24 University Acceptances: Hitomi’s Admissions Success Story

Enrolled in the US High School Diploma pathway at Crimson Global Academy, Hitomi secured acceptance letters from 24 prestigious institutions, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, NYU, Northwestern, and Northeastern University. Graduating with a 4.37 weighted GPA, a 1520 SAT score, and 9 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, her results prove that CGA’s online curriculum delivers elite global academic outcomes.

By taking absolute ownership of her schedule and partnering with world-class university admissions counsellors, she accomplished what few traditional high school students ever achieve. Here is the blueprint of how Hitomi redefined elite academic success on her own terms.

The Turning Point: Pivoting from Burnout to Recovery

Before joining CGA, Hitomi was a student at a highly competitive traditional high school in Tokyo known for its rigorous academic grind. When Hitomi developed severe long COVID, her physical and mental health plummeted.

With long COVID, I couldn’t concentrate in class. Physically, I couldn’t keep up with the demanding environment. My previous school had intense competition with weekly tests, which wasn’t suitable for my recovery. It was a very 'grinding' style.

Struggling to find a balance, she briefly tried a Japanese pre-recorded video school but found it isolating and limiting for international aspirations. That is when her Crimson strategist introduced her to CGA’s live, synchronous online model.

Hitomi opted for a strategic, "double-schooling" approach. She initially integrated CGA's live group classes alongside her existing schedule, allowing her to access international education. As her academic needs evolved, she leveraged CGA’s specialised Da Vinci 1-on-1 programme. This tailored, single-student format allowed her to maintain world-class academic rigour within a non-stressful, self-paced environment, ensuring her well-being remained a priority without slowing down her momentum.

The 24-University Sweep: From Ivy-Plus to Elite Liberal Arts Colleges

Lacking confidence initially due to her unconventional high school path, Hitomi and her college counsellor decided to cast a wide net across the top-ranked schools in the United States. The result was a historic clean sweep.

Hitomi was accepted into 24 renowned institutions, allowing her to choose between the absolute best engineering and research programs in the world. Her staggering list of acceptances includes:

The California Giants: University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley), University of Southern California (USC), University of California San Diego (UCSD), University of California Davis (UC Davis), University of California Irvine (UCI), University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), University of California Riverside (UCR), and University of California Merced (UCM).
Top-Tier Elite Private & Research Universities: Northwestern University, New York University (NYU), Northeastern University, Purdue University in West Lafayette, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and University of Maryland College Park (UMD).
Premier Liberal Arts & STEM Powerhouses: Grinnell College, Carleton College, Pitzer College, Occidental College, Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Stevens Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rutgers University - New Brunswick, and Rutgers University - Newark.

Ultimately, Hitomi officially committed to UCLA to major in Materials Engineering. Securing her place at a top-tier global institution for such a highly competitive engineering program stands as an incredible milestone, proving that her strong academic foundation and strategic preparation delivered exactly what she needed to launch her future.

9 AP Subjects and the Mentors Who Changed Everything

Earning an incredible 4.37 weighted GPA across 9 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, including rigorous subjects like AP Calculus AB, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Language Composition, was a foundational pillar of Hitomi's applications.

However, achieving top marks didn't mean sacrificing her passions. Hitomi credits her academic stamina to the supportive environment at CGA, where teachers cultivate genuine intellectual curiosity alongside top grades.

The best part about being at CGA was the teachers I met. My English teacher, Mr Mark Castro, changed my mindset. We started classes with 10 minutes of journaling. He introduced me to the world of philosophy, history, and literature, and had us discuss real-world global issues. Rather than focusing on grades, he changed my mindset, teaching me the power of taking ownership over my education beyond just schoolwork and rethinking what kind of adult I'm becoming. It was an honour to meet him.

This strong academic baseline, paired with personalised, strategic guidance, turned her hard work into definitive results. When navigating the massive undertaking of applying to 24 schools, Hitomi worked hand-in-hand with her Crimson strategist and her CGA university admissions counsellor. From targeted prep that boosted her SAT score to an incredible 1520 to rapid-fire interview coaching right before her meetings, Hitomi had the perfect blend of high-level grades and data-driven support to conquer the admissions process.

The Spark of Breaking: Becoming Stronger Through Dance

Hitomi’s journey took an extraordinary turn during her recovery. "When I was weakened mentally and physically from long COVID, I admired strong things," she explains. Seeking to rebuild her body and mind, she discovered breaking (breakdancing).

The sport is notoriously demanding, taking months just to learn a single foundation move. Yet Hitomi fell in love with the challenge. She now regularly participates in battles and creative showcases while actively giving back by teaching dance to local children. For Hitomi, the true reward of the dance form lies in this deep community involvement.

Her rigorous daily routine shows how beautifully CGA’s flexible timetable accommodates ambitions and a busy schedule:

6:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Live CGA Classes
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Homework and Test Prep
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Advanced AI Research & Mentorship
6:00 PM – 12:00 AM: Intensive Dance Training

Weaving Passions Into High-Impact Extracurriculars

Rather than collecting generic club memberships, Hitomi worked with her mentors to turn her real-life experiences into impactful, quantifiable extracurricular activities that directly supported her application narrative:

The Breakorial Podcast: After sustaining three physical fractures from dancing, Hitomi combined her interests in kinesiology and environmental sustainability to found a podcast. She interviewed health experts on how to simultaneously reduce dance injuries and their environmental impact.
Environmental Research & Internships: Hitomi's interest in sustainability was sparked while attending an eco-conscious international school in Jakarta. It became deeply personal during her intensive summer dance practices, where she frequently suffered from heat strokes and grew concerned by watching fellow dancers discard single-use plastic bottles after every session. Wanting to actively address these real-world issues, she interned at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP), where she conducted advanced battery storage research and helped maintain nature-positive solar by working closely with local organisations.
Public Speaking & Community: Hitomi stepped onto the red carpet as a speaker for TEDxYouth@Tokyo, delivering a talk titled "How to Discover What Happiness Really Means to Us." She also served on the marketing team for CGA’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS).

The Next Step: Solving Japan’s Green Energy Future

With her commitment to UCLA officially locked in, Hitomi’s ultimate goals bridge the worlds of advanced science and elite athletics on one of the world's premier university campuses.

In college, she plans to research perovskite: a thin, flexible solar panel that can be applied to urban apartment walls or clothing to generate power - a sustainable energy source she became deeply interested in and grew passionate about during her internship.

Japan has low energy self-sufficiency due to limited land. But perovskite can generate power anywhere; even a small country like Japan could produce massive energy. I want to improve solar panel efficiency.

Simultaneously, she plans to use her engineering background to conduct pioneering research into breaking-specific injuries, helping future generations of dancers avoid the poorly understood street-dance-specific injuries that nearly ended her own career.

Advice for Families Starting Their CGA Journey

When asked if her extraordinary outcome would have been different without switching to online learning, Hitomi’s response is immediate: "Yes, very different." CGA didn't just give her a path to university; it saved her passions.

For parents and students looking to leap into online schooling, Hitomi offers two crucial pieces of advice:

Don’t overthink it; try many things: When choosing a major, find something that truly resonates (like breaking did for me), then build academic interest from there.
Be consistent: People change, but for US applications, continuity matters. It’s better to stick with something long-term.

Take the first step toward your own Ivy-Plus or top-tier US university acceptance. Contact our admissions team today to speak directly with an academic advisor. Let’s discuss how a flexible, customised online high school curriculum can support your personal journey and secure your academic future.