College Consultants that Help You Enjoy the Admissions Process
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the college search and application process? Wondering how to find schools that are the best fit for you or your child? We take the stress out of the college admissions journey so that students and families can enjoy the experience. Our team of skilled consultants and coaches guide and advise you every step of the way:
• Identifying optimal colleges
• Assisting with applications
• Providing essay guidance
• Preparing students for admissions interviews
• Conducting financial aid assessments and assisting with the entire financial aid process
• Helping to finalize school selection
We can work with you in person, through Zoom, over the phone and through email.
To date we have helped 600+ students find and gain admission into colleges across the country. Here is one example of a Signature College Counseling student from Washingtonville, New York. Her name has been changed to maintain her privacy.
A Signature College Counseling Washingtonville, NY Success Story
Elise is a young lady full of life. She is exuberant and is always a glass-half-full kind of person, a true joy to be around. She is positive and always finds the good in people. Elise is an only child who is independent, boisterous, and someone who speaks her mind. You always know where you stand with her.
We started working with Elise on her journey spring of her junior year, so we did have some catching up to do. In addition, her parents did not put any restrictions on cost for Elise, which I always say is a true gift that most students don’t have. A very big plus with Elise is that she is very communicative. She wanted to learn and take in as much as she could so that she could make the right decision on which school she would attend. She always felt free to ask questions when she needed to, which I truly enjoyed.
Assessing the Academic Profile to Find Suitable College Choices
In high school, Elise was a high 80’s/low 90’s student, taking a few higher level courses, but not so much so. Elise’s grades dropped somewhat midway through junior year due to some personal developments. Explaining the circumstances was something she addressed in her Common App additional information essay section, which I always feel is an excellent place for a student to explain anything that cannot be expressed through other parts of their application.
Factoring in Extracurricular Activities, Memberships and Leadership Roles
Elise was an athlete who played on the varsity tennis team and club teams. She was also very involved with activities at her temple, teaching younger children and serving as president of her youth group. Elise also participated in the National Art Honor Society and was nominated as a Safe School Ambassador to prevent and educate others on bullying. She also volunteered at local shelters to help those in need.
Identifying Career Interests and Possible College Majors
Elise had a variety of areas of interest – behavioral sciences, biology, languages, marine biology, animal sciences and zoology. She was exploring many options, which I feel is no surprise with a student of her age. As we headed down this road, Elise continued to vary her potential majors leaning towards environment sciences, as her love for the environment, and protecting it, was evident. In addition, Elise felt she wanted a mid-larger size school that was either near a city or in a small town where the town amply supported the college. Although religion was not her primary focus, she did prefer a college that had a Jewish presence so she could continue participating on campus in her faith, and she did not want a school that was religiously affiliated with the Christian faith. She also was looking for a diverse student body that was social, adventurous, not conservative, and which had some political activism.
Starting the List of Potential Colleges
We put a variety of schools on Elise’s list for her to gain perspective, such as American University, University of Vermont, University at Buffalo, University of New Hampshire, Binghamton University, SUNY Oswego, University of Rhode Island, University of Connecticut, University of Delaware and University of Maryland. What was wonderful is that Elise and her mom visited many schools from the beginning and didn’t waste any time to do so, which worked out very well for her in the end. She ended up not liking American or University of Maryland and applied to a variety of schools.
The End Result
Elise got accepted to all of her schools and her decision on where to attend was between University of Vermont and University of Massachusetts Amherst. She revisited both campuses to gain a full understanding of the positive attributes for each to help make her decision. They both had wonderful environmental programs and in the end Elise chose to attend University of Massachusetts. She loved the smaller town, the campus and what it offered, and the vibe of the student body. She never turned back! Elise decided that she wanted to go into kinesiology. We will see if she changes her mind as she gets exposed to more options and she fully understands what kinesiology is all about. No matter what, I feel confident that Elise will take advantage of all that is offered to her, make lots of friends, and ask the questions that need to be asked to get her to where she wants to go.
If you are looking for help with the college search and admissions process, our consultants are ready to help. Call or email us today to learn more.
