Our Services

Services for High School Students

An hourly rate maximizes flexibility in services and allows families to choose — and pay for — only what they need.

You will receive the same attentive and caring service whether you opt for 5 hours or 35.

Services offered include

Getting to Know Your Student

• In-depth conversations with students and parents to understand goals, strengths, challenges, preferences and perspectives; augmented by personality and career assessments for optimal guidance.

• Review of transcripts, test scores, extracurriculars, and where applicable, 504s or IEPs.

• Discussion of extra curricular activities, passions, interests, and responsibilities.

Communicating the College Landscape

• An overview for students and families about college admissions, how things have changed over the years — and the ways they are still the same.

• Education about the various options available to students, including suggested visits and advice toward making the most of them.

Developing a List

• A customized list of suggested “best-fit” colleges and universities based on the conversations (above) and learning referenced above.

• Guidance in researching colleges online to learn about the academic, social, and extracurricular experiences they offer, enabling students to refine and finalize their list.

Application Strategies

• Advice on whether and when to take or report standardized tests, using various application options (Early Action, Early Decision, etc.), teacher recommendations, selecting majors, and more.

Application and Essay Assistance

• Help with filling out the Common App, answering any questions that arise.

• Brainstorming, selecting, and developing content for Common App personal statement and supplemental essays. Guidance on all other aspects of the essay — tone, organization, spelling, grammar, etc. (up to 12 schools).

• Guidance on the Common App activities section (perhaps the most overlooked part of college applications!).

• Support in managing the process to be sure everything is finished in a timely manner.

Stress Management

• Suggestions and reminders about keeping perspective, maintaining physical and mental health, staying calm and confident through a challenging process.

Support to Parents

• Keeping parents up to date on all aspects of the college process.

• Advice about questions as they arise including financing college, referrals to other professionals as needed, etc.

• Stress management support for parents, too!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours will we need?

This depends on the student and the services parents and students choose, so there is no overall number. A free consultation can help to answer questions and give rough estimates for your student, family, and situation.

How do you create the list?

The process starts with a minumim of two meetings with the student alone, on Zoom. The first meeting is to learn about who they are and who they want to be, their interests, preferences, and strengths. The second uses a specialized College Counseling platform to dig deeper into different college options and what might be the best-fit options for the student. Students and families then receive a customized, tailored preliminary list. Next students learn to research colleges online using various platforms. Working on their own or with me (family’s choice), they narrow and refine their choices based on their research, arriving at a finalized list.

We just need help with the essays. Do you do that?

Yes! For the Common App essay, students can receive help at the level they choose. It can be getting actionable feedback on a completed draft, to the full process of brainstorming, writing, reviewing, and editing multiple drafts. As a writer and former magazine editor, I love helping students find their voice, develop their writing muscles, and creating a finished product they are proud to submit.

What do you mean that you do stress management?

Stress is inherent in applying to college, but it can be kept to a minimum through knowledge and understanding, a helpful mindset, and healthy mental and physical habits. Through personal experience, education, and training, I’ve developed a wealth of tools to help students and families stay calm and confident in stressful situations. I readily share them as needed, helping to keep the process as stress-free as possible.

Scroll down and click Get Started for a free consultation!

College Counseling Services are $250/hour