FAQs
Do I need a college counselor?
1
Good grades and scores get you into the applicant pool — they don't tell your story and lived experiences. Working with a college counselor helps you figure out and communicate who you are beyond your academic profile, not just checking boxes. Our team is dedicated to supporting students through strengths-based advising, leadership development, community engagement, and holistic student support.
School counselors often support 300+ students. We work with a small number at a time, creating a detailed four year-plan, providing individualized strategy, intensive essay coaching, and a college list built around the student’s academic and professional aspirations.
When should I start? I don't really know what I want to study or where I want to go.
2
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?
4
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.