated with admissions officers, securing a place at one of the most prestigious universities in the world.