US college admissions consulting in Dubai.

The international pool is a different competition

At the most selective American universities, international applicants are read against each other rather than against the domestic pool, and the admit rate inside that pool is materially lower than the figure a university publishes. Families in Dubai are rarely told this early enough.

A student with strong IB predictions and a good SAT is not unusual inside that pool. They are typical of it. The work is on the part of the file that is not typical.

Dubai's schools are read accurately

Dubai College, Jumeirah College, Dubai American Academy, GEMS Wellington, Repton Dubai, Kings' School Al Barsha and the American School of Dubai all send applicants to American and British universities every year. Admissions offices know what those transcripts are worth, which settles the question of rigour and leaves distinctiveness entirely open.

Running the US and UK applications together

Most Dubai families apply to both systems, and the two reward opposite things. UCAS wants depth in one subject and a personal statement that reads as an academic argument. American universities want a shaped person with one unmistakable strength, across essays that are personal rather than scholarly.

The calendars collide too, with Oxford and Cambridge closing in mid-October and US early rounds in November. Both are planned from the start.

Financial aid for non-US citizens

A small number of American universities are need-blind for international applicants. Most are not, which means requesting aid can affect the decision itself. Which list a university sits on should be known before the application goes in.

What an engagement includes

Families work with us on a single end-to-end package rather than buying hours. One team, one plan, from the first strategy session through to the acceptance letter.

• Strategy and school list built around early-round positioning.
• Personal statement and supplements, developed with former admission officers.
• The Hook Program, in which a student builds an original project with real users or real recognition.
• Independent academic research with a Ph.D. or professor, published in an academic journal.
• Summer programs and internships drawn from our own database and partner companies.
• Admissions Roundtable review before the application is submitted.

Pricing sits in two tiers, Standard and Premium, each quoted after a private consultation. See how the tiers differ, or read how we work.

Our Dubai office

We are in DIFC. Meetings are held by video call or in person by arrangement.

Where else we work

Alongside Dubai, we work with families in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singapore.