For freshmen and sophomores, we spend a lot of time educating them on the myths and truths of the college application process. We will leverage our exclusive admission files from mentors and past students to give current mentees an insider look into what colleges really care about. As these files show, most students can benefit from less time worrying about their numbers, and more time planning their narrative.

We will help students explore their academic and non-academic interests. For students who are already interested in a subject, we pair them with mentors who turn interest into meaningful projects. In the past, we have paired students with Ivy League research positions, helped them start their own online and print magazines, and mentored them to win entrepreneurship competitions. For students without clear-cut interests, we pair them with mentors who can help the students find their passions, be that competitive racing, cancer research, or short-form writing.

We are, truthfully, underwhelmed by most high school English educations. Most high school students sound derivative and formulaic. We will teach your student how to write good personal essays--which are very different from the thesis-evidence-conclusion papers they are used to. We want our students to preserve their voice, but maintain command of the English language. We understand that there are few better things than being young and uncertain and starry-eyed and frustrated and hopeful. Regardless of a Lux mentor’s academic interests, we ensure they are clear and lively writers.

We will help our students plan each part of their college application process. For our underclassmen, we guide them through the course selection process. We ensure that their outside activities match the interests evident in their transcripts. We help students build close relationships with their teachers, so we have a wide array of potential writers for letters of recommendation. Finally, we help our students find their “x-factor,” whether that is a compelling passion project, an irresistible voice in writing, or fascinating research.