An Open Letter to Parents  

 

We all want the best for our children, and that has not changed over time.  What has changed is the path to that better future.  Applying to college today is nothing like it was when you applied.  The days of applying to only one or two colleges are long gone, and there are no more “sure things.”

 

Despite what many would like to believe, being accepted to selective colleges is not based on academic merit and well-rounded extracurriculars alone.  A 4.0 and balanced resume will rarely be enough to get your teen into his or her “dream” college. Colleges have their own agendas that are outside the interests of any one particular student. There are also factors that colleges consider that are outside of your control.  That’s why many students (and parents too) are left wondering why one of the peers with lower grades, test scores, extracurriculars etc., was accepted to a particular college, and he or she was not.

 

Furthermore, in today’s world of hefty college price tags, most parents are looking for some relief, but many colleges which offer significant discounts are not known to your teen because they are not common household names or applied to by their peers.

 

Why Does it Matter Where Your Teen Applies to College?

 

• Because students dissatisfied with their college choice often drop out. As a matter of fact, more than 30 percent of students who start at a four-year college leave without graduating. That is a lot of potential debt with no degree to show for it.

 

• Because your teen needs to be able to get in.  He or she is likely to spend a lot of time, money, and energy in the process of becoming a competitive applicant, so he or she better be sure they are applying to at least some colleges that want them as much as they want those colleges.

 

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

• Because you have to be able to afford it and where your teen applies can determine how much need-based financial aid and/or merit scholarship money they are likely to receive.  Cost will also likely dictate whether your teen will have to work part-time during his or her college years.

 

• Because the college has to offer what your teen wants to study.  Not all colleges offer accounting or American History or neuroscience, etc.  Many students will change their major during college, but if your teen truly has a sincere interest in a particular area of study, it is a huge mistake not making sure the colleges he or she applies to offer that area of study.

 

• Because your teen has to like it there.  The location, setting, class size, dorm conditions, academic challenge, social opportunities, etc., all impact a student’s satisfaction with their college experience.  They need to consider these things when choosing the colleges to which they will apply.

 

Why You Should Consider Hiring a College Counselor…

 

About 1.9 million freshmen enter college each year.  About 8% of those students worked with private educational consultants to help them navigate the college planning and application process, and one out of four of those students had superior grades and extracurriculars. 

​

How did this come to be?  Those parents realized that:

 

• Academic achievement and a balanced resume alone is rarely enough for admission to selective colleges.

​

• Even the most well-intentioned school counselors simply do not have the time to address the unique characteristics and ambitions of each student.

 

• Typical high school guidance counselors in a public high school spend only 20% of their time on college-related issues; even in private high schools, typical guidance counselors spend only 50% of their time on college-related issues.

 

• The average ratio of students to guidance counselors in public high schools in the United States is 500 to 1 and in California, the ratio is 750 to 1.

 

• They don’t have the time or desire to educate themselves about the strategy behind gaining college acceptance.   

 

• They want the expertise of a college counselor who has helped students achieve college admissions success. 

​

• There are no practice rounds when applying to college; you have to get it right the first time.

​

Do you agree with these parents? 

 

If you do, I’d like to tell you about my approach to college counseling and how I can help your teen maximize his or her chances of college admission. 

​

My Approach incorporates proven strategies that allow applicants to standout in the college admissions process at selective colleges.   It is a Step-by-Step Method that keeps the process on track and eliminates unnecessary mistakes and missed opportunities.

 

The STANDOUT Method for College Admissions Success is based on 10 years of personal experience working with high school students who were successful in obtaining admissions to selective colleges and extensive research gaining an insight into what colleges are looking for in applicants, as well as understanding the outside pressures put on admission officers to support their colleges personal needs and objectives.

​

The "STANDOUT" Method incorporates key factors that allow students to standout from the crowd by maximizing potential opportunities while still in high school, by presenting a cohesive story of their strengths and ambitions that is unique and detailed, and are by applying to colleges that make sense in terms of cost, likelihood or admission, major considerations, and college preferences.  

​

The competition for selective colleges is fierce.  Students have to standout from the crowd.  The STANDOUT Method allows students to do just that....STANDOUT in the college admissions process!

 

The STANDOUT Method focuses on the 2 major areas of the college planning and application process:  Strategy and Mechanics.  

 

Most students pour their time and energy into the mechanics of the application, with too little attention paid upfront in building a college list that makes sense in terms of their objectives and the reality of their financial circumstances and academic history.

 

This mistake often results in disappointment with regard to college acceptances, financial aid or both.

 

So, what do I mean by Strategy and Mechanics?

 

Strategy refers to:

 

• Building a list of colleges that makes sense in terms of admission and cost,

 

• Improving students’ chances of admission, while they are still in high school, and

 

• Crafting and executing a  plan to make the colleges they want, want them.

​

Mechanics refers to:

 

• Crafting an application that standouts by telling a detailed, cohesive story of who the student is (i.e., personal qualities and characteristics),

​

• What he or she has overcome,

​

• What he or she has accomplished and what he or she hopes to accomplish in college and beyond, and

​

• Why he or she is a good fit for a particular college. 

​

I teach The "STANDOUT" Method to students in one of three ways, designed to fit their level of need for guidance and coaching.

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

​

​