What gets done in a single session

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Sessions are 50 minutes long. During the initial consultation, we will come up with a plan for how we can best spend our time together. Sometimes students and their families have specific questions or topics they'd like to discuss. In other cases, a student might not know exactly where to start or what would be most helpful in their college search. In those instances, I am happy to provide suggestions for a strong starting point.

Because my sessions tend to be freewheeling conversations with room for questions and follow-up discussions, there's no telling how long it might take to tackle a specific topic. However,  the following list will help provide context for what we can typically do in a single session.

- Looking at current list and provide ballpark chances of admission and/or financial aid

- Suggestions for list-building: under-the-radar schools to consider, how to decide on priorities, tips for online research

- How to conduct a visit, show Demonstrated Interest, and do follow-up research

- Overview of what schools are looking for

- Brainstorm essay topic and create organizational structure

- Review of completed essay

- Understanding what schools  really look at 

- When to apply, which application to use, deadline differences

- Help with short-answer questions

- Discussion of how financial aid works

- School-specific financial aid policies

- Other options for affordability

- Government-backed financial aid

Students who have not yet started their senior year can learn about what they can do now to ensure their application is as strong as possible:

- Leadership and involvement

- Community service (building the perfect resume)

- Strength of curriculum and your coursework

- Special projects

Oftentimes, we don't know what we are missing and where the gaps in our knowledge base are. I am happy to engage in a discussion to answer any and all lingering questions about this confusing process!

- What is Demonstrated Interest?

- Should I go test-optional?

- What's the difference between financial aid and a scholarship?

- Do you know of any interesting schools I'm not familiar with that offer my major?

- What's the difference between Early Action and Early Decision?

- Which schools in my state have the best internships?

- When should I start taking AP classes?