Reaching New Heights: Maui Prep College Counseling

By focusing on three pillars—Start Early, Strategize, and Select with Purpose—Maui Prep is giving its students a leg up in the college admissions race. 

 

The most visible change in the program is the timeline. Traditionally, the “college rush” happens in the fall of senior year, forcing students to juggle applications with varsity sports and heavy academic loads. Maui Prep has flipped the script, moving the process of writing and refining up by four months.

 

Beginning the week after the school year ended, Dr. James and Mrs. Lucia launched a “Summer Intensive,” logging over 500 hours of one-on-one meetings with each rising senior. The goal? To have the majority of personal statements (the main college essay) and supplemental writing for each individual university finalized before the first day of school. Mrs. Lucia notes that the summer meetings were not just about editing, but about giving adequate time and space for students to truly fine-tune their thoughts.

 

Lindsey Masterson, mother of Sadie Stafford ’26, noted that Sadie met with Dr. James throughout the summer, working through 15 drafts of her main essay before school even started. “I felt confident for Sadie and more relaxed, because I have never done this before, and it was sort of going into the unknown,” Masterson recalls. “Starting school with that essay done was huge.”

 

“I loved starting the process early in June; it takes a huge burden off of you,” recalls McKenzie Clarion ’26. “By the time school started, the bulk of the work was basically done. The smaller supplemental essays felt easy compared to the main personal statement.”

 

Similarly, Dylan LaPrade ’26 worked with the team to craft essays for over ten different schools. Her parents noted that this structure provided an elite level of support that rivaled private consulting. “During this time, she was given, without a doubt, the same attention (possibly more) that she would have received if we hired a private individual to assist her,” recalled Zach and Kelly, Dylan’s parents. “The difference was that, after several years of taking classes with these educators, Dr. James and Mrs. Lucia knew Dylan intimately and could really assist her with letting her voice shine through on the admissions essays.”

 

For Tehya Chumley ’26, she knew that the University of Notre Dame was her top choice after campus visits, summer programs, and good old-fashioned Fighting Irish football games. Because of this, she didn ot waste a minute getting started on her application. “I had to frontload all the work during the first part of the summer due to my on-campus programs, but Dr. James helped me over Zoom and through online edits,” Chumley shared. “It completely set me up for success. Because of that early start, I wasn’t stressed out during the application process.”

 

The early start paid off for the Class of 2026: more than 75% of the class applied to at least one institution by November 1st, a common priority deadline for many schools. By shifting the workload to the summer, students were able to use their Fall Break respite in October to fine-tune applications. The result is early peace of mind, with most students receiving acceptance letters and financial aid packages before Christmas.

 

Tehya Chumley’s Notre Dame decision letter popped into her inbox at exactly 18:42 EST (a historic nod to its founding year, 1842) during Fall Semester midterms before Christmas break. Chumley fought bravely to keep her eyes locked on her AP Literature exam and off the clock. “I was incredibly nervous because I knew the email was sitting in my inbox, and my mom asked me to wait until I got home to open it,” recalls Chumley. “I remember driving home, literally shaking, stuck behind a really slow car!”

 

The wait was worth it and the dream was achieved for Tehya, who enjoyed an early Christmas celebration with her brothers over FaceTime from the South Bend campus, where Caleb ‘22 and Renner ‘25 matriculated as well.

 

Early applications are about more than just beating the clock; they are also about securing resources. When Kai DaProza ’26 applied early to Fordham University in New York City, the university responded with a significant merit scholarship. Her early commitment allowed her to confidently withdraw her other applications, effectively “paying it forward” by opening seats for other aspiring students.

 

 

In a landscape where selective colleges receive tens of thousands of applications, GPAs and transcripts are only the baseline. Maui Prep’s innovation lies in how they help students tell their unique stories. The modern admissions landscape requires a shift from the general to the personal. To make room for what matters, the counseling team cleared the school calendar of generic, low-impact recruitment events. By prioritizing direct, one-on-one time between students and college recruiters, the “Strategize” pillar emphasizes the quality of personal connections over the quantity of introductions.

 

This “up close and personal” approach is the result of vertical alignment across all four years of high school. Focusing on the “right fit” rather than just a brand name ensures that students don’t just get into college—they transition into a community where they will flourish academically, socially, and personally. A student only truly thrives when their environment matches their personality, and that discovery starts with the deep, personal relationships at the heart of the Maui Prep mission.

This philosophy was foundational for Dylan, who started at Maui Prep in the 8th grade. “At that time, any college in the world seemed to be an option and Dylan was encouraged to be herself and let the college speak to her needs, rather than tailor her activities and interests to what we thought a specific college might be looking for,” her parents reflected. “Sure, there was some strategy involved, but we liked that the goal was for her unique voice to guide where she would apply.”

 

Around her sophomore year, it became clear that Dylan wanted to pursue a career in film and animation. However, because she also held deep interests in law and political science, the counseling team strategically steered her toward art-centered schools that still offered robust opportunities to explore disciplines outside of the arts.

 

Innovation also extends to the faculty. Mr. Sturgeon led Maui Prep teachers in specialized workshops to view applications through the eyes of an admissions committee. This insight allows faculty to write highly curated, bespoke letters of recommendation that speak directly to what a specific university is looking for.

 

Furthermore, the team provides hands-on expertise for niche application requirements. When applying to elite art institutions, portfolio reviews can be an incredibly daunting, make-or-break hurdle. Because Mrs. Lucia attended art school, she personally mentored Dylan through the curation of her portfolio for admissions. “This was a monumental task that Dylan could not have done alone,” her parents noted. 

 

When Leah Burns ’26 set her sights on the renowned architecture programs at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she faced the steep odds of out-of-state admissions. To set her apart, the counseling team looked beyond the standard application. Leah applied for Landscape Architecture as a strategic major with a higher probability of acceptance to secure her initial admission. This innovative approach gives students a foot in the door at their dream schools, and allows them to prove their merit once they are on campus.

 

For Maui students, a “Sense of Place” is a double-edged sword. While living on Maui is an immense source of pride, the cost and distance of college tours can be a significant barrier. To bridge this gap, the counseling team has brought the world to Napili.

 

Over 50 college recruiters visit the campus annually, with many offering immediate acceptance or financial aid packages based on on-site, one-on-one interviews. For schools that cannot visit in person, Dr. James leverages an extensive alumni network, connecting current seniors with former Pueo who can give an honest “vibe check” of the campus culture. This relational matching ensures that a student is not just choosing a brand name, but a community where they will truly flourish—whether that means being a woman in a male-dominated engineering program or an artist looking for a specific creative hub.

 

For McKenzie Clarion ’26, the goal was clear: to make his way to Texas. However, with over 150 institutions in the Lone Star State, the challenge was narrowing the search beyond mere reputation. While he was initially interested in Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University, Dr. James worked closely with McKenzie to filter choices based on his specific needs—size, religious values, and program strength.

 

They narrowed the list to under ten schools, including Texas State University in San Marcos. Pueo alumna Hana Gonzalez ’23, currently a junior at Texas State, provided an authentic perspective that gave McKenzie the confidence to pursue the school as his top choice. After he and his family visited the campus in the spring, McKenzie knew he had found his new home. “When I was walking around, I could see myself with my friends, just talking and having fun. San Marcos is more relaxed, and that’s what I need.” 

 

To make a final decision between her top two choices—University of North Carolina and University of Virginia—Sadie Stafford and her mother took one last trip to the East Coast. Both universities offered exceptional programs that rewarded Sadie for her thorough college preparation. In the end, she connected deeply with the Tar Heel blue; her direct admission into both the Kenan-Flagler Business School and the honors program solidified her final commitment.

 

At a gathering for newly accepted students, Sadie and Lindsey met the admissions coordinator who had personally reviewed Sadie’s application. “The coordinator was really compelled by Sadie’s personal statement essay, and she just felt like Sadie was a well-rounded student,” Masterson shared. For a university that heavily prioritizes in-state applicants, the coordinator was immediately intrigued by an application coming all the way from Maui. However, geography alone was not what won them over. “She thought it was interesting that Sadie wants to be in the business school and also minor in studio art,” Masterson noted. “She felt like Sadie’s entire application was well-prepared, and she really was moved by her essay. She basically said it was perfection.”

 

Dylan found herself in an equally enviable position, receiving admission to multiple top-tier institutions alongside generous scholarship offers from Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, NY), the School of Visual Arts (Manhattan, NY), and Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University.

 

While she initially considered Chapman University due to its stellar reputation and financial package, her counseling team helped her weigh her ultimate cross-disciplinary goals. In the end, she committed to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)—widely regarded as one of the best art schools in the world—largely because of its unique institutional partnership with Brown University, which will allow her to take her desired law and political science courses.

 

“Our daughter had an amazing support system with Maui Prep’s college counseling team, not just with the application process but also with choosing the right school,” her parents reflected. “Overall, we couldn’t be happier or have asked for a better experience or result.”

 

The success of this counseling overhaul rests on a foundation that begins in the 10th grade with the College and Career Explorations course. By the time students reach their senior year, they are already familiar with the requirements of the Common App. Students prepare for SAT testing through a partnership with Revolution Prep, a personalized testing plan with guidance for one-on-one support. All students are encouraged to take the SAT twice. Furthermore, Junior and Senior Seminars are being reinvented as Catalyst Research and Writing programs. 

 

Combined with college credits earned through AP courses and the University of Hawai‘i, Maui Prep graduates are not just getting into college, they are arriving on college campuses well-prepared and ready to flourish in an embodiment of the team’s mantra: “Preparation Meets Execution.”