4 keys to college admissions success

240 Pages·2014·1.76 MB·English

4 KEYS TO COLLEGE

ADMISSIONS SUCCESS
Praise for
4 KEYS TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SUCCESS
From parents:
Imagine my son‘s delight when he received 11 acceptance
letters. His mom and I are so proud. Thanks to Pamela Donnelly
and her fine staff for all their support. Now the power is in our
hands to decide where he will attend, instead of the other way
around. What a feeling!
— Phil Reeves
Professional Actor (V eep, Parks and Recreatio)n/D ad

Our daughter not only got into the right college, but she was
prepared for a successful transition from high school courses to
college-level work as a result of working with these strategies. She
is now thriving in her second year. Pamela Donnelly uniquely
positioned her, and we love that she can still connect from her
school on the East Coast via Skype with Pamela and her staff.
Thank you!
— Chuck Pratt, Jr., Emmy Award–Winning
Television Writer G( eneral Hospita, lA ll My Children) /Dad

As the father of the teen actor who played Superman in
the motion picture Man of Steel, my wife and I are grateful to
Pamela Donnelly. Because of the scores our son Dylan achieved
working with her staff on an important exam, he went from that
breakthrough role in a major film to booking a terrific recurring
role in the television series Teen Wol.f Pamela‘s support, strategic
direction and quality tutors successfully guided us through
the necessary process to help our son accomplish his academic
objectives. We look forward to continuing to rely upon her
guidance for the road ahead.
— Carl Sprayberr,y H otel General Manager/Dad

My daughter had a wonderful time taking Pamela Donnelly‘s
Ivy League Writing Immersion class during the summer of her
junior year, and it‘s her writing ability that really ended up
making the greatest impact on her college admissions results.
Djaq received a card signed by the entire admissions office at
her #1 choice, Knox College, and was told that the Writers‘
Scholarship she won is the highest amount they‘ve ever awarded.
She plans to double major there in creative writing and pre-
med. Thank you, Pamela, for your guidance, and for being our
cheerleader throughout the process.
— Cathy Flynn, Television Sound Editor/Mom

My daughter is on her way to her dream school, American
University, with $40,000 in scholarships as a result of working
with Pamela Donnelly and her colleagues. We counted on her
every step of the way during the college applications process and
got a great result.
— Julie Napoleon, High School Teacher/Mom

Working with an expert who is also a mother was great. I
looked at many other options before deciding whom to work
with, and chose Pamela Donnelly. I know she and her staff do
what they do because they actually care about students, and that is
important to me as a parent. Others made me feel like a number;
she made me feel like an informed mother.
— Juliet Zita, Tax Preparer/Mom

After Jamey‘s first round of SAT and ACT testing, we learned
that being a straight-A student does not necessarily translate into
standardized testing excellence. We began a tutoring program with
Valley Prep to ensure that when colleges reviewed her applications
they wouldn‘t see a disconnect between her GPA and her test
scores. Jamey achieved a 5-point increase on her ACT score, and
acceptance into her dream school, Vanderbilt University. She will
pursue her degree in elementary education with interdisciplinary
studies in psychology. Her preliminary award for her freshman
year was $52,000 in grants!
— Nancy Gallegos, Operations Manager/Mom

USC is in our family, and it was family tradition for my
daughter to apply, but it made us nervous because we knew her
writing skills needed strengthening. She is now a sophomore
at USC and loves it. Trusting Pamela Donnelly was the right
decision at the right time, and a really smart investment. No
matter where the road leads, I know Natalie will always remember
Ms. D as one of the pivotal influences of her teenage years.
— Nora Gaghinjian, Restaurant Owner/Mom

As a mother of two, I can only imagine the trepidation that
lies ahead when the time comes for me to help my daughters
navigate their journey into college. When it does, there is
no one I trust more than Pamela Donnelly to be our guide.
Not only does she offer solid strategies and important
information, but her intuition as a mother and her deep heart
are invaluable.
— Marcia Cross, Professional Actress D( esperate Housewiv,e s
Melrose Plac)e/M om

From students:
Ms. D, thank you for believing in me academically and
artistically. You are an incredible woman, teacher, mentor, and
friend. Thanks to you and Valley Prep for being a key part in my
educational journey, I am on my way to University of Miami in
preparation to become an entertainment lawyer. I cannot even
begin to express my genuine gratitude that I can now help protect
other minor performers in the industry I‘ve grown up loving. I
feel so blessed to have you in my life.
— Jennifer Cooke, University of Miami, Pre-Law
I got into all 4 University of California schools I applied to,
and even had a $48,000 scholarship offer. My Critical Reading
and Writing skills on the SAT increased 28% as a direct result
of Valley Prep‘s strategies. I can‘t wait to attend my #1 choice,
UCLA, in the fall. Pamela Donnelly is an educator who honestly
cares about the future of students and their long-term success.
I‘m now able to commit my life‘s work to solving the riddle of
Alzheimer‘s Disease, which plagued my grandfather.
— Kylie Rostad, University of California, Los Angeles, Pre-Med

I‘m not just a professional actress; I‘m an aspiring college-
bound student. When I‘m not preparing for a role, I‘m reading
literature, working on essays, and mastering math concepts. My
mom and I have been so glad to be working with Pamela Donnelly
and her staff at Valley Prep to help me achieve my academic goals.
Working professionally while getting through high school isn‘t
easy, but with the right support, I am really living my dream right
now. I trust Valley Prep—they are the best at what they do, and
they do it with heart.
— Saxon Sharbino, Professional Actress
( Trust Me, Touch)/ High School Student

Thanks to Pamela Donnelly and her staff, my average section
score on the SAT leaped. My essays improved. I got into 9 of
the 11 schools I applied to! I am so excited to be attending my
#1 choice, Sarah Lawrence College. I loved working with Pamela
Donnelly and Valley Prep since they really get how it feels to be
a teen with all this pressure. It really helped me achieve my goals
to know that they understood me. I‘m now aiming for a writing
career and a great future working for a major magazine.
— Taylor Burke, Sarah Lawrence College, Journalism
New York
4 KEYS TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SUCCESS
Unlocking the Gate to the Right College for Your Teen
© 2015 Pamela Donnelly
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy,
recording, scanning, or other‚—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing. Morgan James and The
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www.MorganJamesPublishing.com
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ISBN 978-1-63047-211-5 paperback
ISBN 978-1-63047-212-2 eBook
ISBN 978-1-63047-213-9 hardcover
Library of Congress Control Number:
2014935771
Cover Design by:
Chris Treccani
Interior Design by:
Bonnie Bushman

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For my daughters
Hannah, Lily, and Annabel,
and for my mother Molly.
You are the 4 keys to my success.