About The CAR
The College App Roadmap (The CAR) is an online tool created to help high school students apply, submit, and commit to college in six hours - spread out over six weeks - so that they can connect with and achieve their personal goals and dreams.
Navigating the college application process can feel daunting and expensive, with comprehensive consulting services often costing between $2,000 and $55,000. At The CAR, we believe that every student deserves access to high-quality guidance without breaking the bank. That’s why we’ve created a step-by-step guide through the entire college application process that’s both affordable and incredibly effective.
The CAR streamlines the college application process to save students, parents, and school counselors time so that they can focus on what matters most. The CAR is fully customizable to your school's specific deadlines and needs. Ask your school counselor to contact us and we can customize The CAR to make sure you are on track with your school's timeline.
The CAR Resources
Here are just a few of the many resources you’ll receive when you hop in The CAR:
Application Accompaniment: A step by step walk through of the Common App, FAFSA, CSS & more.
Essay Drafting Methods: Proprietary essay drafting methods students can use throughout their career.
Organization System: Proprietary, multipart framework for organizing all applications, logins, and accounts.
Scholarship & Application Tracker: Template for monitoring student's progress, school contacts, and deadlines.
Curated Calendar: Each student creates their own personalized calendar to meet deadlines and goals.
Scholarship Guide: Proprietary scholarship list and application tutorial.
Cost Calculator & Financial Aid Accompaniment: Proprietary mechanism to calculate total cost of each school.
Email Templates: Templates for college emails, reference requests, essay revisions, and inquiries.
Submit and Commit Guide: Multi-part guide on how and when you're ready to submit and commit.
Senior Year Timeline
Here are some dates to keep in mind so that you stay on track senior year. Many deadlines are school specific, so each student will customize their own calendar during the first module in The CAR.
August
Before summer ends, fill out application forms and complete an essay draft.
Join The CAR Bootcamp to get this done fast. Start applying for scholarships.
September
Meet with your school counselor to make a list of schools that are the best fit for you and secure letters of recommendation Keep applying
for scholarships!
October
Apply for financial aid using the FAFSA and CSS. Get ready for Early Decision/Action deadlines in November!
Did we mention, scholarships?
January
January 1st is most schools’ regular decision application deadline. You should have submitted all of your applications by this time. Be sure to create application portals after you submit! Oh and scholarships!
Feb - MArch
Check your email and application portals to ensure you have all documents submitted. Keep
an eye out for college decisions and financial aid offers. The CAR walks through
deciphering
decisions.
April - MAy
Time to make your decision! Once you decide, create your admitted student portal and complete all onboarding tasks. Keep applying to scholarships and make a budget for freshman year.
Scholarships
Available
The CAR offers full and partial scholarships to students in need because we believe that higher education should be accessible to all.
counselor Customization
The CAR is completely customizable to meet your school’s specific deadlines and needs.
Sign up for a free customization call to discuss how we can best help you serve your students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I just apply on my own?
You absolutely can apply to college on your own. However, it has been our experience that students navigating the process alone often feel overwhelmed and are less likely to fully utilize the application to demonstrate their strengths. The CAR aims to bridge that gap by providing clear and structured steps to follow. The secret to success lies in filling out applications and forms in a way that doesn't drain you. We break down the process into manageable steps, allowing you to invest daily in your future by committing as little as one hour a week, ten minutes a day. By following our guidance and pacing, you can approach college apps with ease and confidence, knowing you're in control. While you can choose to accelerate the pace of The CAR and complete multiple lessons per day, it's important to remember that rest is essential and progress is incremental.
What makes The CAR different?
The College App Roadmap offers a comprehensive approach to the entire college application process, which is not provided by most college admissions counselors. Even if they do offer such guidance, college admission counselors often charge rates starting anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000.
Additionally, The CAR not only assists you with filling out forms, but also offers proprietary essay drafting methods, teaches you about scholarship opportunities, guides you through financial aid applications, and provides support with college onboarding checklists.
We go beyond admission and even accompany you to your college move-in, ensuring you remain focused on your goals and desired area of study.
The CAR was created to help students avoid stress and anxiety while seeing the application process as a rewarding way for them to explore their inner calling and hone their organizational, writing, and time management skills so that, when they get to college, they are centered, prepared, and clear about who they are and what they want to study.
Can you guarantee admission to a school?
College admissions are ultimately beyond both your and our control. However, what we can control is how we effectively communicate your strengths and interests. The College App Roadmap provides a step-by-step approach to achieving that and connecting to your inner calling to ensure that the path you take is the one you want to be on. Our goal is to make education accessible to all and to offer guidance during this challenging time. We also sprinkle in wisdom that can help you overcome future obstacles. College is not the last gauntlet you'll face, but by using The CAR, you'll gain the knowledge and skills to break down seemingly insurmountable obstacles into smaller parts to decrease stress and stay focused on your goals.
Meet the CAR’s Founder
Polly Korbel
Polly is a higher ed administrator and former school counselor who walks alongside students as they self-actualize so that they can realize their full potential and achieve their dreams. For the past 15 years, Polly has helped students apply to college and followed them through graduation and beyond. She initially built The CAR to help her students navigate the application process in order to save both her students and herself (as an overworked school counselor) time and stress. When her fellow school counselors started asking if they could share her guides with their students, The CAR was born.
Since then, thousands of students across the world have Hopped in The CAR. In The CAR, Polly shares the same strategies that helped her students secure over $25 million dollars in scholarships and receive acceptances from countless universities including: Princeton, Yale, Brown, NYU, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, and more.
Polly completed her undergraduate degree at Princeton and graduate studies at Yale. As a low-income student from Texas public schools, Polly recognized early on the tools and resources needed to navigate applications, college campuses, and beyond. She has since used those tools to work with thousands of students, parents, and educators over a decade in higher education to connect each student - no matter their background - with their unique calling.
