Ani | College Gates Advising, LLC

August 9, 2021 By Ani

Test-Optional Admissions

For the admissions cycle 2020-21 more than 1,600 4-year colleges and universities announced Test-Optional policies. Colleges made decisions without standardized (SAT or ACT) test scores if the students were unable to submit their test scores. Some colleges had also announced that they will be extending their Test-Optional policies for the 2021-22 admissions ... Read More >

February 17, 2021 By Ani

What’s Happening in College Admissions?

The Pandemic has greatly impacted the higher education sector particularly the college admissions process. One of the impactful trends in college admissions this past year has been the Test-Optional policies adopted by colleges. More than 1,600 colleges and universities announced test-optional or test-blind policies for the 2020-2021 application cycle. As ... Read More >

January 14, 2021 By Ani

Changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid- FAFSA

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 includes changes and reforms to FAFSA, known as the FAFSA Simplification Act, effective for students applying to the 2023-24 academic year. Some of the most significant changes include reduced number of questions on the form (from 108 to 36), new well-defined “cost of attendance” by colleges, and an increase in ... Read More >

December 14, 2020 By Ani

PSAT/NMSQT

PSAT and National Merit Scholarship Program Students take the PSAT test in 10th and 11th grades. The PSAT is a pre -SAT test. The scores of the PSAT tests are not used in college admissions. However, students taking the PSAT test in their junior year qualify to be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program. This is a selective program, and ... Read More >

November 7, 2020 By Ani

Campus Visits

Campus visits are important to college admissions process. Through visits students can explore many different resources available in a given college, learn about campus life, academic offerings, financial aid, and find out about its geographic setting. In short, students can get a feel about the college’s dynamics and understand if it would be a right fit ... Read More >

Thank you, Ani for helping me stay on top of my applications! Thanks also for all the tips for transitioning to college. I missed working with you!”
~ Student, BU Class of 2023, Lexington, MA
During a very challenging academic year for high school seniors, Ani kept my son motivated in college search and application process. She was well-aware of all the challenges that the students were facing in building a college list. She patiently helped my son engage in virtual visits while also helping him find appropriate virtual extracurricular activities. He had five admissions to top colleges and chose to enroll at UMass Amherst.”
~ Parent, HS Class of 2021, Lexington, MA
Ani Helped my daughter with college planning that included high school academics and extracurricular activities. She was encouraging and very thorough in answering our questions. My daughter was admitted to all her top choice colleges including one with a full scholarship. We are thrilled and grateful.”
~ Parent, HS Class of 2021, Worcester, MA
We had a great experience working with Ani. She was always patiently available to answer all our questions. She guided us through the college search and application process. My daughter was able to develop a well-researched college list and was admitted to her first-choice college. We learned to look for a college that is the best fit. It makes more sense.”
~ Parent, HS Class of 2021, Lexington, MA
I consulted Ani on several occasions regarding post-graduation gap year options for my son, who had just graduated with a BS in Chemical Biology from UC Berkeley and wanted to take a year off before applying to medical school. Her advice was well-thought out, succinct and invaluable as she offered multiple options moving forward. Ani's experienced approach in empowering my son made him feel like he was in charge of the entire decision making process.”
~ Parent, Philip A.
Overall, I had a great experience and seamless interaction with Ani. I got her advice, as well as clarifications regarding the interpretation of foreign credentials for 2 international students who applied to Tufts last year. Ani’s expertise allowed me and my department to better understand the students’ previous knowledge and background in related coursework.”
~ Visiting Professor, Ara P.
I won't surprise you by saying that college selection process is not a simple one. More over, it is complicated, broad, and for the most part, the process can be quite overwhelming.
If you are looking for a college coach to guide your child with insightful and pragmatic yet caring approach, I highly recommend Ani Arakelian-Sahakian. Ani's insightful knowledge and expertise helped the process to feel somewhat simple for us, and get into the college of top choice for our child. I highly recommend Ani to parents and their college-bound children!"
~ Parent, Hasmik K.