INTRODUCTION

What is an accelerator?

The term "accelerator" may be unfamiliar to some. Accelerators are an investment and development program that originates from the startup world. Accelerators are so important to many startups because they work with entrepreneurs to offer guidance, opportunities, investment, connections with other entrepreneurs, a growth ecosystem, and a far-reaching network to early-stage startups in return for a small stake in their growth.

What does an accelerator have to do with college admissions?

Although accelerators are now an integral part of the startup pipeline, they were not always around. Before accelerators, the only thing available to early-stage businesses that wanted help growing were consulting firms.

Sound familiar to the admissions industry today?

Just like how an accelerator with opportunities and a networks was far more helpful to startups than entrepreneurship consultants, a similar ecosystem designed to actively help students develop their profiles is far more effective than any admissions coach.

Actions will always speak louder than words. That is why we introduced the first admissions accelerator.

THE NXCF ACCELERATOR

Our program has two batches with different purposes— our late-stage batch from July through January focusing on seniors executing their applications, and our working developmental batch for 8th-11th grades which feeds into late-stage in 12th grade. Here’s what happens during nxcf:

The Goal

The overall goal of nxcf is to help students really take off. Students arrive at nxcf at all different stages. Some haven’t even started high school yet, and others are starting their final application. Whatever stage a student is at when they arrive, our goal is to help them to be in dramatically better shape 3 months later.

For most people, better shape translates into two things: to have a better application with higher competitiveness, and to have more doors opened for the rest of their lives.

Students at all stages benefit from the intensity of nxcf. That’s probably the best word to describe the atmosphere. For 3 months, it’s all progress, all the time. Everyone around you—us, the other students in your batch, the alumni—wants to help you succeed. In that atmosphere it’s hard not to be highly motivated. And that kind of extraordinary motivation is what one needs to do something as difficult as achieving acceptance to a selective university.

Many students find their time in nxcf as the most productive period in their lives. You can’t make people something they’re not, but the right conditions can bring out the best in them. And since most people have way more potential than they realize, they’re often surprised by what they’re capable of.

Groups

During the batch, students are sorted into 4 groups with specific focuses—business, engineering, medical, and other / undecided. Groups give students the benefit of an intimate setting within the larger batch. Each group is managed by a specialized nxcf partner.

Office Hours

Much of what takes place at nxcf happens during office hours. We host office hours every month with students and families and batch groups. One-on-one office hours with students are available as often as they want.

What we discuss at office hours depends on where the student and family are in the application cycle. In our initial stages together, we will plan a path with students and families. As we progress to application season, we will discuss interviews, essay revisions, and letters of recommendation.

Synchronization

We take the phrase "working together" to the next level with our synchronized workflow model. By using our virtual collaboration platform, we can work with students in real-time to plan, track progress, and work together on essays.

The Final Application

The application starts for us far before application season starts senior year. No matter the student's grade level, we are working on the application continuously during the accelerator.

When the time comes, we will plan and edit student essays on our synchronized virtual workspace for all application deadlines.

NETWORK POWER

Our network is what drives progress in our accelerator and is the greatest asset we can offer.

ASSETS

Portfolio Opportunities

The greatest limitation to the quality of extracurricular activities is that students can only have at most four years to work on them before they must apply. But with an alumni network, students in the accelerator can inherit or take roles in projects that alumni have already worked on for years such as well-developed community initiatives or businesses. As an organization, nxcf also manages our own opportunities to add to our students' profiles.

COMMUNITY

Alumni Community

Researching schools is a core part of writing a convincing application essay. With a network that spans every top-50 university, students will receive inside perspectives from current college students that allow them to better communicate to admissions officers why they fit at their university.

Colleague Community

The batch is a great resource for students to collaborate with their colleagues. Want to enter the University of Delaware's Diamond Challenge? Want to start a public health project? Team up with others in the batch!

Resource Network

Student project may need outside resources which we can provide with our network. Research connections can be made with professors at T20 universities, introductions can be made with city governments for public projects, and so on.

COMPENSATION

Accountability and Equity

We find it paramount to structure nxcf as an investment in the student rather than a service. Therefore, the return we make on our investment should be reflective of our performance and the student's outcome.

Our compensation is a function of the student's final net tuition (tuition minus financial aid and scholarships). Net tuition is confidentially calculated by colleges reviewing each individual family's ability to pay and adjusting tuition accordingly. We have designed our take to be negligible to the affordability of college and account for the vastly differing financial resources of each student.

Our Stake

• 4% of net tuition for placement into a top 25 university
• 3% of net tuition for placement into a top 50 university
• 2% of net tuition for placement into universities outside of top 50

Please know these percentages are examples and will vary based on the student. The student's goals, their current profile compared to their goal, and their residence status are all factors we take in to account. Each student is vastly different, and our compensation should reflect that.