During this webinar, Admissions Expert Dr. Katie Chiou will break down how admissions officers assess course rigor within the context of a student’s high school, how grades are weighed alongside curriculum choices, and why two students with similar GPAs can be viewed very differently. Dr. Chiou will also explain how factors like AP/IB availability, honors courses, grade trends, and school profiles shape transcript review.
Students and families will receive actionable guidance they can use right away. Dr. Chiou will share practical advice on how to choose classes each year, when it makes sense to push for more rigor (and when it doesn’t), how to balance challenge with performance, and how students can position their academic choices to align with college admissions expectations.
With so much uncertainty around college admissions, this session is designed to replace guesswork with clarity - helping students and families feel more confident about the academic choices they’re making now.
Admissions Expert
Hi! My name is Katie, and I’m a psychiatry resident at Mount Sinai! I graduated from Brown’s 8 year Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) where I majored in Science & Society with a focus in anthropology and completed a concentration in medical education. I’ve worked for over 8 years in college advising in essay editing and interview prep, and now primarily present at monthly webinars about premed, BS/MD programs, and essay writing.
