Here at MEK, we pride ourselves on our students’ success, and over the years, we’ve had a lot of success stories to share. Today, we’d like to spotlight a recent graduate who spent her high school career with MEK: Emily! 

Student spotlight: Meet Emily 

Emily came to MEK the summer before 9th grade. She had been accepted to Bergen County Academies (BCA): Academy for Business & Finance. With only 40 months between the first day of high school and the day you submit your college applications, Emily asked us, “How do I make the most of my time at BCA?” 

Our expert academic counselors helped Emily make a plan for her four years of high school, starting her on MEK’s 40-month project. 

What is the 40-month project? 

MEK’s 40-month project is a step-by-step guide for how to best use every semester of your high school career. MEK’s academic counselors can help you figure out which high school honors and AP courses to take, when to start preparing for the SAT or ACT, and what extracurricular activities, internships, and volunteer experiences you should be committing to. 

Emily’s 40-month project 

When Emily came to MEK, we helped her plan her high school career, based on her interest in business and community service. Emily wanted to start a nonprofit organization with her mom, focusing on Cambodia. She had a number of interests and ideas when she came to MEK, and we worked with her to build focus and create a comprehensive plan to achieve her goals. 

9th grade 

When students are starting 9th grade, MEK focuses on the following: 

1. Setting your pace: Focus on getting your academic bearings. Doing well in school is the utmost priority. 
2. First impressions: First impressions last a lifetime. Make good first impressions on teachers and counselors from the very beginning. 
3. Explore possibilities: Try whatever extracurricular activities you can explore to your boundaries. What do you enjoy? 
4. Build good habits: Build good study skills that will take you through the rest of high school. Practice time management. 

We worked with Emily to achieve these goals and get her started on the right foot. At MEK, we always recommend trying out as many activities and extracurriculars as you can in 9th grade, and from there, you can figure out what you’re interested in and what you want to let go of in the following three years. In her first year of high school, Emily joined DECA, class council, tennis, and dance. She also founded her Cambodia nonprofit with her mom and worked on building that up. 

Parents also often ask us when to start SAT or ACT prep, and the answer is now. When you start early, you increase your chances of getting a higher score, and therefore getting into your top choice colleges. 9th grade is the time to start prepping. Emily started her SAT prep in the spring of 9th grade. She did all of this while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. 

The journey wasn’t easy, and there were plenty of struggles along the way, but MEK saw her through it all. Emily wasn’t afraid to ask for help when she needed it, and with MEK, she finished the year with a perfect GPA. 

Before starting 10th grade, students should always have a summer plan, and we worked with Emily to create one. Over the summer, she continued her MEK SAT prep, while also volunteering at the New York Math Museum. This unique volunteer experience would also make her stand out to college admissions counselors. 

10th grade 

In 10th grade, Emily continued her busy schedule of extracurricular activities. She once again did DECA, along with class council, student council, tennis, dance, and local outreach. She also continued running her nonprofit organization. Emily took her first official SAT in 10th grade, planning to take it again in October of 11th grade. Through all of this, with the help of MEK, Emily still maintained her 4.0 GPA. 

And again, we made sure she had a plan for summer before the school year was up. The summer before 11th grade, Emily did more SAT prep at MEK to prepare for the October exam. She also had a finance internship and visited Cambodia for her nonprofit. 

11th grade 

In 11th grade, Emily once again continued with her long list of extracurricular activities. She finished her SAT test prep at MEK and got a composite score of 1540! And again, she maintained that perfect 4.0 GPA. 

During this year, Emily also expanded her nonprofit organization to India and Laos, even making a trip to India for the NPO. In her free time, she began writing a book about starting a nonprofit, essentially creating a manual on how to do so. 

Meanwhile, she worked with MEK’s academic counselors to start preparing for college applications. 

12th grade: The payoff 

You might be thinking, this is a lot of work for a high school student. But with MEK, we can make the process far less overwhelming and far more manageable. We worked with Emily to manage her time, keep up her GPA, raise her SAT score, and get her ready for college. 

And the payoff? An Ivy League education! Emily was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s highly competitive Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. Only 1 out of every 45 students who apply around the world are accepted! 

The path to success with MEK 

MEK is so proud of Emily and her accomplishments, and we want to help your child achieve that same level of success. With MEK, your child could be the next student spotlight! 

Give us a call at 855-346-1410 to schedule a consultation. Our academic counselors can work with you to create a 40-month plan, getting your child into their dream college. 

Summer registration is open, and our highly experienced instructors are ready to put your child on the path to success!