Senior Connie Chen exemplifies the demanding schedules Webb students thrive on. Chen, who may be the valedictorian of the girls school with her 4.0 GPA, balances her time between playing three varsity sports and running the school newspaper. In her spare time, she volunteers at a hospital, is a counselor at a girls science camp, tutors peers in English and participates in student government. She also wins national science competitions. In my school, quite a few people are doing the same thing I'm doing.
Students are often so busy, in fact, that their schedules dictate company policy.
Rubenstein said one reason Princeton Review launched its Web site was to accommodate students' schedules. Hellmich's work begins freshman year by ensuring that students are in the right classes and extracurriculars from the beginning. Preparation intensifies in the junior and senior years, when she helps students plan campus visits, proofreads applications and grooms them for interviews. Hellmich says demand has grown so much her practice doubles each year that she has had to limit the number of students she accepts. But while colleges are enjoying the abundance of qualified candidates increased competition has wrought, some experts are sounding warnings.