Services

Hiring an advisor can save a lot of time, help clarify priorities, and reduce stress levels. It can also be a very good financial decision by making a student more attractive to colleges that use merit/financial aid or tuition discounts to lure top candidates, and by helping you avoid costly mistakes. Students come into this with various levels of maturity, and it’s often very helpful to have someone from outside the family weighing in. And sometimes the parents/adults who are there 24/7 also need support when things are not going according to plan. I offer cost-effective services for all or part of the process, depending on your needs. 

Topics covered:

  • HS Class choices, extracurriculars, and activities — what colleges look for 

  • Hooks — the inherited or self-made factors that boost the chances of admission 

  • Standardized Tests — ACT or SAT? — self-studying / self-testing / focused tutoring 

  • Creating a roadmap and workable schedule for the entire process 

  • Identifying good-fit colleges — academic, developmental, and financial fits 

  • Public Ivies, Little Ivies, Honors Colleges, etc. — looking beyond the top 20 

  • Making the most of college tours — what to look for 

  • Safety, Target, Reach — getting the right blend — applying to twenty reaches is not a good strategy, nor is having a safety the student will refuse to attend! 

  • Fine-tuning the list — maximizing the chances of acceptance and aid 

  • Strategies for the Common App — completing the activities, education, and honors sections to the student’s best advantage 

  • College essay / personal statement — what makes a successful college essay 

  • Brainstorming essay topics — uncovering the engaging stories that highlight character, talents, and accomplishments — to be told in the student’s unique “voice” 

  • Strategies for the supplements, and Why Us? / Why You? essays 

  • Editing & proofing the essay and supplements — for grammar, typos, clarity, flow, language, and rhetorical strength 

  • Acing the interview — tips for success, with a mock interview if needed 

  • Demonstrating interest — how to show interest & which colleges care 

  • Financial aid process — types of aid, filling out the forms 

  • Merit aid — strategies to maximize the chance of a generous award

  • Organization — so nothing falls through the cracks 

  • Supporting, engaging, advising, motivating — extensive support for all stages  

College Application Primer 

ED, EA, RD, FAFSA, CSS Profile, EFC, NPC, IDOC, Common App, Reach, Target, Safety, Hooks — what does it all mean? This approximately 2-hour primer is a comprehensive overview of the application process for families just beginning to think about college, or perhaps with a child in the first or second year of high school.

Topics covered:

  • What applying to college looks like now from start to finish

  • what’s important in the high school years

  • what colleges are looking for

  • how a student gets set up for acceptance to a great college

  • how to get help paying for it