Admissions consultancy · on request

From shortlist to offer.

For families who want more than tutoring, we guide students through the whole application, for leading schools and universities in the UK, the US and beyond.

Request a consultation Where our tutors study

What we help with

  1. ISchool entry
  2. IIUK universities
  3. IIIUS colleges
  4. IVInternational

Why ASAM

Guided by those who have just done it.

Admissions change quickly. New tests replace old ones, interview formats shift, and what impressed an admissions tutor ten years ago may not today. Our tutors went through these same processes recently, at the institutions your child is aiming for.

Every consultancy is overseen personally by our founder, Harry Webster, who has guided families in the UK, the US, Europe and China to places at Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, HKU, Bocconi, Stanford, Yale and beyond.

Applications we support

Every route, one standard.

  1. I

    School entry

    7+, 11+, 13+ and sixth-form entry to leading independent and international schools: choosing schools, entrance exams and pre-tests, and interview preparation.

  2. II

    UK universities

    Course and college choice, UCAS strategy, the personal statement, admissions tests such as UCAT, LNAT and MAT, and Oxbridge and medical interviews.

  3. III

    US colleges

    Building the college list, the Common App and supplemental essays, SAT and ACT preparation, and alumni interviews, with tutors from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and beyond.

  4. IV

    International

    Applications to leading universities in Europe and Asia, from Bocconi, ETH Zurich and Sciences Po to HKU, NUS and Tsinghua.

The process

Four stages, one plan.

  1. I

    Consultation

    A conversation with the family and the student about ambitions, strengths and timing. We assess where the student stands today and what a strong application will require.

  2. II

    Strategy

    A written plan: a balanced shortlist, the tests and deadlines that apply, and how the student will build the reading, projects and experience that make an application stand out.

  3. III

    Preparation

    Personal statements and essays drafted and refined over several rounds, admissions tests prepared for properly, and subject tutoring where grades need support.

    Every word of an application remains the student's own. We guide, question and refine; we never write it for them.

  4. IV

    Interviews and offers

    Mock interviews with tutors who have recently sat the same interviews, then support in weighing offers and preparing for the next step.

Questions

Asked often.

Anything else, write to us at info@stepaheadmentors.com.

When should we start?
Ideally twelve to eighteen months before the application deadline, which for UK universities and US colleges usually means early in the year before the student applies. We can still help much closer to the deadline, and with interview preparation alone.
Is consultancy separate from tutoring?
It can be either. Some families want the full process from shortlist to offer; others want help with one part, such as the personal statement or interviews. Subject tutoring can run alongside.
How much does it cost?
Consultancy is offered on request and priced according to the scope of support and the applications involved. After an initial conversation, we'll confirm a proposal in writing before any work begins.
Do you guarantee a place?
No one honestly can. What we offer is a clear strategy, rigorous preparation, and guidance from people who have recently succeeded in the same process.

Start with a conversation.

Tell us where your child is applying and when. We'll arrange a consultation and confirm a proposal in writing before any work begins.

Request a consultation