by Joel Nicholson
Last updated October 24, 2021Today, we’re proud to announce that Admissions Ally is now Youthfully: the first and only virtual 1-on-1 Youth Coaching service for students.
Youthfully helps students maximize their post-secondary and career potential by helping them discover and become their best selves.
Why the new name?
Since 2010, we’ve never felt like there was a proper title to describe what we do.
Most clients knew us as ‘admissions consultants’ because we have an extraordinary track record helping thousands of students conquer university admissions, so this became an inherent part of our name.
But what we do is so much more than admissions. We develop students holistically into the best possible people and candidates they can be.
We help students improve their grades, elevate their extracurriculars, enhance their self-awareness, win scholarships, obtain jobs, build real-world skills, achieve post-secondary acceptances, and attend to their mental/physical well-being along the way.
We call this coaching philosophy the ‘full student’ approach, but more on that later.
Students love this kind of integrated support from one dedicated person, solely focused on unlocking their full post-secondary potential through personalized coaching.
As a result, we wanted a name that truly encapsulates this philosophy and a role that embodies our holistic approach.
That’s why we’ve updated our name to Youthfully and call the role a ‘Youth Coach’.
Why ‘full student’ works?
Top universities, employers, and scholarship committees evaluate their candidates holistically—beyond grades—through supplementary essays and video interviews.
They look for students who know who they are, have pursued unique life achievements, demonstrate strong communication skills, and can articulate aspirations for their future.
That’s our secret to success. We call it ‘full student’ coaching.
The ‘full student’ approach encompasses four components necessary to build students into the best possible candidates:
We’ve refined and tested this approach for over ten years—and it’s worked for over 1,000 students. Youthfully students are nine times more likely to achieve admission into competitive universities. Collectively, they’ve won over $5m in scholarships and get hired for their chosen careers earlier than their peers.
Take Stephanie, who founded a non-profit initiative, was admitted to Queen’s Commerce, became the youngest intern at Cisco; Mara, who authored a children’s book and was admitted into medical school; and Prabhgun, who was accepted to Waterloo Engineering and was hired for two competitive co-ops.
So, who is ‘Youthfully’?
Youthfully is more than just a name—it’s an entirely new brand.
We wanted something that spoke to our clients: Gen Z and their parents. First, this meant building a brand that embodies professionalism, expertise, and unparalleled standards for quality front-and-center.
But, it also meant adding a thoughtful touch of our ‘fun side’—because, at the end of the day, Youth Coaching shouldn’t be too serious. It should be engaging, refreshing, and enjoyable. It should make students feel energized instead of feeling depleted.
Youthfully strikes this balance.
And yes, just as we ask our students to define their strengths, values, and mission, we’ve done the same.
Our new coaching platform
We’re also incredibly excited to offer a coaching platform that allows coaches and students to collaborate live on their goals—just like they’re managing a project. For each goal, students set actions, deadlines, and attach relevant documents (e.g. essay drafts). This creates accountability, a sense of visible achievement, and helps students stay organized with everything in one place.
Better yet, parents can also log in and see recently completed actions, upcoming deadlines, change their plan, give their coach feedback, and more. We believe parents are part of this journey too, so if you want access to the platform just ask your son/daughter for an invite.
Our commitment to accessibility
Finally, we believe that support should be available to everyone, even if they aren’t enrolled with a Youth Coach. Therefore, our Resources page gives students access to plenty of free resources.
These are the same resources from our paid Admissions Bootcamps in previous years, now published for free, for all.
This includes supplementary essay templates and examples, detailed program guides, and skill-building handbooks that will help students take control of their future, even if they aren’t working with a coach.
As we continue to grow, we pledge to continue to make Youth Coaching more accessible for every student. Please stay tuned for more.
Connect with a coach
We fundamentally believe Youth Coaching fills the gap in today’s standardized, unpersonalized, and antiquated academic model, by giving young people access to a quality, dedicated mentor who helps them transition into the next chapter of their lives seamlessly and successfully.
We are excited to continue making the future brighter for students—helping youth reach their full potential.
If you’d like to work with a coach, get started right here.
