Cardinal Edge
1-1 College Application and High School Assistance
Your Cardinal Edge
Selective mentorship for students interested in computer science, AI, software, and related fields. Move from scattered interests to a clear roadmap, strong projects, and a cohesive application story.
Who I am
A mentor who's been exactly where you are now.
Aarav Kothari
Founder & Mentor · Stanford '30
- Varsity Scholar Athlete
- Georgia Tech ML Center Research Intern
- Startup + Nonprofit Builder
- CS @ The Georgia Governor's Honors Program
- HackForsyth Co-Founder
I'm an incoming Computer Science major at Stanford University and have been admitted to top CS Programs around the world including Carnegie Mellon University and Georgia Institute of Technology. I built Cardinal Edge to help students interested in computer science related fields succeed in high school and onwards.
Specialties
Why This Exists
Most students are capable, they just lack awareness, structure, focus, and strategy. This program gives you a personal mentor who helps you choose the right activities, build meaningful projects, stay accountable, and present a cohesive, powerful college application.
“I'm doing robotics, a coding club, and AP CSP, but nothing connects.”
You're interested in CS, but without a clear niche, every activity feels scattered and random.
“I'm busy, but I don't have real projects or a story for CS schools.”
Without depth in projects, competitions, or research, effort doesn't translate into a compelling tech profile.
“I need accountability from someone who gets the CS path.”
Parents mean well, but you need a mentor who's recently navigated hackathons, USACO, research outreach, and portfolio building.
For parents
Worried AI makes CS a dead end?
A lot of parents hear "AI will replace programmers" and hesitate to encourage a CS path. That's understandable, but the students who thrive aren't the ones avoiding tech. They're the ones who learn fundamentals, ship real projects, and understand how to use AI responsibly. That's exactly what this program builds toward.
What you get instead
CS project strategy
Competition planning
GitHub & portfolio guidance
Research/internship outreach
Application positioning
Book a free consultation call today.
Programs
Two focused tracks designed for where you are in your journey.
High School Track
Grades 8–11
Help students interested in CS-related fields build direction, strong projects, competition depth, and a cohesive tech profile before application season.
- High school schedule planning
- Finding a CS-related interest or niche
- Personalized learning resources and courses
- CS/AI/software project strategy
- Learning to build with AI tools responsibly (not shortcutting fundamentals)
- Personalized roadmap and accountability tracker
- Extracurricular and competition planning (hackathons, FBLA, DECA, ISEF, USACO)
- Research and internship outreach + cold email templates
- Club, program, and internship applications
- Summer planning
- SAT/ACT/AP testing strategy
- Resume, GitHub, LinkedIn, and personal website guidance
- Interview prep, monthly calls, on-demand questions, parent updates
College Application Track
Grade 12
Help seniors interested in CS-related fields craft a cohesive, authentic application with direct assistance on every component of the college application process.
- Activity and awards/honors list (templates + direct feedback)
- College list research and building (templates + list creation on call)
- Application story and strategy (template + step-by-step on call)
- Personal statement brainstorming and feedback
- Supplemental essay strategy, tips, and per-college feedback
- Teacher recommendation strategy + brag sheet template
- Financial aid, FAFSA/CSS Profile, and scholarship guidance
- Waitlist and deferral strategy
- Deposit and enrollment decision support
- Tailored application timeline (all deadlines)
- Common App and UC App on-demand support
- Interview prep
Pricing
Every plan is different. Exact pricing is decided after your initial consultation call, we'll match the right level of support to your goals.
Swipe to compare plans →
High School Track Basic
Grades 8–11
For CS-interested students who need strategic guidance and monthly accountability.
- 1 monthly 1-on-1 call
- Slack access
- CS-focused roadmap and niche exploration
- Extracurricular and competition planning
- Opportunity recommendations (programs, hackathons, competitions)
- Parent update after each call
High School Track Premium
Grades 8–11
For CS-interested students who want deeper accountability and hands-on profile development.
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Up to 2 calls per month
- CS/AI/software project strategy and accountability tracking
- Competition guidance (USACO, hackathons, ISEF, etc.)
- Outreach templates and research/internship guidance
- GitHub, resume, LinkedIn, and personal website support
- Stronger accountability systems
College App Track Basic
Grade 12
For seniors who need structure, essay strategy, and application organization for CS programs.
- College list planning and application timeline
- Activity/awards templates and strategic review
- Personal statement strategy + limited supplemental feedback
- Application story framework
- Common App guidance
- Parent updates
College App Track Premium
Grade 12
For seniors who want deeper narrative work and hands-on application support for CS programs.
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Up to 2 calls per month
- Direct feedback on activity/awards lists and college list building on call
- Personal statement and supplemental essay brainstorming + feedback
- Teacher recommendation strategy and scholarship essay prep
- Waitlist/deferral and enrollment decision support
- Interview prep
- Stronger deadline accountability
High School Track Basic
Grades 8–11
For CS-interested students who need strategic guidance and monthly accountability.
- 1 monthly 1-on-1 call
- Slack access
- CS-focused roadmap and niche exploration
- Extracurricular and competition planning
- Opportunity recommendations (programs, hackathons, competitions)
- Parent update after each call
High School Track Premium
Grades 8–11
For CS-interested students who want deeper accountability and hands-on profile development.
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Up to 2 calls per month
- CS/AI/software project strategy and accountability tracking
- Competition guidance (USACO, hackathons, ISEF, etc.)
- Outreach templates and research/internship guidance
- GitHub, resume, LinkedIn, and personal website support
- Stronger accountability systems
College App Track Basic
Grade 12
For seniors who need structure, essay strategy, and application organization for CS programs.
- College list planning and application timeline
- Activity/awards templates and strategic review
- Personal statement strategy + limited supplemental feedback
- Application story framework
- Common App guidance
- Parent updates
College App Track Premium
Grade 12
For seniors who want deeper narrative work and hands-on application support for CS programs.
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Up to 2 calls per month
- Direct feedback on activity/awards lists and college list building on call
- Personal statement and supplemental essay brainstorming + feedback
- Teacher recommendation strategy and scholarship essay prep
- Waitlist/deferral and enrollment decision support
- Interview prep
- Stronger deadline accountability
Semester options may be available for first-time students in the first two semesters. Pricing is always discussed on the consultation call, never before we understand your needs.
Book Free Call
Pick a time that works for you. Due to personalized assistance, I can only help a limited number of students for each cohort.
FAQs
Straight answers to the questions students and parents ask most.
It depends on what you choose. After you book a free call, I'll talk through options and find the right fit. No pressure, no commitment required.