Counseling & Tutoring Services

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. The most common job is with high school students because this is the group which goes on to 4 year schools immediately. However, that does not mean that anyone of them all do it in any particular fashion-- some want a year off, some have learning differences, some want to go to community colleges and then go on to a 4 year, some want to play ball, and some have been working for some years, and have decided that due to the recession they have to change careers, and like me find they are going back to school and the rules and challenges have changed.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. ASK QUESTIONS of the Consultant you are planning to hire to make sure they are qualified and that they can provide the services you need.

Make sure they have the proper training to be a consultant... most counselors and consultants have a post graduate education with a focus specifically on College Counseling and/or Admissions.

Additionally, most consultants participate in professional organizations to keep up with continuing education requirements, and to keep current with the trends, academic changes, and cultures between campuses.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. We treat our customers the way we would want to be treated, and as a customer we think you would want to know answsers to the following questions:

Where did you receive your training from?

Where do your students were accepted?

Do I guarantee admissions to any schools ( no consultant can do this, so if they do, they are not being honest with you),

Do you belong to professional organizations?

Do you visit any of the campuses?

Do you keep up with continuing educational classes and seminars?

Do you give me a contract that outlines services and costs, in addition to payment plans?

Are you specialized in any area, or do you handle students with a unique set of needs?

Do you adhere to the professional ethical guidelines that consultants should?

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. Where did you receive your training from? Where do some of your students get accepted?

Can you help my child who suffers with ADD?, ADHD? Lupus? Asperger's? Autism? get into college? What about physical limitations?

Do you guarantee admissions to any schools ( no consultant can do this, so if they do, they are not being honest with you),

Do you belong to professional organizations?

Do you visit any of the campuses?

Do you keep up with continuing educational classes and seminars?

Do you give me a contract that outlines services and costs, in addition to payment plans?

Are you specialized in any area, or do you handle students with a unique set of needs?

What kind of paperwork is required for my international student?

If my son/daughter wants to play sports and has not been recruited, where do we turn?

My child wants to take a year off before going to college, what do we do?

My child is in a community college-- how does he/she go to a 4 year school right for him/her?

Do you adhere to the professional ethical guidelines that consultants should?

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. The college admissions process have been extremely competitive with UCLA receiving 54,000 applications this past year, and Midwest to east coast schools being up in application numbers by 15%- 20%. A consultant who is familiar with the ropes of the process can cut a lot of the stress associated with the process with just their knowledge.

The first thing parents need to realize is that they are seen as a known or unknown source of stress, just by the title "PARENT" and that their nerves and excitement add pressure to their child.

This process is their student's future..... it is THEIR four years at the university, so parents have to be willing to take the pressure off, and realize they are facing their child's four year of college, not theirs. (that is hard to say, I am a parent!)

There is a lot of family stress level that occurs during the college admissions process, and real or perceived, students handle it differently. Some go out and party and act like it is not important, while other totally shut down.

A good consultant can quickly buffer the stress level a family is feeling, which will make everyone more comfortable with the process and outcome. The consultant through testing, interviewing, and talking to students can quickly narrow down the process, and through their knowledge offer alternatives the families have not even considered because they are unaware of such opportunities.

Our firm also look at the financial aid issues, and lines up the financial aid with the college admissions process so that families can maximize their merit and need based awards, and experience a financially smooth free 4 years.

Our goal is to have all applications and all financial aid paperwork completed by Dec of the application year so that families can enjoy the holiday season without any stress.

College is a unique and special time for any student, let your child blossom and be the best they can be!

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. While school counselors are very good at what they do, they don't always have enough time to give students the individualized attention that many require. As for consultants, it is important to interview them and make sure they are a fit for your family before you hire them. There is no licensing required to be a college admissions Consultant, however, we felt it was important to be well trained so that we could effectively work with families.

Consultants are able to sit down with a family and listen to all parties speak. They are able to listen actively to what the student feels will be the right place for them, listen to what they dreams, aspirations, and goals are, what kind of school they are looking for, and then mirror it with their talents, abilities, and skills to find them a set of schools that are right for them.

We are able to work with special needs situations, those choosing a gap year or in community colleges, are athletes that want to play ball in college but have yet to be recruited, or are looking to come to the US as international students before returning to their own country.

We have specific training in all of these areas.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love working with the students and watching them reach their goals. We are able to introduce students to schools that they may not have been able to think of on their own, or see opportunities they did not even know were available to them.

Knowing you have put the fingerprints of your hand on a student to walk forward into the sunset of success is a great feeling.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Customers usually want to know what our background has been in college admissions counseling if they have not been to one of your presentations. Our executive director is a graduate of USC, and UCLA, with certifications in College Admissions Counseling and Consulting.

Parents usually are not aware that the competition has become so keen and that strategies have to be put in place before the actual admissions process begins. There is a lot of prep that is required, and besides looking at school and deciding which ones are right. The second most time consuming, most important, and most influential part of the application process will be the essay(s).

The next big question we get is about Essays. This question is usually not in question form, Parents are at a loss, and students are speechless without ideas.

As we work with and assist students with their application process, we are able to help them develop the questions for their essays and the topics. Our goal as we look to create essays is to grab the attention of admissions officers so they say YES!

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. My favorite story was about a girl I met who had no chance she thought to go to college. She was 16, had grown up in an immigrant family situation. Unfortunately, neither she nor her family were in the US legally, but since she had grown up here from the age of 2 or 3, this was home. In 3rd grade, her teacher took the class on a tour of a college, and from that moment on all she wanted to do was go to college after that teacher had shown her what a college degree could do.

I worked with her and her family, coaching them all. Her father had suddenly passed away months before followed two months later with the death of a cousin who lived nearby.

Her mother could not make ends meet on the small funds she earned each month, so this student was forced to give her mother all the money she had saved to go to college to pay the rent. In all the aftermath of tragedy, this student never gave up the hope nor did she lose sight of her goal to go to college.

We were able to locate several schools that would meet the goals and dreams to admit her, and it became clear that this student's unbelievable story hit the hearts of admissions officers, as some called her on the phone to say they could not accept her because they did not have enough in private donations to meet the cost of tuition ( she was not eligible for any federal funds to go to school) and the rest sent her large envelopes offering her acceptance.

She was accepted to 9 out of 11 schools, and in response to this success, the community offered her $14,000 of private funds to attend her first year of school, and in 2009, she sent me an invitation to come to her college graduation at UC Davis.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I LOST MY PRIOR CAREER TO LEGISLATIVE CHANGES! I saw first hand the struggle high school students had with the college admissions process when I was working in 2002. I felt so bad that I would mentor these students on weekends as a community service and for free. I enjoyed every minute of it!

When legislative changes within a 24 hour span altered my career forever--- When I learned I was out of the career of practicing Workers' Compensation Law; I decided I could mesh the two fields together, go back to UCLA and UCI for additional training.

I have now a certification in both college admissions counseling and college admissions consulting and fell in love with this new field that offered me a chance to work with these students, travel around the country to see all 4,000 colleges and universities and their students, and I have not looked back since.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. There are so many great stories... and no one really outshines the other. Every students comes to me with a unique set of circumstances.... and my job is to sit with them and listen to where they have been, what they think they want to do, and where they want to go, given their abilities, talents, gifts, and skills. It is my job to then put it all together and come up with a list of 20-30 schools they should look at with 3-4 at the top they are really interested in as potential schools for them where they can grow, and blossom into responsible adults one day, and forcing students to look at what is right for them, not to look where their girl/boy friend is going, where their parents went, or who has the hottest football team.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Constantly! The College Admissions Consultant is a member of NACAC and HECA. We are looking to rejoin IECA at some point down the road.

We participate annually if not bi-annually at the conventions offered by each group and take note as to what our colleagues are doing to enhance the industry, while enjoying each other's company.

Admissions Procedures change every years, as does the make up of each year's class.... and so it is unpredictable to guess at what each year will bring, so all you can do is keep in contact with the groups to keep up on the latest ideas and challenges.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. There is a lot happening, first and foremost is that getting into college requires a lot of planning. It no longer is good enough to have good grades and strong SAT/ ACT scores; you need a lot more to show.

Everyone has different skills, talents, gifts, and experiences, and it is up to the student to know how to showcase those abilities as best as they can.

This past year, Colleges and Universities were very well aware of California's crisis financially, and every college and university representatives were out here trying to recruit students to their school. The numbers of applications were up across the board by 15%-20%.

This coming year it might be even more pronounced, and students need to be prepared come September 1st to face head on the college application process.

Students need to start planning their high school programs and other activities starting in the 9th grade. Waiting till 12th grade makes it too stressful for all.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. Our prices are within Industry standards. We offer hourly, package and our new small group sessions so that students can get the assistance they need at a fraction of the costs.

Our hourly sessions are for those who only require up to a few hours of assistance. For those in 9th and 10th grade, hourly rates are great.

Once a student hits the 11th grade, the push on applications is on, and the development of the strategy is before the student. During this year they will be taking their final SAT or ACT exams, this will be their most difficult year in High School, and a lot of planning has to be prepared for while allowing them to still be a teenager and do the things teenagers do.

Much of the work that will be done is the same, but each situation has to be carefully crafted to make each student the unique individual that he/she is. Because each student is different, we have created a series of packages from just helping them with a brag sheet and essay to walking the whole process with them and coaching them along the way which runs from the on set of their Junior year till May of their senior year when they make the final selection of the school they will attend.

We offer a host of different packages in an attempt to meet everyone's needs and pocket book. Additionally, we offer payment plans who are on limited incomes, yet still want to provide for their student. Our goal is to prepare you and your child for the months ahead and to get them into the schools that will help them grow, and where they will be happy, and where they will graduate.

We offer a FREE 1/2 hour consultation, and at that time you can determine if we can assist you.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Follow your heart!

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Have Your Published Any Works or Spoken Before Groups?

Yes and Yes. We published our award winning book, The Applica-Phobia of College Admissions, Xlibris 2007. It should be still available in Barnes and Nobles Bookstore.

We do offer free seminars periodically to families who are interested in securing our services.

While we hope to do a second edition on our book, we are writing constantly on our blog http://collegeadmissions--101.blogspot.com/
to inform students and their families on the latest news in college admissions.

Check it out!

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS?


1) Application(s)

All schools have an application form to apply to that college. Although many use their own particular form, many selective schools are now also using the Common Application either exclusively or as an alternative to the schools own form. The Common Application allows students to fill out just one form with all of the basic information and submit photocopies to each school that uses the Common Application. This is particularly useful if you are applying to a number of schools. However, many schools also require supplements to the Common Application and you should be careful if using the Common Application to make sure you have also completed any supplemental forms your school may request.

The issue of when to apply is also an important factor to consider. Schools now divide their processes into “early decision”, “early action”, “early single action” and “regular decision” applications.

2) Essays

As part of the application you will be required to submit at least one and generally several essays on various topics depending on the school where you are applying. It is important to work on several essays ahead so that you are not rushing at the last second or writing several different essays at the last moment and getting tired.

3)Recommendations

The most selective schools will ask for a recommendation from your guidance counselor as well as a recommendation from two academic teachers or one teacher and someone else you have worked with like a coach. Students need to think seriously ahead as to who and why they will ask for recommendations.

4) Transcripts

You will need to request that the high school guidance office forward a copy of your grade transcript to each of the schools to which you are applying.

5) Test scores

Make sure any test scores that you wish to be submitted to the colleges have been requested from the testing agency (College Board for SAT scores) or ACT( for ACT scores). If you are not sure whether to take the SAT or ACT or don’t know the difference, take a look at the article comparing the SAT and ACT on our blog at http://collegeadmissions--101.blogspot.com/


6) Interviews

Some colleges require interviews, others encourage them and many don’t even offer them. For those colleges that offer interviews they may be either evaluative or informative. An evaluative interview is one that will be used in the admission decision. An informative interview is used only to provide you with answers to any questions you may have about the college and will not be used in the admissions making process.

This process requires a lot of organization, Make sure you keep on top of deadlines!