Communication with Mr. Round, centered primarily on email, is extremely efficient and highly effective. Some applicants may feel uneasy about counseling conducted via email. However, Mr. Round first takes the time to speak with applicants face-to-face, ensuring a solid mutual understanding before beginning email-based counseling. In addition, lectures and in-person sessions are scheduled at appropriate times, so I never felt any anxiety. While other prep schools strictly limit counselor sessions to fixed time slots, with Mr. Round you can collaborate at any time through email. This is a truly unique and unparalleled service.

In my field of application, interviews were rare, which made email-centered counseling all the more appropriate. In face-to-face counseling, information beyond the written word—such as tone and gestures—is exchanged. By focusing primarily on email-based counseling, I was able to devote myself fully to refining the written materials themselves, resulting in application documents that clearly and effectively conveyed what I wanted to say.

One thing I realized later was that Mr. Round treats every email exchange with applicants as part of the counseling process. With the exception of occasional light jokes meant to put applicants at ease, he consistently writes in formal English. Through this process, I naturally acquired the skills needed to write professional English emails to admissions offices and professors—an additional and very valuable benefit.