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What We Do

Our Advising Services

We are a Full-Service Program - Customized for Each Student

The sooner a student enrolls, the better their prospects for success.

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Our comprehensive package thoroughly educates & guides students and their families through each step of the admissions process. This is how we do it:

 

  • We prefer to start with families when their child is in 7th or 8th grade, but we accept students at any stage of their high school or undergraduate career.

 

  • We cap our number of students in each class at 30 total for each grade level. ​

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  • We assist all areas of the College Application Journey including things like: 

    • Financial Aid​

    • Athletic Recruitment

    • Scholarships

    • Specialty Admissions, i.e. Medical / Veterinarian, Law, or Business School​

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  • At the genesis of each academic year, we craft a list of tangible and intangible items that the student needs to engage in order to increase their competitive advantage. We set forth the plan for that academic year and upcoming summer to outline what the student should do inside and outside the classroom and, most importantly, in the greater community. 

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  • We get involved in every aspect of our students' journey including academic, extracurricular, community and outside activities, in order to best steer them to their dream schools. I work with and guide them in myriad ways to become a better college candidate, such as:​​

    • Developing and improving academic habits and skills 

    • Career development, where we assess their strengths, affinities, interests, hobbies and passions to see how they can be utilized in relation to desired college majors and career goals.

    • Assist in securing internships, job shadows, research opportunities, and independent passion projects. 

 

  • In addition to Career Development, the bulk of the counseling sessions focus on the college application  process, which entails:

    • Creating individualized objectives tailored to each student's interests and passions

    • Construction of a Comprehensive (intelligent and pragmatic) College List,  covering Safety, Target and Reach Schools, which entails advising students on how to prudently research colleges and universities on their lists.  

    • Teaching my students the "tricks of the  trade", how to engage in Admissions' Correspondence; communicating with Regional Readers, preparing for College Visits/College Fairs/virtual and in-person College Information Sessions.

    • In depth work on the Application of which every single line and activity section are filled out together. This entails:

      • Activities' Resume

      • Main and Supplemental Essays

      • Personal Statements

      • University of California Personal Insight Questions

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  • After Applications are submitted, we guide students through:

    • Interview Preparations

    • Getting off waitlists

    • Institution transfers for undergraduates​

Goals by Year

  • 9th Grade
    Higher Education Overview Provide general orientation to areas of academia / college structure ​​ Foundational Engagement Build appropriate engagement foundation through strategically considered in-school extracurricular engagement ​​ Curriculum Guidance Identify whether specific or flexible curriculum guidance is most appropriate ​​ Community Awareness Develop understanding of what is happening in client’s community and how those things connect to academia ​​ Academic Direction: College Level Continually consider the merits of A&S, Business and Engineering as collegiate directions and make decisions as appropriate
  • 10th Grade
    Academic Direction: Major Level Within the established collegiate direction, begin to consider the possible prospective major options / narratives Academic roadmap delivery ​​ Academically Relevant Community Question Within the context of the student’s academic interests, begin to formulate community relevant research questions ​​ Expand Engagement Diversify engagement by exploring area of academic interest outside of school through things like out of school classes, summer programs, shadowing programs, internships, academically relevant volunteerism, etc. ​​ Standardized Tests / Self-Study Exams Identify the appropriate tests and advise on appropriate preparation ​​ Deliverables Consider opportunities or actions that can provide a ‘deliverable’ that illustrates your academic interest ​ Competition Consideration Consider whether ‘objective achievement’ can or should be added to the application wish li​​​​​​st
  • 11th Grade
    Academic Direction: Subtopic Level Clearly define the prospective major and subsection topic / research question ​​ Academic Research / Mentorship Use the academically and community relevant questions to engage in academic research that will result an intellectual interest deliverable for the admissions application ​​ Contribution / Leadership Consider how to illustrate added value through engagement with people in personally or academically relevant communities ​​ Advocacy Consider how academically relevant questions or findings can provide an opportunity for advocacy ​​ Competition Consideration Consider opportunity cost of objective achievement vs. narrative depth and make strategic decision based on goals ​ Letter of Recommendation Strategy It is imperative to define the ‘academic narrative’ because students and parents will need to complete college ‘brag sheets,’ whereby they discuss the qualities and characteristics that makes the applicant desirable. This content is used in the letter of recommendations and it is imperative that the requisite elements and qualities are included​​​​​​
  • 12th Grade
    10 Consultant Directed Strategic Planning Meetings: The College Application Introduction Meeting Introduction to the Common Application Application types review Benchmarking the college list overview Personal statement vs. supplemental essays Academic narrative overview College recommender overview Interview overview Academic Narrative / Prospective Major Meeting Development of applicant narrative within the context of prospective majors Personal Statement Brainstorm Meeting Deliver personal statement brainstorm guidelines document Deliver example personal statements Consideration of the variety of possible directions Personal Statement Direction Meeting Development of the vehicle / angle / elements of the personal statement Benchmarking the College List Meeting / Application Options Meeting Strategic benchmarking of college list options to ensure reasonable risk distribution Consideration of application options that impact admissibility Supplemental Essay Overview Meeting Deliver supplemental essays overview document Deliver example supplemental essays Review question types and brainstorm response options Supplemental Essay Brainstorm / Content Development Meeting Delivery of ‘supplemental essay research template’ Review institution specific supplemental essays, brainstorm responses, structure, etc. Activities / Honors List Meeting Review the activity list guidelines, order, descriptions, etc. Application Review An Ivy League application review, before you press submit Bonus Meeting To be used at the discretion of the client 12th Grade Application Deliverables Strategically developed Common / Coalition Application Strategically developed activity / honors list Strategically developed personal statement Strategically developed institution specific supplemental essays

Goals by Year

9th Grade

Higher Education Overview

  • Provide general orientation to areas of academia / college structure

​​

Foundational Engagement

  • Build appropriate engagement foundation through strategically considered in-school extracurricular engagement

​​

Curriculum Guidance

  • Identify whether specific or flexible curriculum guidance is most appropriate

​​

Community Awareness

  • Develop understanding of what is happening in client’s community and how those things connect to academia

​​

Academic Direction: College Level

  • Continually consider the merits of A&S, Business and Engineering as collegiate directions and make decisions as appropriate

9th Grade

Academic Direction: Major Level

  • Within the established collegiate direction, begin to consider the possible prospective major options / narratives 

  • Academic roadmap delivery

​​

Academically Relevant Community Question

  • Within the context of the student’s academic interests, begin to formulate community relevant research questions

​​

Expand Engagement

  • Diversify engagement by exploring area of academic interest outside of school through things like out of school classes, summer programs, shadowing programs, internships, academically relevant volunteerism, etc.

​​

Standardized Tests / Self-Study Exams

  • Identify the appropriate tests and advise on appropriate preparation

​​

Deliverables

  • Consider opportunities or actions that can provide a ‘deliverable’ that illustrates your academic interest

​

Competition Consideration

  • Consider whether ‘objective achievement’ can or should be added to the application wish li​​​​​​st

9th Grade

Academic Direction: Subtopic Level

  • Clearly define the prospective major and subsection topic / research question

​​

Academic Research / Mentorship

  • Use the academically and community relevant questions to engage in academic research that will result an intellectual interest deliverable for the admissions application

​​

Contribution / Leadership

  • Consider how to illustrate added value through engagement with people in personally or academically relevant communities

​​

Advocacy

  • Consider how academically relevant questions or findings can provide an opportunity for advocacy

​​

Competition Consideration

  • Consider opportunity cost of objective achievement vs. narrative depth and make strategic decision based on goals

​

Letter of Recommendation Strategy

  • It is imperative to define the ‘academic narrative’ because students and parents will need to complete college ‘brag sheets,’ whereby they discuss the qualities and characteristics that makes the applicant desirable. This content is used in the letter of recommendations and it is imperative that the requisite elements and qualities are included​​​​​​

9th Grade

Ten (10) Consultant Directed Strategic Planning Meetings:

  • The College Application Introduction Meeting

    • Introduction to the Common Application

    • Application types review

    • Benchmarking the college list overview

    • Personal statement vs. supplemental essays

    • Academic narrative overview

    • College recommender overview

    • Interview overview

  • Academic Narrative / Prospective Major Meeting

    • Development of applicant narrative within the context of prospective majors

  • Personal Statement Brainstorm Meeting

    • Deliver personal statement brainstorm guidelines document

    • Deliver example personal statements

    • Consideration of the variety of possible directions

  • Personal Statement Direction Meeting

    • Development of the vehicle / angle / elements of the personal statement

  • Benchmarking the College List Meeting / Application Options Meeting

    • Strategic benchmarking of college list options to ensure reasonable risk distribution

    • Consideration of application options that impact admissibility

  • Supplemental Essay Overview Meeting

    • Deliver supplemental essays overview document

    • Deliver example supplemental essays

    • Review question types and brainstorm response options

  • Supplemental Essay Brainstorm / Content Development Meeting

    • Delivery of ‘supplemental essay research template’

    • Review institution specific supplemental essays, brainstorm responses, structure, etc.

  • Activities / Honors List Meeting

    • Review the activity list guidelines, order, descriptions, etc.

  • Application Review

    • An Ivy League application review, before you press submit

  • Bonus Meeting

    • To be used at the discretion of the client

12th Grade Application Deliverables

  • Strategically developed Common / Coalition Application

  • Strategically developed activity / honors list

  • Strategically developed personal statement

  • Strategically developed institution specific supplemental essays

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