About Us
We are a nonprofit organization
Who We Are
Service to School (S2S) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides free college and grad school application counseling to military veterans and servicemembers.
Our goal is to help veterans gain admission to the best college for them while empowering each veteran to make informed decisions about their education.
OUR STORY
The Beginning
In 2011, S2S was founded by Gus Giacoman, Tim Hsia, Khalil Tawil, and Anna Ivey — three veterans and an admissions expert who believe that all veterans should have the opportunity and access to a great education. Through grassroots efforts and thousands of hours of volunteer time, S2S grew into a national non-profit that connects military veterans and servicemembers with mentors to ensure veterans are being admitted to and attending our nation’s best colleges and graduate schools.
Since then, we have stayed laser-focused on our mission of supporting veterans into higher-ed and have worked with thousands of veterans during different points of the college and graduate school application process. You can find S2S Alums on hundreds of Undergraduate, MBA, Law School, Policy, and Medical School campuses where they are studying and forging new paths for their future.
Hear a success story from one of our proud veterans
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"S2S paired me with an ambassador who did the same job I did in the Navy and could relate to my experiences. It's huge having another set of eyes to demilitarize your experiences on paper, especially when they can completely understand where you are coming from and what you are trying to convey in your application materials. It's one thing to get help, and it's another thing to get help from someone who's where you want to be. Peer-to-peer mentorship helped me realize that my educational goals were not only dreams but very attainable. I felt comfortable leaning on my S2S Ambassador because he had been in my shoes; he'd already tread the path I was about to embark on, and I trusted that he could get me to where he was."
Karenina Pelias
Yale University, 2028
Our Method
EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE
College Fit & School Selection
Peer-to-peer Mentorship
Test Preparation
Resume and Transcript Reviews
Application and Essay Reviews
Interview Preparation
Networking Assistance
To "Admission Accomplished" and beyond! Applicant advising is at the heart of what we do at S2S.
S2S pairs veterans with mentors, called Ambassadors, to work together on areas of the college or graduate school application. These include reviewing transcripts, editing and reviewing essays and personal statements, preparing for school interviews, helping with networking opportunities, direct connection with Admissions Officers and much more. Currently, S2S has over 400 Ambassadors working with the next generation of veteran college and graduate school applicants.
Our results give compelling testimony to our impact and effectiveness.
S2S has worked with thousands of transitioning veterans to achieve, “admission accomplished!”. S2S undergraduates comprise over half of the veterans at the most selective private colleges in the country. S2S has also helped veterans gain admission to top business, law, public policy, and medical schools- from Harvard to Wharton, Yale Law School and beyond, S2S has ensured veterans are attending the best college and graduate schools possible.
Transforming Education for Veterans
FREE Application Counseling for Veterans and Transitioning Service members.
Our Core Values
Lead From the Front
Our volunteers, called Ambassadors, give their free time to support veterans who are seeking higher-education.
Build Solutions, Not Organizations
We focus our efforts on solving problems. We do not engage in empire-building or self-aggrandizement. Titles do not matter; only results.
Empower Everyone
Ambassadors, applicants, and leadership are empowered to work on any initiative or project that fulfills our fundamental mission of helping transitioning veterans.
We Have Fun
We maintain the same light-hearted atmosphere we found with our military friends on active duty and the reserves. We enjoy working together because we all care about the same thing: helping veterans.
We Enrich Others, Not Ourselves
We exist solely to benefit transitioning veterans. Whenever we spend donor money, we look for the most efficient way to do so.
We Are Honest with Ourselves
We provide each other thoughtful, honest, critical and substantive feedback. We quickly determine what is working and what is not working. Constructive feedback is always accompanied by proposed solutions.
We Are a Flat Organization
Our best ideas and biggest accomplishments have come from the bottom-up.
We Have No Ego
Everyone is a leader. Service to School does not exist to build ourselves up, but to help veterans.