He Can Get Your 11-Year-Old Into Harvard

In this episode of The TOEFL Speaking Prep Podcast for the AI Era, we dive into the high-pressure world of elite college admissions with a close look at Jamie Beaton and his company, Crimson Education. Known for helping students, some as young as 11, get into top-tier schools like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, Crimson Education offers everything from test prep to extracurricular coaching, all for a steep price.

We explore Crimson’s secret sauce, from starting college prep early to crafting the perfect "hook" that makes students stand out, and we examine the larger implications. Is this intense focus on getting into prestigious schools putting too much pressure on kids? And are we losing sight of what education should really be about?

With insight from admissions directors and critics of Crimson’s methods, we also tackle the fairness of these strategies in a system already stacked against those who can’t afford high-end counseling. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on what it really takes to get into the Ivy League—and whether that should even be the goal.

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Transcript

Ever catch yourself wondering What it really takes to get into those top tier schools, you know, the Ivy League's everyone's always talking about It's like this whole other world, right? Totally and today We're doing a deep dive into that world with this article about Jamie Beaton and his company crimson education Oh, yeah, the guy who built a whole business around getting kids into these schools exactly He's been called the Steve Jobs of college counseling, which I mean, that's a bold statement, right? But then you read his bio Rhodes scholar degrees from Harvard, Oxford, Stanford And you kind of get why people say that it's definitely an impressive resume So is he really on to something? well, that's what we're gonna try to figure out because his whole philosophy is that he's cracked the code of Elite college admissions and that he can replicate that success with other students exactly Which is where crimson education comes in there like this global college prep machine tutoring test prep Extracurricular advice application help they do it all and for a lot of money by the looks of it. Oh, yeah We're talking anywhere from thirty thousand to two hundred thousand dollars Wow That's a serious investment. That's more than some people spend on their cars and they're working with kids as young as 11 11 can you imagine having a college counselor in middle school? It's wild right the article mentioned beaten actually having 11 year old clients at a meeting in New York It makes you wonder what the parents are thinking and what kind of pressure those kids must be under and what it says about the Whole college admission system, right? Like is this really the new normal? It's a lot to unpack definitely But before we get too far ahead of ourselves Let's talk about these success rates crimson keeps boasting about because they claim to have gotten nearly 2% of all students Admitted to certain elite schools just in the class of 2028 alone Yeah, the article mentioned some pretty impressive numbers 24 students at Yale 34 at Stanford. 

They even got 48 students into Cornell That's a lot of Ivy League acceptance letters It makes you wonder though. Are these kids getting in because of crimson or were they already on that track? Like would they have gotten in anyway? That's the million-dollar question and it's something we'll need to keep in mind as we learn more about crimson's actual strategy So, how about we take a look at this secret sauce crimson education is always talking about their recipe for success Exactly, and it all starts with get this beatens own experience getting into wait for it 25 top universities 25 you heard that right 25. Okay, that's impressive It's like he's a walking billboard for his own company and that's a powerful message like hey I did it and so can you exactly but is it really that simple right? Does this system work for everyone or just for someone who's already, you know at Jamie beaten? That's the big question But to be fair the article does break down crimson's strategy into some key pillars and the first one is starting early like Really early we're talking 11 years old middle school. 

I know right sometimes even younger The idea is to build those academic skills and study habits way before most kids are even thinking about college applications It's like by the time they hit high school. They're already miles ahead Exactly. They've already got that foundation. 

Okay, so the next thing on their list is Strategically choosing activities as in not trying to do everything right? This is where it gets interesting Beaton's whole thing is excel in a few things and drop the rest. He even has the saying These are bombs. These are bombs. 

Yeah, basically being well-rounded is out being laser-focused is in Interesting because it kind of makes sense, right if you're trying to stand out you got a thumb special Exactly and colleges are getting what thousands of applications every year. It's crazy competitive So you need that thing that makes you pop but then doesn't that create so much pressure on these kids? I mean, how are they supposed to know what they're passionate about when they're 12? It's true It's a lot to ask a kid to decide their future at that age Right, like what happened to exploring trying new things having a childhood exactly. But anyway moving on Another big part of Crimson strategy is developing a hook the hook Yeah Like something truly unique that sets the student apart from everyone else with perfect grades and test scores So we're talking about going above and beyond the typical Extracurriculars way above and beyond the article mentioned students starting their own businesses doing high-level research One kid even started an economics podcast Wow. 

Okay, that's next level, right? But it makes you wonder are these kids really passionate about this stuff or are they just doing it to impress colleges? It's a valid question Are we talking about genuine passion projects or just really good resume building because how can admissions officers even tell the difference? I don't know. It seems like it'd be hard to fake that kind of passion maybe But maybe not especially if you've got a company like Crimson coaching you every step of the way true Okay So on top of the hook Crimson also really stresses getting those amazing teacher recommendations because those can make or break your application Oh, absolutely, but we're not talking about your typical. This student is a pleasure to have in class Kind of recommendation. 

We're talking glowing endorsements Yeah, like over-the-top praise because it's about painting a picture, right? Totally showing the admissions committee who this student is not just what their grades are Okay, and get this Crimson is also all about cultivating a social justice angle which on the surface Sounds great, right? Like who doesn't love a student who's passionate about making a difference in the world, right? But it also feels a little Calculated like it's just another box to check off. I see what you mean It's like is this genuine or just another tactic exactly and wouldn't that backfire if it wasn't real? Yeah, cuz you can't fake passion forever Eventually, it's gonna show if you're not truly invested especially in an interview or something, right? So it all comes back to authenticity, which is kind of ironic, right? We're talking about a system that claims to value individuality, but then encourages everyone to fit into this perfect mold That's a good point. It's like a paradox. 

So is beaten a genius for figuring out the system or is he just you know Manipulating it that's the million-dollar question. Yeah, and I don't know if there's an easy answer me neither But speaking of tough questions We've also got to consider the critics right because not everyone is on board with Crimson's methods And those perspectives are important too because they offer a counterpoint to all of this It's like we've been looking at this whole Crimson thing from 30,000 feet, you know getting a bird's-eye view Exactly, but now we need to zoom in and hear from the people who are actually down there in the trenches the critics Yeah, because they've got a front row seat to all of this and some of them are not holding back We're talking independent college counselors admissions directors the people who live and breathe this stuff every day, right? And they're raising some important questions about what Crimson is doing and whether it's actually good for students in the long run Like is this really what education should be about? Exactly. So the article actually quotes a few admissions directors from Yale and Penn and their take is pretty interesting Oh, yeah, what'd they have to say? Well, the Yale director talked about wanting to see the dynamic adolescent Behind the accomplishments. 

Okay, like not just a perfectly crafted resume They want to see who the student really is, you know, what makes them tick which makes sense They're building a community not just admitting a bunch of robots who can ace a test Exactly, and then the pen director said that you can't decode admissions because it's always changing, right? There's no magic formula and thank goodness for that. It should be about finding the right fit not just checking off boxes. Totally It's about who you are and not just what you've achieved Exactly, but that brings us to another big critique of Crimson That it gives an unfair advantage to wealthy families because let's face it Not everyone can afford a $200,000 college counselor. 

It's a huge amount of money Yeah, and it definitely raises questions about fairness and equity big time Like are we just making the system even more unequal? It's something to think about Yeah, because Crimson does offer scholarships and they say their goal is to make these opportunities accessible to everyone Yeah, Beaton's always saying that it's like hiring a coach to improve your game, you know, like an athletic coach, right? It's about putting in the work getting an edge, but it's not a perfect analogy. Is it I mean education isn't a sport true there are winners and losers in sports and Yeah, college admissions can feel that way sometimes. Mm-hmm, but it shouldn't be right We're talking about people's lives here. 

Not just winning a game exactly It's about learning and growing not just getting into the best school Which is a good point because a lot of the comments on this article brought that up. Oh, yeah What were people saying? Well, some folks were all for Beaton's approach saw him as this kind of like College admissions guru. Sure. 

They probably see him as someone who can help their kid get ahead, right? But then tons of other people were really worried about the pressure this puts on kids and the message it sends about what's really important Exactly. Like are we teaching kids that the only thing that matters is getting into a fancy college instead of you know Actually learning and becoming a good person. Yes Contributing to the world exactly because that's what really matters Right, definitely and it's something to keep in mind if you're ever feeling that pressure to get into the right School or get the perfect job or beat a perfect anything really so true Because life's not a checklist and there's no one right way to do it I think that's a great place to leave it find what you're passionate about work hard be kind and Don't be afraid to forge your own path couldn't have said it better myself