Hey, it's Minnow!
Today, I will be introducing what Matriculate is and how it has helped me in my academic journey.
First, what is Matriculate?
Matriculate is a nonprofit organization dedicated to 1:1 counseling for eligible students and trained advisors. This access is free, virtual, and flexible between advisees and advisors. This counseling usually begins in your junior year and continues through your senior year to help you get into a college that is a good fit for you!
My Experience:
Matriculate is unbelievably helpful. Originally, I didn't think much of this counseling, as prior school counselors had made me lose faith in their reliability. However, Matriculate asks questions to help you find an advisor who best fits your interests. Personally, my advisor was a Webtoon artist—a dream I wanted to achieve. My goal of going to a top Ivy League school had always seemed far-fetched, as no one in my rural town had achieved this. Indigo, my advisor, did not sway me from this idea like others; rather, she encouraged me. While doing so, she also opened my perspective to new ideas. My great ambitions sometimes swayed me away from applying to safety schools or jumping ahead without reviewing my steps.
A Matriculate advisor offers more than just goal realization—they offer educational, time management, and even emotional support. If I had a question about scholarships, she would research for me and help set up submission deadlines. On days when I didn’t necessarily need collegiate help, she would be there just to hear about my school day. Mental health is vital during the stressful application season, but Matriculate does not fail with this. When I was rejected from Questbridge Match, school truly became difficult. I struggled with self-confidence, but Indigo helped me realize that it wasn’t over yet. She helped me work through each of my supplementals during RD season. These endeavors paid off, as I was accepted to multiple T20s and Ivies. My advisor would send me texts every week to ask about my life and how I was feeling. Small actions like this made me realize Matriculate didn’t just give me an advisor but rather a friend.
Now, as a Harvard freshman and founder of my own educational non-profit, I encourage other students to utilize free resources like Matriculate in their academic journey. Without their support, I truly do not believe I would have made it this far.
Candie here!
This link will include a Matriculate slideshow and information on how they can help you with your college application journey!!
Click here for more information: Matriculate
To apply, go to this website here: https://matriculate.org/