AcceptU’s Impact programs – developed with input from our team of former admissions officers – have been designed to help students go deeper into areas of academic interest and build highly differentiated experiences and skills that will be valued by admissions officers. Impact programs are open for students in grades 8-12 as well as current college students.
Unlike cookie cutter summer programs or generic extracurricular activities, AcceptU’s Impact programs are tailored to each individual student’s interests. We encourage students to explore areas outside of their comfort zone or dive deeper into interests, with the goal of finding a clear and differentiated path. Doing so provides clear advantages in the admissions process.
No two AcceptU Impact engagements are the same, meaning students gain truly unique and differentiated experiences that will enhance their profiles. AcceptU Impact serves as a “connector” program, so students highlight their experiences (not the program itself) on their college applications, allowing them to take credit and keeping our role behind the scenes.
AcceptU offers several Impact programs: Research, Build and Intern. Depending on your current extracurricular profile, as well as your intended academic area of interest, we can suggest the program(s) that will fill any gaps and be most supportive of your goals. The fees for AcceptU Impact programs vary. We encourage you to contact us to discuss further.
Today’s students are busier than ever. Because AcceptU’s Impact programs are all 1-on-1, they are highly flexible and meant to seamlessly integrate into students’ schedules. Students dictate the frequency as well as length of their engagement, enabling them to build compelling extracurricular experience year-round and best prepare themselves for success.
AcceptU’s Impact programs help students develop important skills, such as critical thinking, initiative, commitment and time management, all of which are qualities that admissions officers look for in applicants. The programs also help students build broader life skills, like leadership and teamwork, setting students up for success in the admissions process – and beyond.
All impact programs are virtual and offered year-round. The Research program extends over a consecutive ten week period. Students will meet with their mentor for approximately one hour each week, and be tasked with independent assignments in order to accomplish the agreed upon deliverable by the conclusion of the program.
Participants in the program can, optionally, summarize their learnings in a research paper overseen by their mentor. Students interested in writing a research paper should understand that doing so requires an additional time commitment. Past students who have successfully completed a research paper have typically committed 8-10 hours per week.
All participants are guaranteed the ability to publish a preprint of their research paper in the Journal of Student Research, which is posted online and available to share. After the preprint, students are encouraged to submit their work for peer-review and publication. Any additional fees associated with publishing, typically $100-$200, are not included in the program.
Upon successful completion of the program, students may request a letter of recommendation from their research mentor. We ask that you request any letters of recommendation at least 8 weeks prior to any application deadlines to allow your mentor adequate time to write and submit their letters directly to the requesting colleges, universities or organizations.
Our mentors are professors, research professionals and Ph.D. candidates. We carefully select each of our mentors based on their educational, research, teaching and/or professional accomplishments – so they can serve as an inspiring and supportive guide to our students. Please click on Mentors above for a sampling of our Research mentors.
Please click here to apply for the program. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received; we recommend applying early to ensure mentor availability. We will notify you within one week of our admissions decision. If you are admitted, you will have an opportunity to meet with your proposed mentor to discuss the program, deliverables and goals.
Build has been designed for students interested in pursuing a business major. The program offers four business tracks: Entrepreneurship, Marketing/PR, Nonprofit Management and Finance. Students work directly with an experienced business coach to develop and execute a business-related project and receive mentorship from their coach for up to one year.
All impact programs are virtual and offered year-round. The Build program provides business-minded students with fifteen hours of mentorship to be used for up to a year. Mentors meet with students to discuss their past accomplishments and future interests, set attainable goals, establish timelines and provide continual support for the completion of those goals.
Admissions officers seek applicants that are highly ambitious and have a demonstrated track record of success. Build mentors help students develop a unique extracurricular experience which will become a prominent and differentiated component to their extracurricular narrative – students are eligible to earn a Presidential Volunteer Service Award.
Our mentors are successful business professionals, many of whom have also worked in admissions at the country’s top business schools. We carefully select each of our mentors based on their accomplishments – so they can serve as an inspiring and supportive guide to our students. Please click on Mentors above for a sampling of our Build mentors.
Please click here to apply for the program. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received; we recommend applying early to ensure mentor availability. We will notify you within one week of our admissions decision. If you are admitted, you will have an opportunity to meet with your proposed mentor to discuss the program, deliverables and goals.
Past Build students have launched their own businesses, developed nonprofits, established community organizations and developed programs to enrich their communities, like a speaker series. The goal of Build is to provide students with experience in business while helping them to create something that is unique and jumps out on their college application.
AcceptU Intern is a virtual, project-based internship program enabling students to gain hands-on skills and professional experience in an intended area of interest. Internships are available in a range of professional fields. The program is flexible and offered year-round, enabling students to participate during the school year or summer.
The Intern program is designed specifically for high school students. It is flexible, so students can participate during the school year or summer and the program typically runs for 10 weeks. Students work independently on their internship project — typically 5-10 hours/week during the school year or 20-30 hours/week during the summer — and meet weekly with an internship supervisor.
No. When applying for the Intern program, students have the option of selecting which projects they are interested in pursuing. We recommend students select as many projects as possible to maximize the likelihood of their internship placement. In the event that we are unable to place the student into one of their chosen fields of interest, we will provide a full refund of fees paid.
Intern projects are available in a wide variety of fields — with more projects being added regularly — and we encourage you to contact us for a complete list of current opportunities available. Projects range from data analysis and marketing to psychology and videography. With enough advance notice, we may also be able to create customized internship projects.
Please click here to apply for the program. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received; we recommend applying early to ensure availability. We will notify you within one week of your placement. We require that you let us know of your intention of enrolling in the program in seven days, or we will release your spot to other interested students.
Admissions officers seek applicants that are ambitious and have a demonstrated commitment to their academic area of interest. Meaningful internship opportunities (vs “shadowing” experiences) are rare for high school students and the project-based approach to our program ensures students have a tangible accomplishment to highlight on their future college applications.