Services I offer:

Advise Academic Plans & Course Selection

I urge all students to first see their high school counselor as that is a service available at their school. However, if their counselor's caseload is such that they cannot provide individual, comprehensive review of the student's academic plan (especially in public high schools where counselors have to service an average of 500 students), I am here to help. I will review the student's academic schedule and extracurricular activities from 8th grade to present and make recommendations of best required classes and activities depending on the student's preferred interests or major and the colleges that they are considering.

Assess Interests, Skills and talents for college or career

Students may or may not have an interest in an area that they want to pursue in college as a major. I will use fun tools to help them not only discover or confirm their interests, but also reveal related skills and talents that would direct them to the appropriate majors or careers.

Create Testing Schedules 

PSAT, SAT and ACT....What are the differences with these tests and which is the best to take when? These are some questions I will help answer and to help create a schedule as required by colleges considered. 

Develop a Best Fit College List

Always focusing on the student's needs and wants, I will help craft a list of colleges that will not only optimize the chance for acceptance, but also where the student will be happy to spend four years of their lives.

Formulate College Application Timelines

I will strategize with students on when best to apply to their preferred colleges, which would increase admissions likelihood as well as help manage the student's workload in their busy senior year of high school.

Help Prepare College Visits and Campus Tours

Effective college visits and campus tours mean more than knowing where the student union is or how to apply. I will help students prepare and make the most out of their visits so that they will know what to ask and what to look for in order to determine if the college is right for them or not.

Guide The College Essay Process

The types of essays students learn in school are usually not ones that would impress admission officers. I will help brainstorm topics, coach compelling styles and edit drafts so the student can shine in their narratives. For students interested in applying to the Universities of California: the UCs don't have essays; they require Personal Insight Questions, which are also very different in approach to other college essays. I will help clarify that approach and help students share their unique voices.

Provide Financial Aid Information

Cost of attendance and how to pay for college are a big part of whether a college is a right fit for the student. I will help provide information on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), CSS (College Scholarship Service) Profile, WUE (Western University Exchange), Scholarships, Loans and other financial aid options so parents and students are armed with sufficient knowledge. 

Help Build Student Résumés

Students should start building their academic résumés as it will help with their college applications. It can also be use when applying for internships, summer programs, scholarships, jobs, etc. 

Evaluate Admissions / Financial Aid Award Letters

Students applying to colleges that are right for them will most likely receive multiple offers with financial aid awards. Because financial aid comes in many forms, the highest amount of aid received doesn't always mean the most affordable. I will help evaluate the different packages so students and their parents can make the best decision for their family.

Advising cA community college students

Transfer students have very unique needs and I am ready to help! I have helped students who need some advice on delineating transferable credits from their community college courses to their desired 4-year institution, determining courses to take which would allow them not only to meet general education requirements but the prerequisite courses for their major, and to compare different programs at 4-year institutions so they can find the best fit school and program to complete their Bachelors.