Born and raised in Manhattan, Sam Johnson attended some of the most competitive private schools in New York and has succeeded in the dog-eat-dog world of school applications since he was four-years-old (Ah, New York…) He is a graduate of Harvard University (BA, Russian Literature), where he was Editor and Vice President of the famed Harvard Lampoon.
Sam has worked as a Senior Admissions Consultant and guided hundreds of students to acceptance at the most competitive colleges, graduate schools, and MBA programs, including Stanford, The University of Chicago, Duke and more. Helping students choose their best stories and tell them in the most passionate, stirring, effective way is sort of his bread and butter – and he loves guiding students in choosing the kinds of activities, research, and summer programs that allow them to build those experiences.
Sam’s long familiarity with the college admissions process allows him to cut through the clutter so his students can focus on what matters: leadership, unique experiences and a compelling personal narrative. Sam loves helping students and their families break down the often nerve-racking experience of applying to college into manageable bite-sized steps. Sam’s view of writing the common essay or personal statement is informed by what he learned about screenwriting while pursuing his Master’s in film producing at the #1-ranked School of Cinematic Arts at USC. You need to capture your audience right from the get-go and give them a hero to root for (you…). Sam uses his experience as a screenwriter and former education blogger for the Huffington Post to help students do just that.
Lastly, having lived abroad in Shanghai, Sam particularly enjoys working with international students. And as an award-winning screenwriter, he has helped several students gain admission to highly-selective undergraduate film programs.