How to Build a Research Profile That Gets You Noticed by Top Colleges
December 4th - 5pm PT
Research experience is now a strong signal in competitive admissions. This webinar shows you how to build meaningful research work that reflects curiosity, depth, and clear academic interest. Learn what admissions officers value most and how to use your projects to strengthen essays, recommendations, and your overall application.
What to Expect
Join our webinar to learn how to turn your academic interests into a research profile that strengthens your applications. You will see how to pick the right projects, show depth in your work, and present your findings in a clear way. We explain how colleges review research experience and give you steps to highlight your effort in essays, activity lists, and interviews. You will leave with a plan to build research that supports your goals and helps you stand out.
Research Profiles That Get You Noticed
Expertise, guidance, discovery
& success
Expertise
Learn from admissions experts who understand how top colleges evaluate research experience and why strong academic depth matters.
Guidance
Get clear direction on how to choose projects, build structure in your work, and show progress in a way that strengthens your application.
Find out where students locate research opportunities, how to reach mentors, and how to turn curiosity into focused academic work.
Discovery
Leave with a simple plan to present your research in essays, activity lists, and interviews so you increase your chances at selective schools.
Success
about our speaker
Meet Ben
Ben Gutierrez has over ten years of experience guiding students through college admissions, with expertise in selective universities. He has served on admissions and scholarship committees at Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins, where he gained insight into what top schools value.
Ben helps students—especially those interested in STEM, pre-health, and research—develop standout academic and extracurricular profiles. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Vanderbilt and an M.L.A. from Johns Hopkins.
Register for our FREE webinar today!
What You Will Learn
How Research Supports Your Application
Understand why top colleges value research experience and how it shows depth, curiosity, and academic focus
Learn how to find topics and questions that match your interests and support your long-term goals
How to Access Research Opportunities
See clear steps to reach mentors, join programs, or start independent work when formal options are limited
Learn how to present your research in essays, activity lists, and interviews in a way that highlights skill and growth
Get examples of traits colleges look for, such as initiative, persistence, clear outcomes, and thoughtful reflection
Where you can ask all your questions!
What Does Empowerly Offer?
OUR FEATURES
Empowerly Score®
Our proprietary calculator is backed by data from thousands of Empowerly student experiences to construct a highly accurate applicant profile for you, giving you a competitive advantage. Identify areas of improvement and strengths to highlight for an in-depth look at your current college application readiness.
1:1 college counseling
Based on your goals and preferences, you’ll be matched with one of our top-rated counselors who is dedicated to ensuring your academic standing and extracurriculars align with your long-term passions and goals. And when it’s time to officially start applying, your counselor will be there for comprehensive 1:1 support through every essay, application review, interview, and more to ensure you’re on track to reach your goals.
Advice & planning
Whether your college prep journey begins in middle school or senior year of high school, Empowerly’s holistic approach ensures you’re right where you need to be. From interest discovery to summer programming, to AP course selection, our research team and robust community of resources and expert advice are ready when you need them.
Essay editing
On average, students write at least 20 essays when applying to colleges, including common app essays, supplemental essays, and those for scholarships or special programs. Our experienced essay editors can review your essays within 24 hours, ensuring each one highlights your strengths and unique story.
Admissions Committee Review (AdCom)
With Empowerly, you can submit your completed application to our review committee before actually applying. Our committee members consist of former admissions officers with direct experience at top schools who know the dos and don’ts for the schools you want to get into. You’ll receive detailed, constructive feedback that gives you enough time to perfect your application before you hit submit.
SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS
In addition to our standard features, we offer specialized programs unique to your interests and specific needs:
GOALS academic support
Our GOALS program empowers neurodivergent students with skills for success at top schools and beyond.
Our test prep program helps students achieve top results, with expert tutors guiding them to success.
Test prep
Our passion project program helps students turn ideas into impactful projects for their college applications.
Passion projects
AI Scholar Program
Our AI Scholar program helps students create impactful projects using AI and machine learning.
Our Research Scholar Program pairs students with PhD mentors on impactful independent research projects.
Research Scholar Program
Startup internships offer real-world experience, helping students explore careers and boost college applications.
Startup internships
Want to learn more about Empowerly? Check out what parents and students are saying about us!
2024 Top Schools Data
Admission rates at top U.S. universities are fiercely competitive. For example, Stanford University and MIT have acceptance rates of approximately 4%, and Caltech is even more selective with an admit rate around 3.9%.
Highly Competitive
Top Non-Ivy Colleges
Popular and highly competitive non-Ivy institutions include Stanford University, MIT, Duke University, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University,
and Rice University.
Top U.S. Colleges:
Applicants and Admit Rates
Navigating admissions at U.S. universities like Stanford, MIT, and Johns Hopkins is incredibly challenging, with acceptance rates as low as 3%. You don’t have to do it alone—our expert team is here to guide you through every step of the process.
Seeking Personalized Guidance?
Skip the Webinar
Want to skip the webinar and get your child’s readiness for elite university applications reviewed by an expert? Book a consultation today!
Menu
Contact Info
Location & Hours
MON-FRI/ 7AM - 8PM
2261 Market St #4555
San Francisco, CA 94114
