Discover Your Teen's HeroType™
Your Teen's Talent for Standing Out:
Not Just for College Admissions. For Life.
A TALENT DIAGNOSTIC FOR TEENS
COMBINED WITH LIFE COACHING
HOW IT WORKS

Why Talent Matters

"Unless you have talent, you won't be accepted." — USC Admissions Officer, to me, in 2010
I had called USC admissions curious, pretending to be a prospective student and asked for an impromptu assessment of my stats. While I didn't consider myself talented, I had actually just graduated from USC's Marshall School of Business (top 10 ranked) as an exemplar student and was already set to guest lecture my first class that month. Once I formally reviewed my admissions file, I understood that what he called "talent" was focused initiative-taking, aligned with my unique strengths.
College Zoom founder David Reynaldo
USC Marshall School of Business, Class of 2010
USC Guest Lecturer, 2010 to 2026
2x Distinguished Guest Speaker Award

Wholly Game Changing

Your teen has a talent that defines their unique archetype. Let's activate it.

When teens understand and apply their archetype in their favorite activities, they differentiate themselves from the generic experience. A President who is The Nurturer takes the initiative to build a stronger community; a President who is The Inventor thrives by building a better system. Same title, same club, but very different talents, validated and encouraged to shine.
How do we match the right archetype?
To diagnose a teen's HeroType™, we role-play through three immersive, high-stakes scenarios, guided by narrative therapy. No boring questions. No confusion about how to apply the resulting archetype. No wondering, "What do I do next?"

Project Exodus

The First High-Stakes Scenario

Role-Play at the End of the World

"First, I imagined myself as a Theater Director, uplifting those left behind."

9-Question Immersive Crisis Simulation
✓ Measures emotional intelligence under pressure
✓ Reveals core insecurities in leadership
✓ Validates team-building instincts

Eldoria

The Second High-Stakes Scenario

Role-Play Within a Fantasy Village Surrounded by Dragons

"Next, I imagined myself as a Dragon Researcher, working to humanize the beast to society."

9-Question Fantasy Role-Play Scenario
✓ Tests situational control
✓ Analyzes conflict resolution style
✓ Reveals a teen's persuasive method

The Past

The Third High-Stakes Scenario

Role-play in a Free-Choice Historical Era

"In India's golden age, I convinced fellow dancers to break tradition; it too was once innovation."

9-Question Historical Epic
✓ Evaluates systemic thinking
✓ Uncovers problem-solving preferences
✓ Measures tolerance for ambiguity

The Result

Stand out, even in crowded activities and common roles

What Happens Next?

[Talent] x [Investment] = Strength

We deepen your teen's HeroType™ impact to the level a college rewards through 1-on-1 coaching.

[The Smooth Talker] + [Team Captain] = One Example

We help the team captain who is the Smooth Talker realize there's a game to be played off the court. He's inspired to make his team the recipient of his community service, research, and entrepreneurial thinking. We guide him to introduce brand-new initiatives that help his coaches unlock the team’s potential. He translates the execution strategy to entice different players' motivations—aligning egos with his political intelligence. He's obsessive because he has skin in the game. Group investment deepens, morale soars, wins increase. He enjoys his best years of high school. His coaches say wow before the admissions officers do.

The other team captain is simply hardworking at the sport. A cliché leader of stretches. Scouts seek the greater athlete. Admissions officers seek the one who makes the team great.

Why Your Hero Type Matters

Your nature is timeless. So is your innovation style.

Other aptitude assessments present problems to solve; they don't allow your teen's talent to guide which problems they're actually obsessive about solving.

Why Your Hero Type Matters

Careers are temporary. Your nature is timeless.

Other aptitude assessments present problems to solve; they don't allow you to choose which problems you deem worthy of solving.

HeroType™ Feels Second-Nature Because it is Your Teen's Nature

“Previously, I was satisfied simply being a track captain. I didn't know stepping into my HeroType™ in real life could be as engaging as the video games I used to play excessively...A couple months ago, my track coach (who has been coaching for 20+ years) told me that I was one of, if not the best captain that he has ever had. I would not be the captain and leader I am today without the guidance I had from this. The leadership tools and Hero Type psychology models are still on my desktop and I still reference from time to time.
— Henry, Middleburry College, Class of 2024
BA, Mathematics and Computer Science
Hero Type™:
The Heart
★★★★★
“I started partway through my freshman year of high school, and my HeroType™ profoundly changed the way I approach leadership, my passions and goals, opportunities, and relating to other people. I emerged from my shell. A major component of the program is learning to leverage your leadership styles and personality traits. I was the Smooth Talker who reframes ideas to get others to buy-in. My RA (Resident Advisor) supervisor recently commended me for this specific strength. Many times I've applied the lessons I learned from College Zoom to do well for myself and enrich the communities I'm a part of.”
— Carmen H., UCSD, Class of 2026
B.S., Cognitive Science
Hero Type™:
The Smooth Talker
★★★★★