• 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.
  • Gender*

  • Date of birth*
     - -
  • Please indicate how you identify yourself (select all that apply)

  • I am applying as a*

  • 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.
  • Is your high school a part of the United World Colleges (UWC) network? Read more about UWC here: https://www.uwc.org/schools
  • Curriculum*

  • Date of graduation from high school (your last day of high school)*
     - -
  • 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.*
  • 0/50
  • Are you a first-generation college student? (will you be the first in your family to go to college)
  • Are you planning to apply through QuestBridge?

  • 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 11 average grades (if you're currently in grade 11, base this on what you've received so far)*
  • Grade 10 average grades*
  • Grade 9 average grades*

  • 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.*
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  • Alongside your application to the US, are you planning to apply to Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) in the UK?
  • Have you ever applied to university before?*
  • Are you currently waiting for results from any universities that you have applied to?*
  • Are you currently or will you be receiving US university application support from any other company/organization outside your school?*
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Have you taken any APs? By APs, we mean American Advanced Placement tests, more information here: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page
  • AP 1 Score*
  • AP 2 Score*
  • AP 3 Score*
  • AP 4 Score*
  • AP 5 Score*
  • AP 6 Score*
  • AP 7 Score*
  • AP 8 Score*
  • AP 9 Score*
  • AP 10 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*

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

  • 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:

    • Cracking the Common App Part 3: Maximizing Extracurricular Impact
    • 5 Common App Activities List Tips
    • How to Write a Successful CommonApp Activities List
    • Epic List of Activities List Verbs

     

    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.*
  • 0/100
  • 0/50
  • Activity 1: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 1: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 1 grade level participation*
  • Activity 2: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 2: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 2 grade level participation*
  • Activity 3: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 3: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 3 grade level participation*
  • Activity 4: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 4: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 4 grade level participation*
  • Activity 5: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 5: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 5 grade level participation*
  • Activity 6: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 6: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 6 grade level participation*
  • Activity 7: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 7: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 7 grade level participation*
  • Activity 8: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 8: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 8 grade level participation*
  • Activity 9: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 9: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 9 grade level participation*
  • Activity 10: what was your level of involvement?*
  • Activity 10: level of recognition*
  • 0/150
  • Activity 10 grade level participation*

  • 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. 

     

  • 0/100
  • Honor 1 grade level participation*
  • Honor 1 level of award*
  • 0/100
  • Honor 2 grade level participation*
  • Honor 2 level of award*
  • 0/100
  • Honor 3 grade level participation*
  • Honor 3 level of award*
  • 0/100
  • Honor 4 grade level participation*
  • Honor 4 level of award*
  • 0/100
  • Honor 5 grade level participation*
  • Honor 5 level of award*

  • 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.

    • Cracking the Common App Part 4: Crafting a Compelling Personal Statement
    • How to Answer the Common App Essay Prompts
    • Johns Hopkins University: Essays That Worked
    • How to Write a Personal Statement

    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.*
  • 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.

  • 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*
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  • Additional Information

  • 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.*

  • 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 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*

  • 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?*
  • How many hours per week can you devote to your applications, June-December?*
  • 0/75
  • 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. 

  • 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.

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

  • Select any other sources through which you have heard about CAO

  • Should be Empty: