2023 Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) Program Application

2023 Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) Program Application
The Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) is a program for ambitious, high-achieving students who demonstrate financial need. The program will offer Crimson admissions consulting services completely free of charge to a select group of students from around the world (note: the program will not cover any university costs, such as application or testing fees, beyond admissions support).

The program supports American and international students who are applying to universities in the US and intend to start university as first-year students in Aug, 2024. We support students who are able to contribute less than 30,000 USD/year towards their education. Please refer to our website for more information.

Before answering any of the application questions, please read all the instructions and questions carefully. When approaching every question, please answer them as informatively, clearly, and honestly as possible. Please note that we take honesty very seriously at Crimson; you will be asked to agree to the CAO honor code before submitting the application. Also, carefully check all the information you have provided before submitting as you will not be able to change your answers after submitting the application form. Finally, you will be able to re-use a lot of your answers on this form in your actual college applications - put as much effort into them as you can!

Application deadlines:
-Priority consideration: March 1, 2023
-Final application date: April 7, 2023

We recommend that applicants aim to apply by the priority deadline to receive a priority review by the CAO admissions team.

Applicants will hear back about their admission in May, 2023. Please refer to our website for FAQs and further details on the program.

We look forward to reading your application and learning more about you, good luck!

The submitted information will not be shared with anyone other than Crimson administrators.
Personal Information
Name*

First NameLast Name
Email*
example@example.com
Gender*

FemaleMaleNon-binary
If you would like to specify which pronouns you prefer that we use in our communication with you, please type them out here.
Please indicate how you identify yourself (you may select one or more)

American Indian, Alaska Native, or IndigenousAsianBlack or African AmericanNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific IslanderWhiteHispanic or Latino/a/x
I am applying as a*

US citizenInternational student
Please list any countries that you are a citizen of. If applicable, you can also write "Refugee/Asylum Seeker/Undocumented." If you hold a US Green Card, please also mark that here.*
Country of residence*
City of residence*
Education
Name of high school*
Curriculum*

American (including Advanced Placement = AP)A-Levels/GCSEInternational Baccalaureate (IB)IEB - South AfricaNCS - South AfricaFrench BaccalauréatVietnamese National CurriculumOP - Taiwan, VietnamCBSE - IndiaICSE - IndiaRussian National CurriculumKazakhstan National CurriculumHSC - AustraliaVCE - AustraliaNCEA - New Zealand
We are interested in your academic performance in high school. Please provide your grade average for each high school year (the equivalent to the American grade 9, 10, 11, and 12). Ensure that you include the total possible grade (see examples below). If grade 12 is still in progress, please write "IP". *
Ex 1: Grade 9 - 90/100, Grade 10 - 92/100, Grade 11 - 97/100, Grade 12 - IP. Ex 2: Grade 9 - 7/9, Grade 10 - 8/9, Grade 11 - A/A, Grade 12 - A/A*. Ex 3: Grade 9 - 5/7, Grade 10 - 6.5/7, Grade 11 - 7/7, Grade 12 - IP
Please upload your report cards for each high school year (the equivalent to the American grade 9-12) here. If grade 12 is still in progress, please upload report cards for grade 9-11. Include your full name in the file name.

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Do you have a class rank? If yes, please list it below. Please specify in the following way: rank/total number of students (ex: 5/85). If no, please write "N/A."*
Graduation date*

MonthDayYear
Have you taken or are you planning to take any gap year(s)? If so, for how long and what have you done or will you do during this time? If no, please write "N/A." (max 100 words)*

By gap year, we mean taking time off between your high school graduation and your anticipated university start date. 0/100
Have you ever applied to university before? If so, where and what were your results? If you have applied in multiple application rounds, please be sure to disclose that. If no, please write "N/A."*
Are you currently waiting for results from any universities that you have applied to? If so, which universities and when will you get the results? If no, please write "N/A."*
Are you planning to start university as a first-year student in the fall term (Aug/Sep) of 2024? Note that CAO only supports students who are applying as first-year students for the fall term of 2024. We are not able to support transfer students.*

YesNo
Are you currently or will you be receiving application support from any other company/organization outside your school? If so, from where and in what capacity? If no, please write "N/A."*
What would you like to major in at university? If you're unsure, you can write that as well. (max 50 words)*

0/50
Are you planning to apply through QuestBridge?

YesNo
Standardized Testing
If you have taken an official SAT/ACT, then please write down your highest combined score (ex: SAT: 1450). If you have not taken a test yet but plan to, please write down your planned testing date (ex: March, 2023). If you have not taken an official test and have no plans to, write "N/A." *
Please write down any other standardized tests you have taken that are not mentioned above, together with their scores (ex: AP Calculus AB - 4). If you have not taken any, write "N/A."*
If you have taken an official English proficiency test, please write down your highest combined score (e.g. TOEFL: 100). If you have not taken a test yet but plan to, please write down your planned testing date (e.g. April, 2023). If you have not taken an official test and have no plans to, write "N/A."*
Note: high English proficiency is expected when participating in the CAO program.
Financial Profile

This is an important section so make sure that you are discussing it with your family/guardian before submitting your application. Please note that CAO supports students whose families/guardians can contribute less than 30,000 USD/year towards their education. Saving this information will be helpful - you'll need to use it again in your college financial aid applications!
Do you need financial support to attend university in the US?*

YesNo
Approximately how much are you and your family/guardian *able* to contribute toward your college education per year? This question is NOT about what you would *like* to pay, but rather the total that you/your family/guardian are *able* to contribute towards your college education. Note that the amounts are specified in USD.*

$50,000/year or more$40,000-50,000/year$30,000-40,000/year$20,000-30,000/year$10,000-20,000/year$10,000/year or less
What was the total combined income earned in 2022 by your parents or legal guardians? Note that the amounts are specified in USD.*

$150,000 or more$145,000-150,000$135,000-145,000$125,000-135,000$115,000-125,000$105,000-115,000$95,000-105,000$85,000-95,000$75,000-85,000$65,000-75,000$55,000-65,000Below $55,000
How many people were supported by this income?*

1 person (I provide for myself)2 persons3 persons4 persons5 persons6 persons
Do you have direct access to any alternate sources of financial support for your college education? If so, what amount would that source contribute annually? Please specify the currency. If no, write "N/A".*
Does your family have any significant expenses or has your family faced any particular financial hardships? If so, please specify that here. Please specify any mentioned currency. If the answer is no, you can leave this section blank.
Activities and Honors

Briefly describe the honors/awards/competitions (if applicable) and extracurricular activities that you are most proud of. We recommend writing about activities that exhibit your leadership qualities and your impact in your school and/or local community.
Instructions for Describing Activities

List max 7 activities below. Please use no more than 50 words to describe each activity.

Follow this formatting when writing about your activities:
(Name of Activity/Organization) - (Position)
(Description of activity: your responsibilities and details of your accomplishments)

Ex:
Student Council - Deputy Head Boy
Lead the 8 prefects that oversee the 700 students at my school. Create and lead new projects, such as a well-being council and student talent show, to improve the school spirit and environment. Organize a peer-support group with 10 mentors and 30 participants.
Activity 1

0/50
Activity 2

0/50
Activity 3

0/50
Activity 4

0/50
Activity 5

0/50
Activity 6

0/50
Activity 7

0/50
Instructions for Describing Honors

List max 5 academic honors, awards, competitions, or other achievements below. Please use no more than 50 words to describe each one.

Follow this formatting when writing about your honors/awards:
(Name of honor/award) - (Awarding Body) - (Level, choose one of the following: School, State/Regional, National, International) - (Brief description)

Ex:
Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award - ACCA HK Business Competition - Regional level - Won the award for the most sustainable business model out of 50+ participating teams.
Honor 1

0/50
Honor 2

0/50
Honor 3

0/50
Honor 4

0/50
Honor 5

0/50
Your Story
You are so much more than the grades, test scores, honors/awards and activities written above, and similar to college applications, we want to give you the opportunity to add “personality” to your CAO application!

We want to get to know who you are — the unique experiences that have shaped you; the things that make you tick; the people and ideas that inspire you; and your ambitions, aspirations, and dreams. There is a unique story within you, and we want to hear it!

Note: we encourage you to draft these answers on a separate document first so you can submit a finalized draft that you feel proud of.

You may want to consider reviewing the below link to get an understanding of what we (and colleges) are looking for in these prompts.
Universities are looking for students who know how the universities they apply to align with their goals/interests. Knowing that, please choose one US university that you would like to apply to and tell us WHY you'd like to apply there (max 150 words).*

0/150
Personal Statement: Choose one of the prompts below (taken from the Common App) and upload a 400-650 word essay response to it. You will be able to upload the essay as a .doc or PDF below.*

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Please upload your personal statement as a .doc or PDF here. Include your full name in the file name.*

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If you are unable to upload your essay above, feel free to share a link where we can access it instead (make sure to give us access permissions to the link).
Video Introduction

We'd love to meet and get to know you! Imagine this as a conversation or interview you're having with our application reviewers on the CAO Admissions Committee - keep it light, fun, and natural!

Although we would like to see you, as it'd help us put a face to your name and application, we understand how daunting it is to record a video, so we also welcome audio submissions. Both types of submissions will be assessed in the same way. Note that the formatting of the video will not be assessed - focus on your content!

In your 2-minute audio/video introduction, we want you to respond to the following questions:
- What are your goals and aspirations and how do you think the CAO Program could help you get there?
- Why would you be a great fit for the program?

In the words of Brown Unviersity, "Your video should begin with you in front of the camera saying, "Hi, my name is [insert name] from [high school]." After that, what you choose to say and how you choose to say it is up to you. Simple and unrehearsed is fine, and you are welcome to be creative."

We recommend that you watch Brown's "Video Introduction: Do's & Don'ts" before you start recording your video.
Please upload your video/audio recording here. Include your full name in the file name.*

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If you are unable to upload your video/audio above, feel free to share a link where we can access it instead (make sure to give us access permissions to the link).
Additional information: is there anything else that you would want the application reviewers to know that is not reflected anywhere else in your application? (Max 200 words) Please do *not* use this as a space to share additional activities or honors.

Note: this section really is optional!0/200
Submission
Honor Code: I have completed this form truthfully and to the best of my ability. I understand that as applicants to the CAO program, I am beholden to an Honor Code, and promise to be truthful regarding all aspects of my application and in all interactions with Crimson and university personnel. I acknowledge that any false or misleading information included on this application form by student or guardian(s) will result in an immediate dismissal from the Crimson Access Opportunity program, and I will be barred from any other Crimson affiliate programs.

Please acknowldge and agree to the honor code below.
I acknowledge that I understand and agree to the Honor Code.*

Yes
How did you learn about the CAO program?*

TikTokFacebookInstagramLinkedInNewspaper/online articleCrimson website/blogCrimson webinar/eventCrimson emailCrimson staff (e.g Academic Advisor)Former CAO participantFriend, classmate, or colleagueSchool (teacher, counselor or faculty member)Nonprofit organizationSearch engine
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2023 Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) Program Application

Personal Information

Education

Standardized Testing

Financial Profile

Activities and Honors

Your Story

Submission