So proud of the community we have built and cannot wait for our summer meetings when most students return from their studies!

On Confidentiality and Fiduciary Duty

A key benefit of working with Freshman Academy is that, as a Singapore-registered company, we adhere to the country's strict confidentiality and data protection laws. For example, we must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) responsible for overseeing data management and compliance.

Another advantage of working within a legal framework is that we assume a fiduciary duty in all our services. This means we are committed to providing the most optimal advice to our knowledge in our students’ best interests.

Whether it's a single consultation, an Admissions Program, or Full Support, we uphold the same high standards. With approximately 80% of students who consult with us eventually enrolling in our admissions programs, this principle has helped us build trust with future students.

Whether it is admissions or curriculum building, our team continuously refines the best practices. These efforts start with setting clear expectations, establishing transparent contracts with students and employees, and ensuring we operate within well-defined legal frameworks.

That said, there is still a lot of work to do. But I believe we are moving in the right direction. I advise to be careful about who you share your essays with. You should either personally know and trust these people or ensure that legal protections are in place to safeguard your information.

These considerations may seem boring, but they are crucial in the long run. As a community, we need to start talking about this topic more.

@valeranotes

First Slide in an Instagram Carousel: "Our student got into Stanford!"

Second Slide: Stanford’s Pre-collegiate Program acceptance letter.

This is peak false marketing, designed to mislead newcomers in admissions. When you spot it, call it out!

Imagine if we counted every YYGS acceptance as a Yale one…

@valeranotes

On my way to meet Dean Pericles Lewis in Singapore.

Any interesting questions?

@valeranotes

I remember getting rejected by every university I applied to in my first year.

That was, by far, the most hopeless period of my life. Frankly, I started thinking a local university was my only realistic option.

Luckily, despite the self-doubt, social stigma, and my family’s very reasonable skepticism, I reapplied.

Had I not, Freshman would not have existed. I certainly would not be standing next to Dean Pericles.

I wish someone had told me back then, in that lowest moment, that one day I would personally know the leader of Yale College—someone who spent 30 years in it—discussing geopolitics, education, and my project.

I am so grateful to the people on whose shoulders I stood. Grateful to my family, teachers, and friends for supporting me.

Eight years passed since those rejections. And things changed so dramatically, I could not have imagined it in my wildest dreams back then.

@valeranotes

We ran an anonymous feedback form for the Admissions Program 2025.

The results are solid but not perfect.

100% of the group would recommend the program to their friends.
4.6/5.0 in terms of meeting the expectations.
4.47/5.0 is the average performance of the team members.

But that awkward moment when Sega got 4.82 on insightfulness of feedback and I got 4.73…

Guess will have to step it up this month.

@valeranotes

A family from Kazakhstan decided not to join Freshman, partly because we do not "guarantee" admission.

I have learned that some admissions consulting companies in Kazakhstan promise acceptance to "at least one good university."

My Kazakh friends and followers, could you please explain how this works in practice?

@valeranotes

Check out @econovation. It is a project started and led by Freshman students and alumni.

They are launching free webinars in partnership with KPMG and students from UC Berkeley.

You can join this opportunity here.

@valeranotes

Portals with undergraduate and graduate research papers

1) Yale: elischolar.library.yale.edu
2) UC Berkeley: escholarship.org
3) Cambridge: cambridge.org/engage
4) Oxford: ora.ox.ac.uk
5) MIT: dspace.mit.edu

Just a few of such resources. Explore!

@valeranotes

I do not find MIT admissions particularly interesting, and I have a subjective reason for it.

Narratives matter less, while the Olympiad ecosystem—the coaches, logistics, and resources available—matters far more.

If a country has a robust network supporting Olympiad participation, MIT admits are likely to follow.

That said, MIT still requires five 200-word essays, plus an optional one, but these are secondary to the tangible achievements on your CV. The numbers and "hard data" are crucial.

The Ivy League, however, prioritizes the intangibles far more, relying heavily on narratives.

Like MIT, these universities inquire into who you are, your story, and how it aligns with their values. But they focus relatively less on raw results and more on your character and experiences.

@valeranotes

What is referred to as meritocracy is often a reflection of unevenly distributed resources and opportunities.

Those who succeed in such systems may have a vested interest in framing meritocracies as "just" and "fair."

They may explicitly portray those who failed as "lazy" or "not working hard enough," which is not only unempathetic but false.

In fact, we must recognize the broader structural inequalities—historical and systemic—shaping learning and socio-economic outcomes.

@valeranotes

startup founders: I hate 9 to 5.
also startup founders: 💻🦐 for 24/7.

Think about work, procrastinate on work, plan work, motivate your team to work, stress about work, stress about not doing work:

Actually work:

A world of difference.