Frequently Asked Questions

No. At least once you’ve hit middle school, it’s really not too early to start thinking about your college plan. Many students are interested in magnet or IB high schools, and planning should start early for that. It’s also a good idea to determine strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and start thinking about a path. Students can also polish writing skills and understand test taking strategies to help prepare for college admissions. Remember, all of this can be changed throughout the high school journey, but it isn’t really ever too soon to start thinking about college and create a plan. Check out our blog for more information. 

The important thing to remember is that it is your child going to college, not you. It can be overwhelming for some students to think about the stress and the big change this brings. It is a big life change full of all kinds of pressure. One thing we like to suggest is to take some informal college visits. Perhaps visit a family friend on a nearby campus or just go take a walk or drive through a campus without making it an event. As educational consultants, we know this can be a very effective way to perk interest. Another option is to set aside an hour a week to talk about college, and that’s it. Though for some students starting the search early is great, for others it needs to be a slower process. Let us know if we can help with more college planning and college admission tips!

Your son should be doing what is best for him. We understand there is pressure from other students, and it can get a bit confusing to know what’s the best schedule and high school path should be. If your son has an interest in some AP subjects and a proclivity towards more challenging material, yes, he should be taking them. But if he has a busy extracurricular schedule, a job, or simply can easily feel overwhelmed, perhaps a full AP schedule is not a good idea. Remember, each student is an individual. We are happy to help you determine the best schedule for your son through our educational consulting packages. 

Many students look at college essays as an afterthought in the college application process, but we know sometimes the essay is the key to college acceptance. It’s important to make the college essay a priority, and we can help!

We like to begin our essay consultation with an hour meeting either by phone, zoom, or in person, and we welcome students and parents. During this meeting, we will not only learn a bit about the student, but also determine where they are in the essay process, come up with some great topic ideas, and understand where the student is applying.

When we have determined which of our college essay packages is the best fit, we’ll get started! Both of our packages include assistance with narrowing down topics for the common app, complete essay review once there is a rough draft, unlimited revisions and edits, and a final review to check for grammar,  punctuation, and all those fine details before hitting send. We will also be available to answer questions and work with ideas throughout the writing process. 

With our more complete package, we will work with the student from the beginning to help them brainstorm relevant, unique essay ideas and outlines. Our less comprehensive package is for students who have a strong draft already.

We like to spend about an hour with the student and parent towards the end of 8th grade to begin the four-year college plan. It’s not too soon to be thinking about the four years of high school, even college, because your building blocks start now. Of course, we are happy to work with you no matter your grade level, but we recommend beginning around this time.

During the educational/ college consultation, we’d like to get to know the student, discuss interests, strengths and weaknesses, and put together a holistic picture of the student. 

We offer recommendations on 

• Creating a student and college portrait
• Class schedules year by year
• Extracurriculars
• Community service
• Tips on searching for colleges that will be a good fit
• A timeline for college research and planning
• Essay assistance included towards senior year

This is an exciting time, and we’d love to be your guide throughout the college planning and application process. We will meet once a year during the four years and be available to help when you need us. You can find us here. 

Like most of the process, this will depend a lot on your child. Some kids want to apply everywhere, others think one or two schools is enough. We like to suggest at the minimum, one or two target schools, one or two safety schools, and one reach school. So though there is no firm answer on how many to apply to, make sure you have enough for a Plan A, a Plan B, and maybe even a Plan C. Again, we can help you in this area, too.

Students do not really need a resume for college applications, but it is a great time to get one ready. Often they will need a resume for applying for scholarships, honors colleges, Greek life, or adding to an application. A resume is a great place to expound on specifics not included in the college application. Many students also like having one ready once they get to school for job applications, internships, or other opportunities. Sandra and Heather both love helping students create strong, cohesive resumes to showcase their skills, background, and experience in the college application process and beyond. You can see more information here.