Clone of 2025 Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) Program Application

2026 Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) Program Application
About the program:

The Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) is a program for ambitious, high-achieving students who demonstrate significant financial need. The program will offer Crimson admissions consulting services completely free of charge to a select group of students from around the world through the Edge and Collective programs. Please refer to our website for more information on the programs and services included! Note: the program will not cover any university costs, such as application or testing fees, beyond admissions support.

Eligibility:
- The program supports both American and international students.
- We support students who can contribute less than 30,000 USD/year towards their education.
- CAO supports students who are applying to universities in the US and intend to start university in Aug, 2027. CAO is not able to support students who are not in their application year, so students must be in the equivalent of the US grade 11 or higher to apply.
- We are not able to support transfer students or students who have already started university.
- Please refer to our website for more information.
Tips on filling out the application:
- Before answering any of the application questions, please read all the instructions and questions carefully.
- We recommend that you watch this video walkthrough of the application (note that some details may have changed since the recording of the video) and that you read all the linked resources provided in the different application sections.
- 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.
- 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.
- We recommend drafting the application on a separate document and asking someone whose opinions you trust to review your application before submitting it. Put as much effort into your answers as you can!
- Although our application is not the same as the CommonApp, it draws inspiration from several of its sections. You might therefore find this video series helpful. You will also be able to re-use a lot of your answers on this form in your actual applications - yet another reason to draft it on a separate document (you can save it and re-use it in your college applications)!
Application deadlines:
-Priority consideration: March 1, 2026 at 11:59pm PST
-Final application date: April 12, 2026 at 11:59pm PST

Applicants will hear back about their admission by the end of May 2026. You do not need to follow up on your admissions decision over email, as that information will be shared with all students. Please refer to our website for FAQs and further details, and contact cao@crimsoneducation.org for any concerns.

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

Tell us a bit about yourself.
Name*

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

FemaleMaleNon-binaryOther
If you would like to specify which pronouns you use, please type them out here.
Date of birth*

MonthDayYear
Please indicate how you identify yourself (select all that apply)

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

US citizen (including US citizens living abroad)International studentRefugee, Asylum Seeker or Undocumented Person
Please list any countries that you are a citizen of.*
If applicable, you can also choose Refugee, Asylum Seeker or Undocumented.
Please choose the country where you currently live*
City of residence*
Education

Your academic history is the cornerstone of your application. We are looking for students who demonstrate a high level of achievement throughout high school.
Name of high school*
Is your high school a part of the United World Colleges (UWC) network? Read more about UWC here: https://www.uwc.org/schools

YesNo
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 ZealandOther
Date of graduation from high school (your last day of high school)*

MonthDayYear
Do NOT enter your date of birth here. If we do not have your graduation date, we cannot consider your application,
Are you planning to start university as a first-year student in the fall term (Aug/Sep) of 2027? Note that CAO only supports students who are applying as first-year students for the fall term of 2027. We are not able to support younger students or transfer students.*

YesNo
What would you like to major in at university and why? If you're unsure, you can write that as well, along with the options you're considering. (max 50 words)*

0/50
Are you a first-generation college student? (will you be the first in your family to go to college)

YesNo
Are you planning to apply through QuestBridge?

YesNoOther
Academic History

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). If you can't find your school system here, please use this tool to convert your grade averages to a US GPA.

While there is no minimum grade average to be a part of CAO, we look for students who have consistently excelled academically; our students tend to stand out in their community for their academic achievements.

You will need to select pre-written options for your grades. We know that this may not fully represent your report cards. For that reason, we ask that you select the closest option and then upload all your academic records in the space below.

You need to share average grades for your current grade level and any grade levels that you have completed.
- Grade 12 in the US = Grade 11 in education systems that have 11 years of schooling
- Grade 12 in the US = Year 13 in education systems that have 13 years of schooling
Important notes:
- We will not consider the application of students who have not uploaded the transcripts for all their years of high school (the equivalent of US grades 9, 10, 11, and 12).
- CAO is not able to support students who are not in their application year, so students must be in the equivalent of the US grade 11 or higher to apply.
Grade 12 average grades (if you're currently in grade 12, base this on what you've received so far)*

Grade 12 not started (I'm in grade 11)100%95% or higher90% or higher85% or higher80% or higherIB 45/45IB 43/45 or higherIB 42/45 or higherIB 41/45 or higherIB 40/45 or higherUK A*A*A*UK A*A*AUK A*AAUK AAAUK ABAUS GPA 4.0/4.0US GPA 3.9/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.8/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.7/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.6/4.0 or higherRussian/Kazakh 5.0Russian/Kazakh 4.9 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.85 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.8 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.7 or higherLower than the ranges stated for my curriculum
Grade 11 average grades (if you're currently in grade 11, base this on what you've received so far)*

100%95% or higher90% or higher85% or higher80% or higherIB 45/45IB 43/45 or higherIB 42/45 or higherIB 41/45 or higherIB 40/45 or higherUK A*A*A*UK A*A*AUK A*AAUK AAAUK ABAUS GPA 4.0/4.0US GPA 3.9/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.8/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.7/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.6/4.0 or higherRussian/Kazakh 5.0Russian/Kazakh 4.9 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.85 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.8 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.7 or higherLower than the ranges stated for my curriculum
Grade 10 average grades*

100%95% or higher90% or higher85% or higher80% or higherIB 45/45IB 43/45 or higherIB 42/45 or higherIB 41/45 or higherIB 40/45 or higherUK all A*/9UK mostly A*/9 and some A/8UK mostly A/8UK mix of A/8 and B/7UK mostly B/7US GPA 4.0/4.0US GPA 3.9/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.8/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.7/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.6/4.0 or higherRussian/Kazakh 5.0Russian/Kazakh 4.9 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.85 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.8 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.7 or higherLower than the ranges stated for my curriculum
Grade 9 average grades*

100%95% or higher90% or higher85% or higher80% or higherIB 45/45IB 43/45 or higherIB 42/45 or higherIB 41/45 or higherIB 40/45 or higherUK all A*/9UK mostly A*/9 and some A/8UK mostly A/8UK mix of A/8 and B/7UK mostly B/7US GPA 4.0/4.0US GPA 3.9/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.8/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.7/4.0 or higherUS GPA 3.6/4.0 or higherRussian/Kazakh 5.0Russian/Kazakh 4.9 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.85 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.8 or higherRussian/Kazakh 4.7 or higherLower than the ranges stated for my curriculum
High School Grades Score
Report Cards/Transcripts

To be able to understand your academic background, we ask for copies of all your report cards/transcripts from high school. Please read these instructions carefully:
- You need to upload your report cards for each high school year (the equivalent of the American grades 9-12) here.
  - Grade 12 in the US = Grade 11 in education systems that have 11 years of schooling. If this applies to you, please upload report cards for grades 8-11
  - Grade 12 in the US = Year 13 in education systems that have 13 years of schooling. If this applies to you, please upload report cards for years 10-13
- If grade 11 or 12 is still in progress, please upload progress grades from this year. We will not consider an application that doesn't have progress grades from your current grade level.
- We will not be able to review any application without transcripts for all completed years, and due to the high volume of applications, we will not be able to reach out to request additional documents when they are missing.
- Uploaded report cards/transcripts must be in English.
  - If your school cannot translate them for you, please upload copies of your original documents alongside versions that are translated by you
Please choose how you want to upload your report cards.*

Upload fileShare URL link to file
Please upload your report cards here.*

Browse Files

Cancelof
Please share your transcript link here (make sure to give us access permissions to the link - we will not be able to review your application if we cannot access your link)*
Do you have a class rank reported on your transcript or officially by your school? If so, choose the closest option.*
Alongside your application to the US, are you planning to apply to Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) in the UK?

YesNo
Have you ever applied to university before?*

YesNo
If so, where and what were your results? Please list each university name and each result (incomplete answers will not be considered). If you have applied to universities more than once, please specify that. If no, please write "N/A."*
Are you currently waiting for results from any universities that you have applied to?*

YesNo
If so, which universities and when will you get the results? If no, please write "N/A."*
Are you currently or will you be receiving US university application support from any other company/organization outside your school?*

YesNo
If so, from where and in what capacity? If no, please write "N/A."*
Are you applying for or have you been selected for university support from any of the following organizations? If the organization you will receive support from is not included, please type its name into the "other" box.

SYE - Syrian Youth Empowerment InitiativeLALA - Latin American Leadership AcademyEducationUSASTARS College NetworkOther
Education Total Score
Standardized Testing

Although SAT or ACT scores are not required for admission to CAO, we strongly encourage applicants to submit standardized test results. Components that go into the academic review of the CAO application include school grades, AP exams, and SAT/ACT scores. Points will be given for each of these components in the CAO application review process. Note that many top US universities have reinstated standardized testing requirements, and a strong score can strengthen an applicant’s competitiveness—especially for international students seeking substantial financial assistance. CAO requires proof of English proficiency for applicants who are not from English-speaking countries.
Official SAT highest combined score
Official ACT highest combined score
SAT/ACT Score
Have you taken any APs? By APs, we mean American Advanced Placement tests, more information here: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page

YesNo
If so, in how many of them have you scored a 4 or 5?*
Only select the number of tests where you scored a 4 or 5.
AP 1 Subject*
AP 1 Score*

54
AP 2 Subject*
AP 2 Score*

54
AP 3 Subject*
AP 3 Score*

54
AP 4 Subject*
AP 4 Score*

54
AP 5 Subject*
AP 5 Score*

54
AP 6 Subject*
AP 6 Score*

54
AP 7 Subject*
AP 7 Score*

54
AP 8 Subject*
AP 8 Score*

54
AP 9 Subject*
AP 9 Score*

54
AP 10 Subject*
AP 10 Score*

54
AP Test Score
English proficiency

International students are required to demonstrate English proficiency to be selected for CAO. You will find the ways to fulfill the requirements below. If you cannot afford to take an English proficiency test at this time, please take the EnglishScore free test here and report your result in the additional information section of the CAO application. Note: You may need to take an official test before you apply to college.

Important: high English proficiency is expected when participating in the CAO program. We typically look for a student whose English proficiency is around +100 TOEFL / +130 DET / +7.5 IELTS.
If you are an international student, checkmark how you will fulfill the CAO English proficiency requirement*

Citizen of a country where English is the official first languageAttended school in English for the past 4 or more years+700 SAT English Reading and Writing score / +30 in each of the ACT English and Reading sectionsEnglish proficiency test scoreEnglishScore (I will put my result in the additional information section)
If you want to report an English proficiency test score, please choose which test
Official TOEFL highest score
Official IELTS highest score
Official Duolingo highest score
English Proficiency Test Score
Testing Total Score
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 only supports students whose families/guardians can contribute less than 30,000 USD/year towards their education.
Do you need financial support to attend university in the US?*

YesNo
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
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 in USD?
Are you a Beca Cometa scholarship recipient? Read more about it here: https://www.becacometa.com/

YesNo
Activities and Honors

In this section, we look at the number of activities and honors you've been involved in, the impact you've had, what you have accomplished, how much time you've devoted to your involvements, and what role you've played. We value when students display leadership, community involvement and impact, initiative, uniqueness, achievements on a high level, depth and time commitment, and clear interests.
Instructions for Describing Activities

List max 10 activities below. Please use no more than 150 characters for the activity descriptions and 100 characters for the position/organization name sections.

Take your time to draft this activity because, together with the academics section, this is one of the most important parts of the CAO application.

You might find these resources helpful while answering this section:
Common question: What activities "count" and should I include here?

The answer is... that is up to you! We want to see the activities that you are the most proud of, that you have been the most involved in, and that best demonstrate your interests, impact, accomplishments, and leadership. This can include sports, research, internships, arts, volunteering, independent projects, clubs, or other activities in and outside school. We are also aware that you might have significant family responsibilities. If that is the case, you can also include that here.

Competitive applicants will typically have filled out 8 or more activities in this section.

Are you still looking for activities? Take a look at these summer programs.
Have you taken or are you planning to take any gap year(s)? By gap year, we mean taking time off between your high school graduation and your anticipated university start date.*

YesNo
If so, for how long and what have you done or will you do during this time? (max 100 words)

0/100
If you are aiming to be recruited by a US college sports team, tell us more about that here. Please include the division that you are aiming for, and elaborate on why your sports achievements make you a good fit for recruitment. Note that many sports recruit in earlier years.

0/50
How many activities would you like to report? *
Activity 1: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 1: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 1: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 1 description*

0/150
Activity 1 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 1 Grade Level Scores
Activity 1 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 1 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 1 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 2: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 2: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 2: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 2 description*

0/150
Activity 2 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 2 Grade Level Scores
Activity 2 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 2 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 2 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 3: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 3: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 3: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 3 description*

0/150
Activity 3 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 3 Grade Level Scores
Activity 3 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 3 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 3 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 4: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 4: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 4: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 4 description*

0/150
Activity 4 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 4 Grade Level Scores
Activity 4 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 4 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 4 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 5: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 5: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 5: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 5 description*

0/150
Activity 5 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 5 Grade Level Scores
Activity 5 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 5 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 5 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 6: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 6: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 6: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 6 description*

0/150
Activity 6 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 6 Grade Level Scores
Activity 6 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 6 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 6 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 7: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 7: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 7: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 7 description*

0/150
Activity 7 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 7 Grade Level Scores
Activity 7 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 7 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 7 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 8: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 8: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 8: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 8 description*

0/150
Activity 8 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 8 Grade Level Scores
Activity 8 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 8 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 8 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 9: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 9: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 9: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 9 description*

0/150
Activity 9 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 9 Grade Level Scores
Activity 9 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 9 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 9 Total Hours Spent Score
Activity 10: position and organization/activity name*
Activity 10: what was your level of involvement?*

MemberTeam leaderPresident, captainFounder
Activity 10: level of recognition*

SchoolLocal/state/regionalNationalInternational
Activity 10 description*

0/150
Activity 10 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Activity 10 Grade Level Scores
Activity 10 average number of weeks per year (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 10 average number of hours per week (choose your closest estimate)*
Activity 10 Total Hours Spent Score
Activities Total Number Score
Activities Level of Recognition Score
Activities Leadership Score
Activities Overall Total Hours Spent Score
Activities Total Score
Instructions for Describing Honors

List max 5 academic honors, awards, competitions, or other achievements below. Please use no more than 100 characters to describe each one.

This is an important section, as we've found that most top-university candidates have outstanding achievements in their honors.
How many honors would you like to report? *
Honor 1*

0/100
Honor 1 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Honor 1 level of award*

InternationalNationalRegional/stateSchool
Honor 2*

0/100
Honor 2 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Honor 2 level of award*

InternationalNationalRegional/stateSchool
Honor 3*

0/100
Honor 3 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Honor 3 level of award*

InternationalNationalRegional/stateSchool
Honor 4*

0/100
Honor 4 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Honor 4 level of award*

InternationalNationalRegional/stateSchool
Honor 5*

0/100
Honor 5 grade level participation*

Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9Post graduate
Honor 5 level of award*

InternationalNationalRegional/stateSchool
Honors Number Score
Honors Level of Award Score
Honors Total Score
Your Story

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!
Personal Statement

You may want to consider reviewing the below link to get an understanding of what we (and colleges) are looking for in these prompts.
We encourage you to draft these answers on a separate document first so you can submit a finalized draft that you feel proud of... and save it for your college applications on the CommonApp!

Note: the essay must be your own work, and you may not use an AI-produced essay in your application. If we detect that AI has been used in the production of your essay, your application will be rejected.
Mini Personal Statement: Choose one of the prompts below (taken from the Common App) and write a max 350 word essay response to it.*

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 paste your personal statement here*

0/350
Reading

We are curious to learn more about your reading habits, as we have found that these are a good indicator of a student's writing level, English proficiency level, and intellectual development.

You may include both fiction and non-fiction books.
Please list the books that you have read in full in English outside of school in the past 12 months. Include title and author (100 words max)*

0/100
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!

This section is very important - this is where you should tell us how you'd benefit from the program and why we should choose you to be a part of the program.

In your 2-minute 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? Important: Please make sure that your answer is specific to the CAO program(s) that you selected (CAO Edge and/or CAO Collective).
- Why would you be a great fit for the program?

In the words of Brown University, "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.

If you can't record a video, please submit an audio file. However, please note that CAO team meetings are conducted over video calls - this is a great time to practice feeling comfortable with video communication.
Please choose how you want to share your video file*

Upload fileShare URL link to file
Please upload your video recording here. Include your full name in the file name.*

Browse Files

Cancelof
Share the link to your video file (make sure to give us access permissions to the link - we will unfortunately not be able to review the application if we cannot access your link).*
Additional Information
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 150 words)

Note: this section really is optional!0/150
CAO Specific Questions

Your fit for CAO is important to us. In this section, you will have the opportunity to show us more about yourself and your fit for our program.
Have you previously been a part of a CAO cohort? CAO is unfortunately only able to support students once, and will not accept students who have previously been a part of a CAO cohort.*

YesNoOther
Have you been involved with Crimson in other ways? If yes, please elaborate on how.
CAO is divided into two programs: CAO Edge and CAO Collective. Please select the program(s) that you'd want to be considered for (note that you can select both but that you will only receive an offer to one of the programs). See our website for more details!*

CAO EdgeCAO Collective
CAO students may be able to apply to a free research program through Indigo Research's IRIS program. Are you interested in applying to this program? Read more here: https://www.indigoresearch.org/program/iris*

YesNo
Time Commitment & Expectations

Applying to the US is a highly time-consuming process and will require balancing your time between schoolwork, extracurriculars, family commitments, and application prep. High-quality applications to top universities require intentional planning, continued commitment, openness to feedback, and many revisions.

CAO in itself is also a big time commitment. As a part of CAO, students are expected to:
- Start the program in early June
- Devote 2-5 hours per week to their application work, June-December
- Be available to meet regularly with 3 different mentors: a strategist, an essay mentor, and a financial aid mentor
- Complete assignments after each meeting with their mentors by the agreed-upon deadlines
- Schedule and communicate responsibly and regularly with their mentors
CAO is an intense program with high demands for a reason: we know how much time and effort it takes to put together a competitive application to a top US university.
Will you be available to start the program at the start of June?*

YesNo
How many hours per week can you devote to your applications, June-December?*

Less than 11-22-33-44-5More than 5Not sure
What do you hope to gain from participating in the CAO program, and how would you allocate time to and make the most of the program?*

0/75
How will you approach the college essay writing process specifically? What challenges might you face? How do you envision collaborating with your CAO essay mentor?*

0/75
Marketing

While being a part of CAO, students may be asked to participate in marketing opportunities. These may include: written testimonials, video testimonials, webinar participation, or others.
I acknowledge and understand that as a part of CAO, I may be asked to participate in marketing*

Yes
Submission
Honor Code: I have completed this form truthfully and to the best of my ability. I understand that as an applicant 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 also understand that I am not allowed to use AI when producing my application materials. I acknowledge that any false or misleading information included on this application form by the 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 acknowledge and agree to the honor code below.
I acknowledge that I understand and agree to the Honor Code.*

Yes
How did you first learn about the CAO program?*

TikTokFacebookInstagramLinkedInNewspaperOnline articleCrimson Access Opportunity websiteCrimson blogCrimson webinar (hosted by CAO)Crimson webinar (not hosted by CAO)Crimson emailCrimson staff (e.g Academic Advisor)Former CAO participantFriend, classmate, or colleagueSchool (teacher, counselor or faculty member)Nonprofit organizationLatin American Leadership Academy (LALA)Syrian Youth Empowerment Initiative (SYE)STARS College NetworkSearch engineOther
Select any other sources through which you have heard about CAO

TikTokFacebookInstagramLinkedInNewspaperOnline articleCrimson Access Opportunity websiteCrimson blogCrimson webinar (hosted by CAO)Crimson webinar (not hosted by CAO)Crimson emailCrimson staff (e.g Academic Advisor)Former CAO participantFriend, classmate, or colleagueSchool (teacher, counselor or faculty member)Nonprofit organizationLatin American Leadership Academy (LALA)Syrian Youth Empowerment Initiative (SYE)STARS College NetworkSearch engineOther
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2026 Crimson Access Opportunity (CAO) Program Application

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