[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Imagine applying to 25 of the world’s top universities and getting accepted into all of them. Jamie Beaton did exactly that and that isn’t even the most impressive thing about him. Beaton graduated from Harvard University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree two years ahead of schedule. At just 20 years old, he became one of the youngest admits to Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), arguably the world’s top MBA school. In 2022, he completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford on the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. But his success story is not just about impressive credentials — he uses his own experience to support other students to reach for the stars as he did. At just 17, Jamie co-founded Crimson Education, now the world's largest and most effective college admissions consulting firm which has supported over 20,000 students to gain offers to the most competitive universities. In Hong Kong alone, Crimson has helped more than 200 students to secure coveted offers from Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, Princeton and so on. Beaton’s success didn’t happen overnight. His journey began in his teenage years, when he fearlessly charged ahead in his interests and academic pursuits. The Making of a Prodigy: Jamie’s Teenage Years Beaton was no different from the average New Zealand teenager who loved playing video games and going to amusement parks. He had his secondary education at King's College, New Zealand, and planned to study medicine at his home university, the University of Auckland. Everything changed at 15 when he had a chat with a senior, who suggested that Beaton explore options outside Auckland. That’s when he started to shift his focus and set his sights on the Ivy League, Oxbridge, and other top international universities. Beaton took 10 A-Levels instead of the usual three. With a stellar academic and extracurricular profile, he received offers from all 25 top universities he applied to, including all eight Ivy League schools and Cambridge. In the end, Beaton made the decision to study Applied Mathematics and Economics at Harvard University. The Academic/Entrepreneurial Balance While Beaton was studying at Harvard, he was simultaneously building the foundation of Crimson. Despite the heavy workload, he graduated Magna Cum Laude in three years instead of five. He once reflected on his experience in a session of The Expandable Mind with Vahin Naka podcast: “It was very challenging. I had a lot of sleepless nights. Basically, I was doing my Applied Maths & Economics, taking 6 classes instead of 4, then I worked throughout the day and woke up in the Australian and New Zealand timezone and I would be grinding for Crimson throughout the early hours of the night…. That was a lot actually.” After he graduated, he was hired by famous New York-based hedge fund Tiger Global Management as their youngest-ever Data Analyst. There he leveraged his own educational accomplishments in a job with the late legendary investor Julian Robertson, and convinced his billionaire employers into backing a startup business based out of a dorm room in Boston! Crimson’s Philosophy Crimson Education embodies Beaton’s philosophy, as he mentioned in the podcast, “The Crimson service is like a peloton bike, we will break up your run like a video game…….. At different milestones, there will be leaders to cheer you and push you forward.” Crimson’s students are mentored and tutored by over 2,400 admissions experts who themselves have graduated from the best universities around the globe. Crimson students are up to 4.5 times more likely to gain admission to top universities than the average applicant. What makes Crimson stand out is that it focuses on student development. Working together with parents, Crimson guides students to uncover and relentlessly expand their natural talents and passion. But Beaton is nowhere close to being done. While at Stanford GSB, Beaton learnt about an online school where Elon Musk had sent his children. Spurred by the idea and to bridge the gap that traditional high schools cannot fill, Beaton launched an online high school, Crimson Global Academy, in 2019. Today it has more than 900 students across 35 countries. Navigating the Unique Challenges Faced by Hong Kong Families While there is no one secret to gaining admission to the top US universities, there are multiple ‘moves’ and ‘strategies’ a student can undertake to drastically increase their chances of admission to world-leading universities. Over the years, Beaton has developed a deep understanding of Hong Kong students and helped dozens of Hong Kong students gain admission to the world’s best universities by providing personalised guidance and advice throughout the complex application process. This included advising students on school selection, recommending specific colleges that fit them best, and providing guidance on extracurricular initiatives based on the Hong Kong context. By addressing the pain points head-on, Beaton helped students gain clarity and confidence in their application, ultimately resulting in the acceptance to their dream universities. Get ready to discover the secrets to success in university admissions! To mark its 10th anniversary, Crimson is thrilled to announce a free in-person seminar on March 25, 2023 in Hong Kong, featuring none other than Beaton himself. Join us as Beaton shares his insights and dispel myths that Hong Kong families hold about the admissions process. Exclusive registration invitation for SCMP readers: http://bit.ly/3SC8a1j Register now while seats last.