EIGHT POINT EIGHT
An educational advising team on a mission to help students get ahead while giving back.
For every hour we work with you, a free hour is given to a student in need.
MISSION
8.8 years is the worldwide average of formal schooling completed for individuals aged 15-64 (Our World In Data). This doesn't even take into account the quality of the education.As we've had the privilege to study at (and work for) universities, receive graduate degrees, and win fellowships, we've noticed the inequalities, discrepancies, and hurdles present for many individuals who dream of furthering their education. This has included lack of access to opportunities, mentorship, financial support, advanced education, etc.Mentors have hugely contributed to our success and growth, and we've found deep fulfillment in continuing the chain of impact by mentoring our students. However, we've found a lack of educational advising companies that are fighting for global educational parity - that's where we come in.Think of us as 50% an advising business and 50% an educational charity platform. For every hour we work with you, a portion of your payment will go directly to providing an hour of advising/tutoring for a student who couldn't otherwise afford it.We'll be partnering with 3 incredible charities this year that provide these services and will be sharing more details about them soon!
FULL SERVICE
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Service Package | You receive one year of unlimited access to all of our services such as 1-1 advising meetings, essays planning, proofreading, college advising, scholarship application review, and much more. This is ideal for students of any age (high school, undergrad, or grad school). We have a wide range of students who select this package. Some don't know where to start and want expert help throughout the entire process. Some have clear goals but want guidance executing each step. Some have ambitious goals (personal reach schools, schools <20% acceptance rates, Ivy Leagues, competitive fellowships, etc) and want advising from admissions experts and individuals who have won fellowships. |
A LA CARTE
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| 1-to-1 Advising | An hour of one-to-one guidance on absolutely anything the applicant wants to work on or discuss. University Advising: For students who want help brainstorming (essay ideas, creating a college list, selecting a major), completing their application (working on essays together, Common App, scholarships), or interview preparation (mock interviews, general interview prep, brainstorming possible questions). Fellowship Advising: For students who want help brainstorming (exploring which fellowships you might be interested in/eligible for, career goals, essay ideas), completing their application (working on essays together, completing their fellowship application, creating resumes/CVs and other supporting material), or interview preparation (mock interviews, general interview prep, brainstorming possible questions). International Advising: This is ideal for students who are hoping to apply to universities abroad, pursue study/work abroad opportunities, or are international students. |
| Essay Editing Service | You send us your essay(s), we edit and return (with suggested changes and feedback) in 48 hours. This is ideal for students who don't want live meetings, but still want guidance on their essays. Students who use this service are looking for proofreading, editing, and feedback on any essays they have already written prior to submission. We will provide you with a quote upfront based on length and number of essays. |
BOOKING
Book an advising session with us! The default meeting time is for 60 minutes, but just let us know in the comments when booking if you would like to meet for a shorter time!
MAKE A PAYMENT
Click the button below to make a payment - you will be redirected to our secure Stripe page where you can pay by Credit Card or Apple Pay
OUR STUDENTS
TESTIMONIALS
Hear from some of our students:
"Colton is by far the best tutor I have ever worked with hands down. Not only is Colton unbelievably skilled and knowledgeable, but Colton is also extremely helpful and friendly. Colton makes difficult topics easy to understand and will always put a smile on your face with his humor while doing so. Colton always made time for me and went out of his way to help me on numerous occasions even when I notified him at the last minute about it. Colton is an all-around fantastic guy and tutor. If you have a chance to work with Colton you do not want to pass up the opportunity!"
- Adam R (16 sessions)
"Carinne is a wonderful teacher. My daughter needed help with interview practice for BS DO program. She was really nervous in the beginning as she didn’t know how to practice and what to expect. She had few sessions with Carinne. Carinne walked her through the whole interview process, encouraging her, refining her interview skills. She was so confident at the interview day and she Aced it. She got into the program!! I highly recommend Carinne!! Her teaching skills are phenomenal. She listens very carefully, tries to know the student, their strengths and weaknesses and how to motivate them and guide them."
- Pragya K (3 sessions)
"I have worked with Carinne a lot this past college season and she has been so helpful with this journey. Carinne is incredibly insightful and provides detailed advice on areas of improvement. She speaks from her experience and is skilled in making your writing sound more professional and advanced. Her flexibility and ability to accommodate due dates is something I appreciated. She reduced a lot of stress from my workload and encouraged me to work harder."
- Varrshni R (9 sessions)
WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE NOW
UNIVERSITIES:
- Harvard University (USA)
- University of Cambridge (UK)
- Northwestern University (USA)
- Dartmouth College (USA)
- University of Edinburgh (UK)
- University of Michigan (USA)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA)
- University of Washington (USA)
- University of California schools (USA)
- St Andrews (UK)
- University of Maryland (USA)
- North Carolina State University (Honors College) (USA)
- Pennsylvania State University (Honors College) (USA)
- University of Pittsburgh (USA)
- Virginia Tech (USA)
- University of Richmond (USA)
- UT Knoxville (USA)
- Auburn (USA)
- Hofstra BS/MD Program (USA)
- Nova Southeastern BS/DO Program (USA)
... and many more!
FELLOWSHIP SUCCESS:Cumulatively, our students have won over $300,000 from scholarship and fellowships, including being named winners and finalists for the following awards:
- Marshall Scholarship
- Rhodes Scholarship
- Churchill Scholarship
- Fulbright Scholarship
- Faculty Senior Scholar Award
- Computer Science Creativity Award
- Carolina Global Initiative Scholarship
- Renee Elmore Memorial Scholarship
- Global EFL Internship in East Java, Indonesia
ABOUT US
CARINNE
BIO:
Carinne is 8.8's College Admissions expert. She began her involvement with university admissions in 2017 at UNC Chapel Hill. Since then, Carinne has reviewed thousands of applications, sat on admissions panels, subcontracted with admissions companies, advised hundreds of private clients, and most recently, worked for The University of Michigan's admissions team.In addition to her college advising experience, Carinne is an experienced educator and scientist who is academically passionate about public health and personally passionate about education and mentorship. She has taught at the university level, through a non-profit, and has 4 years of research experience.Outside of work and school, Carinne has a wide range of hobbies. She is a long distance runner, recently running in the London Marathon and the New York City Half Marathon. Carinne is also a classically trained and state-recognized musician, and is a huge foodie with frequent and extensive international travel.
EDUCATION:
Carinne graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor's in Chemistry and a minor in Music. She completed her Master's in Physiology from North Carolina State University, and will begin her PhD in 2025.
COLTON
BIO:
Colton is 8.8's Scholarship/Fellowship advising expert. Colton graduated as Valedictorian of his undergraduate class (#1 out of 7,668 students) and applied for several prestigious fellowships during his senior year of college. He was named a finalist for the Rhodes, Marshall, and Churchill Scholarships before ultimately being named a 2021 Marshall Scholar. He promptly moved to the UK, and has loved it so much that he's staying for his PhD, where he studies how to use AI ethically in education.Above all else, Colton is immensely passionate about teaching and mentoring. His favorite jobs have been as a teaching assistant at NC State, and as a lecturer for Stanford's Introduction to Python course. There is no place he finds more joy than working to help students succeed, and plans to become a professor after the completion of his PhD.As much as Colton loves teaching and learning, he is a big believer in work-life balance and spends a lot of time outside of the classroom pursuing his (many) hobbies. He is a competitive hockey player and Rubik's Cube Solver, and also enjoys recreational golf and tennis. Colton also loves to travel - during his 3 years in the UK so far, he has been able to visit 25 European countries!
EDUCATION:
Colton graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor's in Computer Science and a minor in Entrepreneurship. As a 2021 Marshall Scholar, he completed a Master's in Cognitive Science from the University of Edinburgh and a Master's in Machine Learning from Cambridge. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Computer Science at The University of Edinburgh.
THANK YOU
for supporting equitable education and allowing us to guide you on your academic journey!