Frequently Asked Questions

I’m Andy, founder of Key Academy. I grew up in the Los Angeles public school system, attending schools in Cerritos and Arcadia from kindergarten through 12th grade. I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and later earned my medical degree from UC San Diego.

Throughout college and medical school, I dedicated my free time to teaching students from elementary through AP level. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with more than 10,000 students across the United States, helping them build strong academic foundations and achieve their goals.

I sometimes hear the claim that so many students earn good grades today that academic performance no longer differentiates them. But when you look at objective data, that simply isn’t true.

One clear benchmark is the National Merit Scholarship Program, which selects semifinalists based on top PSAT/NMSQT scores. These results are publicly released each year.

For example, in 2025, Cerritos High School, a highly rated school, had 1 National Merit Semifinalist out of a graduating class of approximately 500 students. Gretchen Whitney High School, often ranked the top public high school in California, had about 10 semifinalists out of roughly 160 students.

Even at excellent schools, only a small percentage of students reach this level. True academic excellence remains rare and continues to distinguish students clearly.

There is a strong similarity between medicine and education. In medicine, most people already know how to stay healthy — eat well and exercise. The principles are simple, but following them consistently is difficult. Education works the same way. Academic success is not complicated. It comes from disciplined study habits, regular reading comprehension practice, structured writing development, and consistent math training. The fundamentals are straightforward — but they are often repetitive and not exciting.

That is why I train my students with weekly reading comprehension, writing, and math practice. We build real skills through steady repetition and gradually increasing difficulty over time. Studying intensely for two months right before an entrance exam is not how meaningful academic growth works, and it rarely produces strong results.

Today, students are surrounded by distractions — digital entertainment, birthday parties, computer programming classes, rocket club, and countless other activities. While those may be enjoyable, they do not replace consistent mastery of the fundamentals that drive long-term academic success.

Many parents rely on rating systems like GreatSchools, which can be a helpful starting point. However, ratings don’t always reflect real outcomes. I prefer to look at objective data — specifically, how many students from a school are admitted to top universities each year.

The University of California publicly releases admissions data by high school, including how many students are admitted to UCLA. You can review that information here: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/information-center/admissions-source-school

When you look at the numbers, even the strongest public high schools in California typically have only about 10–15% of their graduating class admitted to UCLA in a given year. That’s an important perspective. Simply attending a highly ranked school does not guarantee admission to a top university.

School environment matters, but outcomes are still largely student-dependent. Even at excellent schools, only a fraction of students achieve admission to the most competitive colleges.

The short answer is: it depends on whether your child truly needs help with the personal statement portion of the application.

Before hiring an expensive college counselor, it’s important to understand what a typical college application includes. In total, the application is roughly eight pages. About two pages consist of objective information such as grades, test scores, and the activities list. Around two pages are the personal statement and supplemental essays. The remaining four pages are letters of recommendation — usually written by the high school counselor, one math or science teacher, and one humanities teacher.

Four of those eight pages — the recommendation letters — are completely outside the student’s control. The academic record has also been built over several years and cannot be changed at the last minute. A college counselor cannot alter those components.

The primary area where a counselor can provide meaningful support is the personal statement. If your child struggles with writing, organization, or articulating their story clearly, targeted guidance can be helpful. However, that support has limits. In today’s market, I would be cautious about spending excessive amounts.

Extracurricular activities are often overemphasized. The specific activity — or how prestigious it sounds — does not determine college admission. What matters far more is how your involvement is understood and described by your high school counselor and teachers, since they write the recommendation letters.

Most public high school counselors schedule time to meet with students to discuss their activities and future plans. That conversation directly shapes how your experiences are presented in your application.

Expensive summer programs that cost $10,000–$20,000 do not automatically improve your chances, even if they carry a well-known name.

In short, activities themselves are less important than how effectively they are presented in your recommendations — so prepare thoroughly for your meeting with your counselor during application season.