Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a college counselor?
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Good grades and test scores get you into the applicant pool — they don't tell your story or capture your lived experiences. Working with a college counselor helps you strengthen each component of the holistic admissions review through strategic planning, high-impact activities aligned with academic interests, and compelling personal narratives. Our team is dedicated to strengths-based advising, leadership development, community engagement, and student-centered support.
School counselors often manage 300+ students each. We work with a small number at a time, building a detailed four-year plan, providing individualized strategy, intensive essay coaching, and a college list tailored to each student's academic and professional goals.
When should I start? I don't really know what I want to study or where I want to go.
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Our team works with students as early as middle school; however, we believe starting during sophomore year or earlier is most ideal to have a longer runway.
Early sessions are more about helping you understand your own interests, values, aspirations, and what kind of environment you'd thrive in. After that, we will begin to discuss universities and colleges that may be a good fit and match for you while creating a college list that includes a range of colleges, from dream schools to safety schools.
What does a typical session look like?
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The monthly, hour-long sessions are conversation-driven — reflecting on experiences, discussing majors, college research, drafting and revising essays, working through activity lists, participating in admissions interviews, and building toward deadlines at a pace that fits your schedule. Beyond the hour meeting, students and parents can email counselors with any questions they may have regarding academic support and college admissions.
Other than college applications, what other things do you help students with?
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While college applications are the cornerstone of our work, we provide support on course planning, summer programs, internships, scholarships, and academic competitions among other things.
We offer recommendations on SAT/ACT test prep strategies and can connect you to effective tutors for standardized testing or if you are needing support in challenging courses.
While this isn’t required, students typically apply for different summer programs at the end of sophomore or junior year. More importantly, our counselors encourage students to gain research or professional experience through various internship programs and opportunities. We support students with up to four summer program or internship applications.
Financial aid and scholarships are part of college admissions and affordability. We want to make sure students have all options laid on the table with their financial aid packages before making a decision on where to attend for college.