U.S. University Admissions Advisory
Get your child into an American university.
High-touch, personalised advisory for international families navigating the U.S. college application process. From freshman year to decision day, with someone who has been through it more than once.
Who this is for
Your child is talented.
The U.S. system is not obvious.
The U.S. college application process is unlike any other in the world: holistic, opaque, and highly sensitive to timing and positioning. This advisory is for families who want an expert in their corner from the beginning.
The international family
You live outside the U.S. and want your child to study at an American university. You understand the opportunity but not the process, and you want a guide who knows both sides.
The early planner
Your child is in 9th or 10th grade and you want to start building the right profile now, not scrambling in 12th grade when the application window opens. Early positioning makes the biggest difference.
The active applicant
Your child is in 11th or 12th grade and applications are imminent. You need support with school selection, essays, financial aid strategy, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks.
This is not for you if
You're looking for a large consulting firm with dozens of advisors and standardised packages. This is a personal advisory. Matthews works with a small number of families per cycle to give each one the attention the process demands. Capacity is limited.
What makes this different
Not a consultant who studied the process.
Someone who lived it.
Matthews has navigated U.S. university admissions from multiple angles: as a student who studied in the U.S., and as a parent of four children, three of whom are now enrolled at U.S. universities, with a fourth beginning her international school journey at Lahore American School.
Personal experience, not just expertise
Matthews applied to U.S. universities himself as an international student, and then guided three of his four children through the same process. Sechaba and Maxwell are at Temple University in Philadelphia; Naledi is at the University of Miami. He knows the emotional reality of the process alongside the strategic mechanics.
Inside knowledge of international schools
As a 25+ year educator and corporate leader, Matthews understands how international school transcripts, IB scores, and non-U.S. credentials are read by American admissions offices.
High-touch, not high-volume
Matthews works with a limited number of families per admissions cycle. You get real access, not a junior associate who emails you templates.
Financial aid and scholarship strategy
Most families leave money on the table because they don't understand need-based vs. merit aid for international students. Matthews covers this from the start, not as an afterthought.
How it works
A full-cycle advisory,
start to finish.
The advisory follows the actual timeline of U.S. college admissions, with different levels of intensity at each stage depending on where your child is in the process.
Discovery and positioning
We start with a detailed conversation about your child: their academic profile, interests, activities, aspirations, and family context. From there, Matthews builds an initial positioning strategy: what makes your child compelling, what kind of schools are realistic targets, and where the gaps are.
Typically grades 9–10Profile building
U.S. admissions is holistic. Grades alone are not enough. Matthews guides your family in building the extracurricular profile, community involvement, and personal narrative that make an application distinctive. This takes time, which is why starting early matters.
Grades 10–11School list strategy
Building a school list is both an art and a science. Matthews helps you balance reach, target, and safety schools, factoring in your child's profile, your financial parameters, preferred locations and majors, and how international students are evaluated at each institution.
Grade 11Application and essays
The most intensive phase. Matthews works directly with your child on the Common App, supplemental essays, activity descriptions, and all application materials. Every essay goes through multiple rounds of feedback, not to change the voice, but to sharpen the story.
Grade 12, Aug–JanFinancial aid and scholarships
Understanding the CSS Profile, need-based aid for international students, merit scholarships, and how to compare financial aid packages. Most families don't realise how much leverage they have, or how early they need to act to maximise it.
Grade 12, Oct–MarDecision and transition
When the offers come in, Matthews helps your family evaluate them, not just financially, but holistically. And when your child commits, he's available to help with the transition: visa application, orientation, what to expect in the first semester.
Grade 12, Mar–AugWhy Matthews
He got himself in. Then he got three of his children in.
Matthews Mazibuko studied at universities in the United States, navigating the admissions process as an international student from South Africa. He understands what it feels like to apply from outside the system, without the support structures that American students take for granted.
Before moving full-time into international education, Matthews held senior leadership roles at multinational corporations, bringing executive experience in HR, people management, and business strategy into schools. That background gives him a broader perspective than advisors whose careers have been exclusively in education.
As a 25+ year educator and corporate leader currently based in Pakistan, Matthews also understands how IB transcripts, international curricula, and non-U.S. academic records are interpreted by American admissions offices, a blind spot for most advisors who only know the domestic system.
The advisory
This is a personal engagement,
not a product.
Matthews works with a small number of families per admissions cycle. Each engagement is scoped to your child's timeline and needs. The details are agreed in an initial call.
U.S. Admissions Advisory
Full-cycle personalised advisory for international families
What's included
- Initial discovery session: profile review, positioning strategy, gap analysis
- School list development: balanced reach/target/safety list with rationale for each choice
- Essay strategy, drafts, and rounds of feedback on Common App and all supplementals
- Financial aid and scholarship strategy: CSS Profile, need-based and merit options
- Ongoing availability via WhatsApp and email throughout the cycle
- Offer evaluation and decision support: comparing packages, making the right call
Pricing is scoped to your child's timeline and the scope of engagement needed. The first step is a short call to understand your situation. No obligation.
Request an introductory call →The window matters
The families who get the best results start early.
The U.S. admissions cycle is long and front-loaded. Families who start in 9th or 10th grade have more options, better positioning, and more time for the work that actually moves the needle. Don't wait until it feels urgent.
Request an introductory call →