UCA’s Core Values
Candor
UCA clients receive honest advice and opinions. We prefer to stay positive and inspirational, as negativity can destroy a student’s admissions effort and success. We are also realistic, pushing students to keep options open while using maximum effort to pursue their goals. Even when the world says something is impossible, we want students to DO the impossible! That is an important life lesson.
Collaboration
Only UCA utilizes the Interactive Team Approach. Each student is assigned a personal Client Manager while also working with a team of admissions professionals, editors, researchers and interviewers. Our team brainstorms, double checks, and uses fresh eyes to ensure the best possible student results. Of course, at the heart of every student team is the family, and we seek parental input for maximum success.
Community
We believe that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” Unlike other consultancies, UCA believes in transparency and group dynamics. Unless a client directs otherwise, we connect our students together, to share information, develop group projects, and minimize anxiety. When possible, we prefer to communicate openly with school counselors, private tutors, and community leaders. We present dozens of group webinars, seminars, Town Hall meetings, articles, and free services to deserving students who could not otherwise afford a consultant. UCA clients benefit from a community of over 1,000 former students and their families.
Empathy
At the heart of UCA’s work is our deep care and concern for each student, including an understanding of each client’s family dynamics. We seek to maximize clear communication and harmonize everyone’s efforts towards the same goal: lifetime success.
Integrity
UCA works hard to assist our students, but we also work hard to avoid inserting our own voices into student work. For best results – for college admissions, as well as for life – students must express themselves to the best of their abilities. That means most of our students will have essays rejected by UCA if they lack intelligent thought and appropriate effort. It also means that every year, we dismiss clients who do not demonstrate an appropriate level of responsibility. Utilizing a best-in-the-world grading scale, not a high school curve, UCA’s foundation is integrity.
Knowledge
We pride ourselves on our enhanced expertise, culled from decades in admissions, education, and child development. Continually acquiring new knowledge and improving our own state-of-the-art, UCA embraces a competitive mindset. We do our own research, reading between the lines and refusing to accept the marketing, noise, and salesmanship that overwhelms the education industry. UCA strives always to become better.
Mentorship
In different parts of the world, our profession is known by different terms. We are consultants, counselors, and coaches. Our job is to inform, train, and assist our clients. UCA treats our students like adults, and we expect our clients to treat us like professionals. Merging our core values together, we believe that our greatest role is to serve as mentors, not just for college applications, but for life.