Outliers is a selective, founder-led consultancy.

I work with a small number of students each year where there is strong mutual fit: intellectual ambition, long-term thinking, and readiness to build rather than follow.

In parallel, we are building an online school for gifted learners whose pace and ambition exceed traditional systems.

5+
Years
700+
Hours 1:1
30+
Countries

What I mean by outliers

By outliers, I mean students who do not want to merely succeed within existing systems, but are motivated to understand, extend, or build new ones.

These students are often high-achieving, but more importantly, they are intellectually restless.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Weeks 1–4

Diagnose

Fit assessment + pacing + ceiling-proof baseline + asynchrony map.

Weeks 5–12

Engineer

Compacting + acceleration + deliberate practice + project system.

Months 4+

Compound

Evidence trail + iteration + long-term trajectory + constant adaptation.

Who This Is For, and Who It Isn't

This is a good fit if:

  • You (or your child) consistently outgrow standard pacing and expectations
  • You are aiming for top-tier outcomes and original work
  • You value depth, independence, and long-term trajectory over shortcuts
  • You are willing to do sustained, uncomfortable thinking and building
  • You are engaged as partners, not passive recipients

This is not a good fit if:

  • You are looking for guarantees or formulaic admissions strategies
  • You want test prep or short-term optimization only
  • You prefer to strictly follow predefined systems without questioning them
  • You are not ready to invest time, ownership, and intellectual effort

Methodology

Building systems that guarantee long-term excellence.

Our approach is grounded in research from gifted education, cognitive science, and talent development. A detailed methodology paper is available for families and partners following the initial consultation.

Outliers Pedagogy

A talent-development system built on evidence from decades of research on high-potential learners, adaptive acceleration, enrichment pedagogy, and long-term performance trajectories. Designed for students whose current pacing, depth of challenge, and trajectories exceed what standard systems are optimized for.

Readiness-based pacing

Acceleration + compacting, not confined to standardized systems

Ceiling-proof diagnostics

Above-level probes to continuously challenge and stimulate accelerated learners

Depth & complexity thinking tools

Developing and refining critical thinking and problem solving skills

Deliberate practice loops

Feedback + refinement to continuously improve and adapt to changing needs and environments

Interest, skills, goals → real-world outputs

Personal projects that combine passions, strengths, and long-term goals

Motivation design

Autonomy + competence + relatedness to ensure sustained motivation and engagement

Asynchrony-aware coaching

Execution skills + wellbeing throughout nonlinear development of capabilities

2e-aware supports

Gifted and neurodivergent students require specialized support

The Constellation Model

Students develop personal projects that combine their passions, strengths, and long-term goals.

Publications
App Development
Research Projects
Entrepreneurship
Public Speaking
Student Organizations
Community Initiatives

Foundational Skills

Skills that are essential for long-term success and excellence.

Time Management

Pomodoro, Covey's Matrix, Open/Closed To-Do Lists, SMART Goals

Critical Thinking

Logical fallacies, cognitive biases, source evaluation, healthy skepticism

Communication

Assertive communication, active listening, non-verbal cues, body language

Self-Discovery

Life mapping, narrative building, strengths identification

Research

Academic writing, citation, literature review

Project Management

MVP phases, timeline creation, team coordination, delegation

Technical Literacy

Using AI tools to enhance learning and productivity

For Outlier Students

A systematic, personalized approach to identifying strengths, building skills, setting and achieving goals.

1 Learn how to learn, manage time, and set goals
2 Establish systems for growth and analysis
3 Identify unique strengths and opportunites for excellence
4 Address difficulty areas with precision and care
5 Design and execute unique leadership projects combining passions with ambitions

About Me

Veronica Schrenk

Veronica Schrenk

  • 700+ hours of 1:1 mentorship with students ages 9–18
  • 30+ countries served across Asia, Europe, Africa, Americas, Oceania
  • 🎓 University of Chicago BA in Global Studies (Honors)
  • 🌍 Fulbright Scholar (Austria, 2018–2019)
  • 📚 Gifted Education Certification (ICEP Europe) + Johns Hopkins graduate coursework
  • 🧠 Triple Nine Society Member (99.9th percentile in IQ), life-long placement in US gifted and talented programs and accelerated coursework pathways
  • 🤝 Large-scale organizational leadership: 3 years organizing 4-6 week in-person technology residencies with 100-200 experts, builders, and thought leaders in frontier industries including blockchain, biotech, AI, and governance
  • 💻 Technology Builder: Developing open source tools for learning and productivity including p2pmentor.com and socratic.bot
  • 🤖 AI Product Leadership: Initiated Crimson Education AI Unit and developed tools as AI Engineer; Director of Product at DeltaSchool AI
  • 🔄 Systems Familiarity: IB, A-Levels, Advanced Placement, Singapore O/A-Levels, US & Swiss boarding schools, UK UCAS, Hong Kong International Schools
  • 🗣️ Languages: English (native), German (C1), Mandarin (HSK4), Spanish (A2)
  • 🧭 Approach: Individualized, strengths-based, long-term engagement, Socratic methodology, with full-family alignment

Staying Current

Because students are building toward futures that don't yet have stable job titles, staying current isn't optional, it's part of my responsibility.

AI coding and coworking tools Model capabilities & limitations Critical thinking and problem solving Creative use of AI tools Accelerate learning and skill-building with technology

Cohort-Based Learning & AI Fluency

In parallel with 1:1 consulting, I've designed and led cohort-based programs to test how quickly students can acquire and apply emerging technologies.

2023 & 2024

AI Project Intensive Cohorts

Context

  • 20–30 students per cohort
  • Ages 15–18, high school
  • No prior technical experience required
  • 4-week intensive program

Constraints

  • Rapidly evolving AI tools
  • Wide variance in student background
  • Only 4 weeks from start to ship

Approach

  • Conceptual grounding and a bias toward action with practical application of tools
  • Rapid MVP mindset with agile development
  • Weekly build-ship-present-iterate cadence
  • Peer learning + self-directed problem-solving + structured feedback

Outcomes

  • Students built and deployed their first AI applications, some coding for the first time
  • Functional prototypes, combining academic ambitions and personal passions
  • Clear mental models of AI capabilities and limits with self-motivation to stay not only current but ahead of the game

I help students and families understand and thrive in the shifting landscapes of exponential technological development.

Services

Individualized for each student and family.

1:1 Education Consulting

Long-term mentorship, strengths discovery, project and trajectory design, applications strategy. Includes unlimited family consultation sessions in addition to unlimited 1:1 sessions at a mutually agreed-upon pace.

Foundations + Direction 4–8 weeks

Foundation Curriculum modules, strengths assessment, trajectory planning

Project + Leadership Build 2–6 months

Multiple leadership projects and initiatives guidance from ideation to execution

Applications Strategy Season-based

University and/or camp identification, activity list refinement, essay guidance, interview preparation

Ongoing Mentorship Multi-year

Multi-year relationship, middle to high school to university transitions, continued development and constant adaptation to changing needs and environments

Applied AI & Technology Guidance

For students with technical, creative, or social impact interests. Used for academics, personal projects, and leadership initiatives. There is no excuse to be non-technical in a rapidly accelerating world.

Case Studies

Real trajectories from my mentorship practice, anonymized to protect privacy. Scroll to explore.

Already High-Performing

The Research Builder

Europe-based · IB Program
Methods used

Above-level probes · Depth & complexity prompts · Deliberate-practice research loop

Constraint

Needed research depth beyond curriculum and a resilient plan across geopolitical constraints.

Trajectory

Structured research mentorship → iterative competition builds → leadership role creating a technical club.

Offers from top engineering programs UK/EU; competitive US applications
Already High-Performing

The Systems Integrator

SEA Public System · Local System
Methods used

Compacting + above-level probes · Depth & complexity prompts · Constellation Project system

Constraint

Many adjacent interests (engineering, computing, AI) without a unifying narrative.

Trajectory

Narrowed to coherent "systems" theme → built AI/security project → differentiated service angle.

Clear positioning for selective engineering/computing tracks
Strong but Uncertain

The Advocate-Builder

International School · IB Program
Methods used

Depth & complexity prompts · Constellation Project system · Motivation design

Constraint

Breadth without depth; needed leadership credibility and an authentic focus.

Trajectory

Built central advocacy initiative → added research depth → developed public-facing outputs.

Acceptance to selective enrichment programs; coherent law/social science narrative
Strong but Uncertain

The Dual-Track Performer

SEA System · Local System
Methods used

Deliberate-practice loops · Constellation Project system · Asynchrony-aware coaching

Constraint

Needed bridge between technical curiosity and real-world output.

Trajectory

Competition/athletics → entrepreneurial experimentation → platform prototype → integrated story.

Recognition in competitive youth innovation; clearer hybrid technical path
Under-Recognized

The Quiet Achiever

Cross-Border ASEAN · Scholarship
Methods used

Asynchrony-aware coaching · Motivation design · Deliberate-practice microcycles

Constraint

Low confidence; family language barriers; adaptation stress.

Trajectory

Micro-goals → structured accountability → strengths discovery → gradual expansion to project ownership.

Sustained scholarship; selective summer program; visible confidence growth
Non-Standard Path

The Creative Changemaker

Emerging Market · Creative Focus
Methods used

Constellation Project system · Depth & complexity prompts · Motivation design

Constraint

Needed portfolio depth and leadership credibility without "generic volunteering."

Trajectory

Self-initiated creative project → community workshops → teaching element → industry exposure.

Stronger arts-school readiness; credible leadership narrative
Already High-Performing

The Product Builder

European Context · International
Methods used

Deliberate-practice loops · Constellation Project system · Above-level probes

Constraint

Needed leadership proof beyond competitions—real users, real product constraints.

Trajectory

MVP planning → user research → compliance-aware build → public release → pilots.

Publicly shipped product; differentiated technical portfolio

Selection Process & Pricing

Because this work is deeply personal and long-term, I work with a limited number of students at any given time. The initial process exists to ensure that expectations, ambition, and working style are aligned on both sides. Engagements are annual, founder-led, and priced accordingly. Annual partnerships begin in the mid five figures. Engagement scope and pricing are determined after an initial consultation and fit assessment.

Engagement with Outliers is by fit and invitation. Depth, not scale, is the priority.

1

Initial Consultation (30 minutes)

Request an initial consultation below with a short written assessment. Some families are referred directly and may have a referral phrase. If you have one, you may include it below. This session allows us to mutually interview each other and assess fit.

2

Diagnostic Engagement (2 to 4 weeks)

If we think we are a good fit for each other, we will agree upon a paid diagnostic engagement to assess readiness, alignment, and trajectory before considering a full annual partnership. This includes 2-4 1:1 sessions, 1-2 family strategy sessions, execution of a mini-project, and a written fit and trajectory assessment report.

3

Annual Partnership

This work compounds over years, not weeks. We begin only where there is mutual conviction.

Service Model

  • Founder-only delivery (no associates)
  • Very small cohort of active families, capped at 10 per year
  • Unlimited sessions = availability + judgment, not hours sold
  • Multi-year relationships and options for sibling support
  • Outcomes include original work, research, ventures in addition to competitive applications
  • Heavy parental involvement and system navigation

Request an Initial Consultation

When you request a date & time, I ask for a short written reflection (10–15 minutes) to ensure alignment before confirming. Some families are referred directly and may have a referral phrase. If you have one, you may include it in the booking request.

Beyond Consulting: The Outliers School

While Outliers currently operates as a founder-led consultancy working with a small number of families, the long-term vision extends further.

We are building an online school for gifted and high-ability learners around the world, designed for students whose curiosity, pace, and ambition are constrained by slow or misaligned systems.

The school is being developed carefully and deliberately, informed by years of 1:1 mentorship, cohort-based instruction, and research in gifted education.

Learn about the School →