Our Methodology Explained

At Cosmic we take a truly complete, or in the Hegelian sense, an Absolute approach to admissions consulting. In general we apply dialectical principles inspired by the likes of Socrates, Kant, Hegel, Derrida, and others to analyze the relationships that exist among the components of an application. Many colleges pose questions to applicants that have a reciprocal relationship to each other in which the answer to one question would logically impact the answer to not only the next question, but to previous questions as well. For example, a question regarding what one has provided to the community can be followed by asking what the community has provided to them. Using the principle that what one gains from a community is dependent on what one gives to the community and vice versa, one can provide extremely insightful answers to both questions. We rigorously search for these types of relations in our client's applications to ensure each question is answered in a way that adds value to the answer of every other question. This ensures that our client's applications are far greater than the sum of their parts and gives them a huge edge in admissions compared to approaches that don't rigorously analyze how different questions are related to each other. The ultimate goal is an application that reads seamlessly from beginning to end without any discontinuity of thought.

This philosophical/dialectical approach is only one aspect of our methodology. Cosmic's founder holds a Ph.D in theoretical physics from Yale and takes to heart the lessons in research and academic rigor he had to utilize to obtain his degree. At Cosmic, our consultants rely heavily on researching each individual college a client is applying to, including its faculty members and their publication history. This puts us in an excellent position to help our clients get their feet through the door by approaching faculty members before they send in their applications. We also use our expertise in research and critical thinking to help our clients communicate that they are well-prepared to study their intended field of interest. Contrary to what some say, being a jack of all trades with an open mind that radiates a sense of youthful idealism with no basis in reality or solid theory is not what colleges are looking for. Though it is sometimes all they can get, hence why this myth has perpetuated so much.

Furthermore, we also take an active role in making sure our clients secure the finest letters of recommendations possible. To accomplish this, we like to work with clients early by having them first write their common application and supplemental essays using our aforementioned philosophy. We then help clients identify which parts of their application can be further strengthened by external corroboration from their recommenders. By identifying what can be strengthened beforehand, we further help our clients approach their recommenders in a mature, professional, but firm way to ensure they receive the best letters possible that strengthen their own words and lack the redundancies associated with having three “glowing” letters of recommendations all saying the same thing.

Finally, we know from our own experiences how the college process extends beyond the common app itself. The stress associated with paying for college, deciding what extracurriculars to participate in, as well as maintaining a high GPA can take its toll. That is why at Cosmic we manage all of these other factors as well. We make use of our collective skills towards helping our clients find scholarships and applying for them early, and assist them in selecting extracurricular activities so they do not waste their time, and act as an advisor for them in academic competitions that will further distinguish themselves from other applicants. We monitor the grades of our clients to make certain they are above an agreed upon threshold and intervene with tutoring and other services if required.