Register For Our FREE Webinar on February 11th!

What truly differentiates students admitted to Top 20 universities—and especially those in the Top 5 or Top 10? How can applicants exceed expectations, and just as importantly, how can they avoid the common missteps that often derail strong profiles?

Join FLEX College Prep as we analyze real case studies from the Class of 2026 admissions cycle. We will examine standout success stories alongside applicants who appeared competitive on paper but struggled in the process. Gain concrete insights into what worked, what didn’t, and how students can position themselves strategically in today’s highly competitive admissions landscape.

Erica approaches college counseling with a focus on both college readiness and meaningful
personal growth. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Japanese from Williams College,
graduating Magna Cum Laude with Highest Honors in Psychology, and later completed her
M.Phil. in Education at the University of Cambridge, where she studied adolescent identity,
development, and well-being, especially in multilingual learning contexts. Her students have gone on to attend universities such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Brown, Emory, Tufts, and the University of Oxford, among many others. Fluent in Chinese, English, and Japanese, she supports families across multilingual and
multicultural contexts, aiming to make the application process more accessible, reflective, and
empowering.

Leon graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Biology, with a focus on ecology and conservation. He is a Master College Counselor at FLEX, with over 10 years of science education, and over 5 years of college essay writing and counseling experience. His passion lies in education and helping students realize their full potential as he guides them through college advising and essay writing. With his extensive STEM background, Leon is passionate about helping students discover STEM opportunities to explore practical research programs utilizing the scientific method and its iterative process. For the 2025-2026 cycle alone, Leon helped 30 families accumulate $2.1 million in merit aid scholarships and gain acceptance to top universities like: Northwestern, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Claremont McKenna, University of Michigan, MIT, Columbia, NYU, Stanford, and more.

Case Studies: Successes and Pitfalls of the Class of 2026