A team with insights tailored to you
A note from our founder: “I started this project after my own college experience…
Sandeep Shankar
Georgetown and McKinsey alum, with 7+ years in pre-college education
… which began when I entered Georgetown as an undecided student. In high school, I was a good student and nationally-ranked debater, but I still struggled to transition to meet new expectations. Classes required stronger academic writing skills and competitive pre-professional clubs only accepted 10-12 out of hundreds of applicants each semester. I was rejected from nearly every club I applied to and ended the semester with what would become my worst GPA of college.
I started First Year Advantage because structured and efficient guidance can help incoming college students avoid the mistakes I made and truly make the best of college. Our insider network allows students to truly understand the expectations of their school and intended academic path before they set foot on campus. This means confidence in the classroom, stronger positioning for internships and leadership roles, and far less wasted time trying to recover from avoidable missteps.”
We source coaches and insights from a network that covers nearly all top universities.
-
Georgetown
-
University of California
-
UChicago
-
UMass
-
Penn
-
UMich
-
UVA
-
Emory
-
Harvard
-
Yale
-
MIT
-
Cornell
-
Brown
-
Vanderbilt
-
UT
-
NYU
-
Northwestern
-
UVA
-
Duke
-
UNC
-
Stanford
-
WashU
-
Dartmouth
- Georgetown - University of California - UChicago - UMass - Penn - UMich - UVA - Emory - Harvard - Yale - MIT - Cornell - Brown - Vanderbilt - UT - NYU - Northwestern - UVA - Duke - UNC - Stanford - WashU - Dartmouth
Our coaches and insights come from students at top universities.
Every student benefits from guidance shaped by those who have navigated competitive academics, selective clubs, and early career opportunities firsthand. Our insider network ensures advice is campus-specific, actionable, and tailored to each student’s goals.
Academic track-record: Network members have excelled in top universities, earning dean’s list honors, research awards, and competitive scholarships. Their firsthand experience navigating rigorous coursework ensures students receive strategies proven to achieve high academic performance.
Job and grad school placement: Our network has successfully landed competitive internships and post-graduate positions at top consulting and banking firms, top law and medical schools, and government positions
Campus leadership: Our network includes student leaders who held executive positions in elite clubs — from debate and student government to finance, pre-med, and tech organizations. They know what it takes to secure leadership roles in high-demand campus groups.