Overwhelmed by the College Search and Application Process?
Our Consultants Are Here to Help
Picking the right college can be daunting. After all, it will be where you will spend the majority of your life over the next four years and serves as the foundation for your career. So you want to make sure that it is a good fit for you. But how do you even start narrowing down the thousands and thousands of colleges to which you could apply? By region? Size? Social life? Major? There is so much that goes into finding colleges that are what we call a SAFE fit for you. By that, we mean socially, academically, financially, and emotionally. Our college search and admissions process help streamline everything for you.
Our team of experienced college consultants works with students one-on-one to help them identify the best schools for them, as well as help them manage the entire admissions process from application assistance, essay guidance, and interviewing tips to financial aid applications and selecting THE school they will attend. We have assisted over 600 students throughout their college journey.
We invite you to read what students and their families have to say about their experiences in working with Signature College Counseling. Here is one example of a student from Palisades, New York who we helped find and attend a school that was her best fit. Her name has been changed to maintain his privacy.
A Signature College Counseling Washingtonville, NY, Orange County Area Success Story
Jessica was a straight A student in high school, diligent, bubbly, friends with many, and completely into dance, music and theater. She was unsure what she wanted to major in (which is completely fine for anyone who is 17 years old!) but knew she wanted to be surrounded by the arts and continue her passion, in an extracurricular forum, through her college years. Although there wasn’t a B to be found on her transcript, math and science were not her favorite subjects. She was selected to participate in the Chamber Singers, which she had to audition for, and had a flair for the Spanish language. She was accepted into several national honor societies and was selected for Area All State Choir and All County Chorus.
A Packed Activities Resume
Jessica was involved in so many activities, but athletics was not one of them. She specifically said that being part of a community that focuses on athletics wasn’t going to be for her. She certainly wasn’t against it, but her athletic ability was the polar opposite of her artistic talents. Jessica was heavily involved in the high school’s drama club, not only performing as a vocalist and actor, but designing and creating costumes for the cast and being Treasurer, managing the club’s funds. She also assisted within the community in the Tri-M Music Honor Society and also in the local playhouse being part of the various shows they performed. In addition, she was selected to be a vocalist in the all-women’s choir (Jubilate) and took vocal lessons at the New Windsor Music Academy. You would think she had little time for anything other than her studies and her arts activities, but that wasn’t the case. During COVID, she founded the Remote Mentor/Tutoring Program, pairing local elementary students with high school honors students to assist with their schoolwork and challenges with remote learning.
Jessica’s College Wish List
Jessica wanted to be within a 4-6 hour distance from home and attend a smaller to mid-size school that had an artistic community she could be involved in. She wanted an environment that was collaborative and had a surrounding town that was accessible and offered enough of a variety of eateries and shops where she could spend some of her spare time with friends. She also was not opposed to being in an urban environment surrounded by a hustling, bustling city.
Ideal Schools for Jessica
Jessica’s range of schools included:
• Muhlenberg College – Allentown, PA
• Franklin & Marshall College – Lancaster, PA
• Elon, Emory, and University of Richmond – which were down south and outside her 6 hours radius
• Ithaca College – Ithaca, NY
• George Washington University in the heart of DC
• Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY
• American University in DC
Jessica applied to all of the above schools and made the choice to apply to Franklin and Marshall College Early Decision, which is binding (if she got accepted she would need to attend). She fell in love with the vibe of the student body and the collaborative environment that the school exuded. The question would be, could she get in?
The End Result
When the Early Decision admissions decision for Franklin & Marshall was released, Jessica was accepted! She had already received acceptances from Ithaca and Elon and the remaining schools she needed to rescind her application, which is what anyone who is accepted through Early Decision needs to do (it releases a spot for another worthy student to gain acceptance). Jessica is in her sophomore year and loving every moment. She could not be happier with her decision!
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.
