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Let's Help Your Child Get Into
Top Colleges By Being Authentic 

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World-class college counseling & success coaching for all students. 

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The Acceptance Academy is a proven program that helps 9th-12th grade students discover and get accepted into great colleges!

 

Through live, online workshops, an application boot camp and some 1-1 coaching, students learn how to succeed in high school, develop passions, and craft stand-out, authentic college applications. 

In other words, the Acceptance Academy coaches students on how to become the best version of themselves.

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Who's the Academy for?

Families of 9th-12th graders who want to realize the dream of going to a great college. 

Earn better grades in less time by learning how to work with teachers & how to study.

Get walked through all the college applications step-by-step. 

Discover authentic interests and develop unique activities. 

Write standout college admissions essays that are required by almost all colleges.

Learn how to get a job, start an organization, and develop creative summer projects. 

Meet 1-1 with a coach during the boot camp portion of the Academy to prep apps to submit.

And much, much more that will help students show colleges who they truly are as individuals.

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The Acceptance Academy Program was amazing. I never knew about the opportunities I had, and the program really encouraged me to go for it. I am the first in my family to go to college, so no one thought I would ever get into Harvard! 

—Nicholas Hutchison., Student at Harvard University

OVERVIEW
DETAILS
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Master High School and the Admission Process

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The Acceptance Academy consists of 3 parts: live monthly workshops, an application boot camp, and 1-1 coaching:

1.

Every month, students 9th-11th graders join live workshops where they are coached on topics specific to the time of year by America's Top College Counselor, Danny Ruderman. 

2.

In Aug before 12th grade, rising seniors attend a 3-day, online boot camp with Danny where they learn how to create stand-out applications.

3.

During and after the Boot Camp, students meet 1-1 via Zoom with certified coaches to hone essays and review applications. 

Here's How the Acceptance Academy Works

Acceptance Academy consists of three progressive and interconnected parts with one clear purpose: to help your child get accepted into the best college for them by removing the stress, panic, and uncertainty typically associated with the journey. 

Part One: Live Monthly Online Classes

(Grades 9-12)

Every month, your student will join Danny for a LIVE 30-45 minute online class covering one of the crucial steps in their quest to succeed in high school and get into their top college choices. Each topic is timed to correspond to a specific period of the year.

Succeeding In High School

  • How to start off the year strong

  • How to pick the best class schedule for you

  • How to talk to and work with your teachers

  • How to get and stay organized

  • How to take notes in a whole new way

  • How to read textbooks quickly and best retain the information

  • How to study for tests

  • How to write research papers effectively in less time

  • How to best work with a school counselor

  • How to make an ACT/SAT study plan

  • How to ensure great letters of recommendation
     

Getting Into Their Top College Choices

  • How to get a handle on anxiety

  • How to develop interests in unique ways

  • How to find summer opportunities

  • How to get a real job

  • How to conduct independent research

  • How to get recruited in a college sport

  • How to create an art/drama/dance portfolio that stands out

  • How to create a club or nonprofit

  • How to start and run a business

  • How to find and get productive internships

  • How to balance school life with extracurriculars

  • How to discover colleges that truly match

  • How to get the most of out college visits

  • How to reach out to professors and admissions officers

  • How to craft an activities list that truly reflect a student's involvement 
     

We record all classes so your child (and you) can watch them any time and as many times as you’d like. 

Parts Two and Three: Application Boot Camp with 1-on-1 Expert Coaching

(Summer Before Grade 12)

How incredible is it going to feel to know your child’s applications and required essays will be complete BEFORE they start their senior year? 

As a parent, you know how important it is to get an early start on any process as critical as this one. 

That’s why Danny hosts a three-day application “Boot Camp” each summer for rising seniors within Acceptance Academy. He helps them create standout applications and pairs them 1-on-1 with his trained, certified coaches to help them write unique and authentic admissions essays.

Students get to walk into their senior year without the pressure of looming application deadlines.

Here’s an overview of the Boot Camp:

MONDAY

Module 1: 
Introduction & Completing
The Common Application
with Danny
+ 30-60 min to complete on own


Module 2: 
Brainstorming the Personal Statement
with Danny
+ 30-60 min to complete on own

Module 3: 
Writing the Personal Statement
with Danny
+ 1-2 hours to complete on own

1-1 Follow Up With a Coach:
Students will get to meet 1-1 with their coach for 30 min on this day or the next to help complete the work and provide guidance for next steps.

WEDNESDAY

Module 4: 
Creating the Activities List  
with Danny
+ 30-60 min to complete on own

Module 5: 
Completing In-Depth Research
Into the Colleges 
with Danny
+ 1-2 hours to complete on own


Module 6: 
Writing the "Why Do You Want to Go to Our College Essay?" with Danny
+ 1-2 hours to complete on own

1-1 Follow Up With a Coach:
Students will get to meet 1-1 with their coach for 30 min on this day or the next to help complete the work and provide guidance for next steps.

FRIDAY

Module 7: 
Writing the Other Common Supplemental Essays with Danny
*Varies based on a student's colleges


Module 8: 
Creating Communications to Contact the Admissions Representatives with Danny
+ 30-60 min to complete on own

Module 9: 
Editing and Putting It All Together
+ Steps to Submit with Danny
*Varies based on a student's colleges

1-1 Follow Up With a Coach:
Students will get to meet 1-1 with their coach for 1 hour on this day or the next couple of days to help complete the work and provide guidance for next steps.

Students have Tuesday and Thursday of this week to continue their work from the various modules and to schedule 1-on-1 time with their coach as necessary.

Over the 10 years of Acceptance Academy’s existence, these modules and coaching sessions have proven to help students get the applications and major essays completed. For those who want more 1-on-1 coaching, additional sessions are available.

Bonuses

Personal Texts and Reminders for Parents & Students

We will send out regular parent and student reminders and support via text and email throughout the year when they need it the most. Families will always know what to do when and get inspired along the way!

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Secrets to Getting Money to Pay for College

Designed for parents, we will show exactly how to find and apply for school-based merit scholarships, as well as outside scholarships. We will also cover how to apply for financial aid and discuss strategies for best filling out the FAFSA and PROFILE financial aid applications. 

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Just a Few of the Colleges Attended by Academy Students:

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ABOUT

About the Creator of the Acceptance Academy

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Danny Ruderman is nationally recognized as one of America’s premier college counselors. After being the first in his family to attend college and only the third student to be accepted into Stanford University from his public high school, Danny's mission is to help as many families as possible navigate the admission process. He is the author of The Ultimate College Acceptance System (St. Martin’s Press) and Top 100 Answers to Your College Admission Questions. He has also created college counseling programs used by nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies.

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Watch the video!

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Now YOUR child can get the SAME advice, guidance, and support once available only to high-profile families.

Danny totally had my back and helped me express who I really was–no easy task in such a high-growth phase of life. I am forever grateful for Danny’s guidance. 

—EVAN SPIEGEL, Stanford grad and CEO of Snapchat

A Few Nice Words:

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"Danny's Academy was really constructive. It's impressive to have the hours fly by so quickly! Danny was really funny, which made the writing come a lot easier."


- Colin Browne, Student at the University of Pennsylvania


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"Danny's Academy was a lifesaver. Danny made this whole process so much less stressful. I was applying to a very specific program at NYU and he had a real understanding of what I would need to accomplish. Danny was honest with me about my goals and upfront about what was expected of me. The workshop itself was great because when I had doubts about what I was doing, my coach Jessica was always available with words of encouragement."

- Willa Polstein, Student at NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music

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"I can't tell you how much Danny and my coach, Matt, helped me with my essays. I honestly had no idea how to start, and they really helped me come up with ideas and refine my writing. I got so much done and all before I went back to school."

- Jackson Shire, Student at Dartmouth University

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"The Academy was amazingly helpful. I loved that I got individualized attention, and it was always constructive. We learned so much about the essays, interviews, and how to write emails to admission reps! Overall, I feel so much more confident about going into senior year."


- Neecki Zand, Student at the University of California Berkeley

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"This has been as helpful as anything could be. Being forced to do work, I worked. It also helped that Danny and my coach Brian were there the entire time for questions throughout. The group size was perfect."


- Dylan Norris, Student at the University of Michigan


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"Working with Danny was definitely one of the best decisions my family and I made, and I am so grateful for his advice.  Throughout the whole college process, when everyone was stressing about getting apps in, I never felt any because I turned everything in waaaay before the deadline.  Danny really made the my dreams, and the “impossible” my reality. I would’ve never gotten into my dream school without Danny’s help and guidance. If you have an opportunity to work with him, take it."

- Sofia Ziman, Student at NYU's Tisch School Photography & Imaging Program  

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"I definitely owe Danny a big thank you. He really taught me how to think critically and separate myself from the crowd. There is a big emphasis these days on being able to 'network,' but through the lens of Danny Ruderman, I learned that simply means being genuine with the right people.

- Jacob Wasserman, Student at Tulane University

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"Without Danny I wouldn’t have gotten into my dream school. Simple as that! He helped me find a program that revolves around my passion and will allow me to gain real world experience before I graduate college. Danny was incredibly helpful not only to my application and essays but also my mental health and stress throughout the process. He’s also very honest and will lay out a guided plan to get you where you want to go to school— the only thing you need to do is work for it. He will be a grounding and helpful part of your college process. Of course, ultimately you will get yourself into your dream school, but Danny will give you the tools to do exactly that and more. 

- Anna Sophia Lotman, Student at the University of Pennsylvania

DATES

Enroll Today! 

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…and it’s at a price you can manage.

Families typically pay from $5,000-$20,000 to work with me. I don’t say that to brag. I say it to give context. 

I come from the middle-est of middle-class families. My parents couldn’t afford a tutor for me in high school, much less a college counselor. 

I know what it’s like to on the one hand desperately want something and on the other be terrified that I could never afford it.

That’s why I’ve set up Acceptance Academy so you can get started for only $125/month. 

LIVE monthly online classes focused on succeeding in and out of high school and on college research and applications

3-day application “boot camp” to complete the applications and essays BEFORE 12th grade starts

2 hours of 1-on-1 Zoom coaching with one of my certified coaches

FREE BONUS Resource: Automated text reminders (with links to videos and resources) and support messages

FREE BONUS Resource: Secrets to Getting Money to Pay for College

$1299 or 12 monthly payments of $125

No-Risk Guarantee

Try Acceptance Academy for up to 90 days risk-free. If within the first 90 days you don’t love it and don’t feel it’s exactly the support your child and family need, just email me at the address on your receipt and I’ll refund 100% of your purchase price. No questions asked and no hard feelings.

  • What is the Acceptance Academy?
    Danny's Acceptance Academy is the premier college admissions program that he has developed over the last 10 years and has resulted in incredible success for students all over the world. After helping thousands of students create authentic, interesting, and unique applications, Danny has developed a proven system that is based on his understanding of how teenagers really work. His unique ability to use honesty, sarcasm, humor, and relatable stories is perhaps his biggest strength. After working as a public and private school teacher, test prep expert, and educational therapist, Danny dedicated himself to creating solutions that help students build their self-confidence and become the best versions of themselves. He then developed specific methods to help bring stories out of students that they can use in their applications to reflect their unique qualities and circumstances. Danny teaches students (and parents) that college admissions is a lot more than just getting good grades and test scores. At the end of the day, it is still about individual people looking to make connections with applicants who they believe will add something to their campus. By teaching teens how to do this through their applications and direct communication via email, visits, & interviews, he has seen his students achieve unparalleled success. Specifically, the Academy consists of 3 parts: 1) Danny's live, online monthly instruction. 2) His 3-day boot camp in the late summer before senior year. 3) During and after the Boot Camp, students meet 1-1 via Zoom with certified coaches to hone essays and review applications.
  • How is the Academy different than other application workshops (including those offered by high schools)?
    Danny has spent the last 10 years perfecting the Academy to be work-driven so that students get walked through the entire admissions process. Other workshops only cover part of the process and typically consist of a lot of talking that does not result in the applications getting done or in students walking away feeling confident. Moreover, no other workshop we have seen allows students to get such 1-1 instruction with a personal writing and application coach. From the very beginning, this is what students told Danny they wanted the most, which is why the Academy has evolved so that students balance their time between learning what to do, doing it, and getting help making it as good as possible. Most importantly, students who attend the Academy get walked through Danny's philosophy of helping students write unconventional and authentic essays that catch the attention of admissions representatives and put together applications that truly reflect a student's unique qualities. The importance of the approach cannot be underestimated both in terms of helping reducing student anxiety and producing eventual results.
  • What will students get done?
    Discover colleges that match a student's personality and interests. Learn which high school classes to choose. Ensure great college letters of recommendation. Learn how to best work with a school counselor. Discover how to get the most out of campus visits. Develop authentic, standout extracurriculars. Secure job/internships. Reach out to professors and admissions representatives. Craft activities lists that truly reflect a student's involvement. Fill out the college applications (Common Application, and other options including University of California, University of Texas, & University of Washington). Do in-depth research into each college on their list, using the schools' own websites and materials. Complete a full checklist of all the college requirements, deadlines, and essay questions. Write a standout Personal Statement that is required by almost all colleges. Write one-of-a-kind “Why do you want to attend our college?” essays. Meet 1-1 with a coach throughout the Academy & for one hour on Day 4 to create genuine, compelling applications. And much, much more that will help students show colleges who they truly are as individuals.
  • Where does the Academy take place?
    The Academy takes place completely online via Zoom so that students join Danny as he walks them through the application process. Then, during the boot camp, each student will meet 1-1 with their coach for their personalized sessions via Zoom.
  • What if a student has additional applications or essays than those covered?
    Our goal is to help students get their applications and essays done! This means that students will complete the three most widely-used college applications, the main personal statement essay (required by almost all selective four-year colleges), and several of the most commonly-asked supplemental essay questions. If a student is applying to a college that does not use one of the main common college applications, they will be able to take what they learn from the instruction and be able to complete it. Students will also learn strategies that can be applied to many variations of supplemental essay questions, as well as work on ideas with their coaches. Given the number of essay questions, however, it is possible that certain students will still have some work to do outside of the Academy. For those students who still have applications or essays to write after the Academy, they can continue working with their coaches 1-1 for an hourly fee of $125/hour. To be clear, the Academy is designed so that students can complete their apps without any extra help, but for those who want it, we’re available. We also encourage students to review their applications and essays with their parents and school counselors, so they typically submit the actual applications on their own. However, we do cover how to do submissions during the Academy and provide a video of the steps for them to review as necessary.
  • Where else can I learn more about the Acceptance Academy?
    Whether you're looking at top 10 colleges or others, look at Academy reviews from our graduates on the testimonial page: www.acceptanceacademy.com/testimonials Learn more about the program specifics under the first question above, "What is the Acceptance Academy?"

FAQs

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ENROLL MY CHILD IN THE
ACCEPTANCE ACADEMY

Get started for as little as $125/month; 90-day risk-free guarantee 

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