In our October Newsletter, we are honored to highlight FiveBeforeCollege, one of our valued corporate members. They specialize in guiding Muslim high school students through the college application process, fostering both academic success and spiritual growth. We asked them to share details about what they do, and here’s what they would like you to know!
FiveBeforeCollege – Revolutionizing Islamic College Prep
The Five Before College team is honored to be the featured Corporate Member in this month’s newsletter.
At Five Before College, we specialize in guiding Muslim high school students through the college application and selection process. Applying to college can be stressful and confusing, but our goal is to help students and their families approach this process as a transformative journey toward academic success and spiritual growth.
One of the keys to our success is that whenever possible, we try to start working with students five years before college. While we do work with many students in their senior and junior years, we strongly encourage students and families to begin much earlier.
On September 19, we offered a webinar through ISLA called “Demystifying College Admissions.” You can access all of the slides here, and you can see the recording here.
Who We Are
My name is Hamzah Henshaw, and I’m the founder of Five Before College. I embraced Islam in 1994 at the age of 15 while at boarding school. I went on to study Arabic and economics at Harvard and worked throughout the Muslim world before settling into a career as an educator in my home state of Massachusetts.
For the past 20 years, I have worked with students as an English teacher and coach. For the past 10 years, I have been at Al-Noor Academy, New England’s first full-time K-12 Islamic school. In addition to teaching high school English, I have been Al-Noor Academy’s college guidance counselor throughout my time at the school, and have helped place hundreds of Muslim students into many of the country’s top colleges.
What We Do
Five Before College helps ambitious Muslim high school students and their families through the process of college applications and admissions. We take a holistic approach, with the aim of helping our clients maximize their college investment in this world and the next. We draw on our extensive knowledge and experience with the admissions process and draw on a unique blend of evidence-backed strategies, proven storytelling techniques, and the wisdom of Islam to help students craft college applications that truly display their extraordinary gifts in a way that admissions officers can understand.
Our Reach
Since our official launch earlier this year, we have achieved a national reach, assisting Muslim students from coast to coast through our free webinars and courses, paid Masterclasses, our email list, and 1-on-1 consulting.. We recently hired a second coach, an MIT graduate, adding to our already robust set of skills and credentials.
Success Story: A Transformative Journey
We have a proven track record of helping Muslim students find their place in higher education. While at Al-Noor Academy, I advised hundreds of students along their respective college journeys, including many who went on to the Ivy League and other prestigious institutions. Our first Early Application Masterclass is underway, and I have no doubt this year’s students will achieve similar levels of success.
How to Work With Us
We offer the following services for Islamic high schools, grades 8-12:
- Workshops on College Prep: Virtual or in-person, these sessions are tailored to provide both educators and students with vital tools for college preparedness.
- Training for Guidance Counselors: Our deep experience in the field allows us to offer specialist training sessions for your staff on writing quality recommendation letters and using our alumni network.
- Parent and Student-Facing Masterclasses and Coaching: With over 15 students in our inaugural Masterclass and a rapidly growing one-on-one coaching service, we provide unparalleled, customized guidance.
Most importantly, we understand that preparation for college doesn’t begin in junior or senior year, but much earlier. Our name itself, Five Before College, serves as a reminder that preparation should span the five years leading up to college. Our name was inspired by the famous “Five Before Five” hadith—precious guidance from our beloved Prophet (SAWS) about how to maximize our short time in the Dunya.
We look forward to partnering with Islamic schools to mutually elevate our services and contribute positively to the future of the Muslim community.
For more information, visit our website at fivebeforecollege.com. You can reach us by email at hamzah@fivebeforecollege.com or WhatsApp (617 610 7084).
Some FREE Resources Just for You!
- Path to College WhatsApp Group
- Five Muslim College Essays That Worked Download
- Muslim College Essays Minicourse
- Monday/Thursday College Advice Emails
- Five Before Five Newsletter
