College Admissions Counseling
In order for students and families to make the right choices regarding their higher education needs, they need to be informed. Our services provide comprehensive support that addresses every aspect of the admissions process. We ensure our students present the best possible application package to a curated list of schools. Our services include:
College Prospecting and Finding Your Best Fit
Creating a balanced college list is the first step in the admissions process. Important factors such as reputation, size, location, degree programs, school culture, cost, internship and undergraduate research opportunities, job placement rates, study abroad programs, and more all need to be considered. Our intimate knowledge of the top schools across the country, coupled with our research tools allow us to guide students through this process in order to guarantee they apply to colleges that meet all of their wants and needs.
College Visits and Demonstrating Interest
Visiting a college in person empowers students and families the opportunity to get a better feel for a school and discover if it is a good fit. However, it’s important to go beyond the basic campus tours and marketing brochures in order to evaluate each institution objectively. By creating detailed plans with the right questions to ask and what exactly to look for, our families arrive for their visits feeling prepared and excited to explore the potential of each college on their list.
Essays and Personal Statements
Colleges and universities read thousands of essays every year. With an increasing emphasis on this character-based component of the application, its imperative to know exactly what admissions officers are looking for and how you can stand out. We guide students through all of their essays by helping them develop their voice and share their stories in a way that resonates with both admissions and scholarship committees.
Interview Preparation
Many of the most selective schools require an interview with either an admissions officer or an alumnus. Moreover, scholarships often require interviews conducted by a committee. By completing mock interviews and preparing for various question types, our students walk into these interviews feeling prepared and ready to leave a lasting impression.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
With tuition and fees continuing to rise every year, scholarships, grants, and financial aid have become more important than ever. We work diligently to unpack the financial aid process and true cost of each school. By identifying all possible opportunities, including scholarships and institutional aid, we’ve been able to save our families hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Pre-Collegiate and Fly-In Programs
Many students are not aware of the unique opportunity to experience life on a college campus through pre-collegiate or fly-in programs. By attending these programs, students take part in courses, workshops, and seminars while living on campus. This allows them a chance to get a taste of the college experience and can provide an opportunity to build connections with faculty and staff. These relationships are beneficial during the application review process and once students matriculate at that institution.
Internships and Volunteering
Many students end up changing their major or course of study once they start college due to a lack of understanding of what these careers actually entail. This leads to additional years in school and additional costs. To mitigate this, we work with students to identify internships, volunteering experiences, and high school research opportunities that provide a better perspective of potential careers while also improving their resume.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are an often overlooked but critical aspect of the application process. Students need guidance in evaluating their relationships with teachers, counselors, administrators, employers, and others in order to maximize the impact these recommendations will have without leaving them to the last minute. We work with them to curate recommendation requests and get ahead in this process so recommenders can provide a comprehensive and detailed letter that stands out and adds value to the overall application package.
Resumes
In every application, whether for college or scholarships, students will need to list their achievements. These should include clubs and extracurricular participation, work and volunteer experiences, and even pertinent coursework. We work with students to gather this essential information, format it correctly, and write engaging descriptions that fully encompass the work they’ve done.
Course and Extracurricular Selection
Selecting the right courses that put students on a path to honors, advanced (AP/IB), and/or concurrent enrollment starts as early as their freshman year of high school. Simultaneously, participating in extracurriculars that explore academic and career interests while also preparing for leadership opportunities is crucial. We work with students to help make these important decisions as early as possible in order to guarantee they are on the right path for academic and leadership development.