Are You Struggling To Help Your Child Choose The Best College?
As you and your child explore different colleges, do you often worry that you are overlooking “hidden gems” – colleges that may not be very well known, but that could best fit his or her needs, goals and interests? Are you feeling challenged to narrow down the many college options your child has? Maybe you’re overwhelmed with constantly searching through countless Internet articles and college guidebooks for accurate information. Or perhaps your child has expressed interest in a few colleges, but now feels stuck and limited in these options. Do you wish you and your child could work with a college admissions expert to discover great colleges and make an informed and thoughtful decision?
Helping your child choose colleges to apply to is an important yet stressful milestone in your family’s life. You may have taken your child on campus tours and supplied him or her with reading material on a handful of colleges, but he or she still seems indecisive. Your child may need to reassess his or her goals for college due to his or her test scores or your family’s finances. Perhaps you and your child often dismiss colleges that you have never heard of. As each month passes, you may worry more about getting an early start on researching the best colleges for your child. And, you and your child may be consumed with very busy schedules, making it even more difficult to conduct efficient college searches on your own.
Choosing A College Is Harder Now Than Ever Before
Not too long ago, it was common for most high school students to apply only to their local universities. Now, many students have a world of thousands of colleges to choose from. Unfortunately, even though high school students have more options, acceptance rates at prominent colleges continue to decline. In addition, it is increasingly common for students to transfer colleges because the first institutions they chose were simply the wrong fit.
It’s no surprise that the burden of choosing a college is heavier than ever. The good news is that with expert help, your child’s college decision can be an easy, thoughtful and rewarding process.
Discover The Best Colleges For Your Child
During our educational sessions, you, your child and I will work through multiple stages of choosing a college that best fits his or her academic and personal interests. As an added convenience, I offer online meetings held via video conference to accommodate you and your child’s busy schedules.
In initial counseling sessions, we will all work together to identify your child’s college preferences and goals through in-depth conversations, assessments and exercises. One helpful tool we will use is the College Values Sorting exercise, which allows your child to rank 15 likes and dislikes about specific college environments.
Once we pinpoint your child’s preferences and interests, I will provide him or her with trusted guidebooks and personalized suggestions for research. Because your child’s involvement in the decision-making process is so important, I will also tailor-create a research form for him or her to fill out as he or she explores different options.
Along the way, we will meet to debrief what your child has learned so far and discuss which colleges seem to be the best fit – in terms of each school’s academics, atmosphere and cost. As we narrow down the search, I can provide your child with proven techniques to maximize his or her chances in getting accepted to his or her favorite colleges.
When the college application deadlines begin to approach, we will process all of your child’s research findings and clarify any necessary details. I will use my expertise to break down all of your child’s interests and match them up with his or her college choices.
All of our work will be organized on an efficient online platform – with which you and your child can look up useful information about different colleges and organize calendars and to-do lists.
For more than two decades, I have been deeply involved in the education field. In addition to earning a doctorate in education from UCLA, I have worked as a college admissions officer and as a private high school college counselor. I continue to be an active leader in the college admissions community by serving on boards and presenting at conferences nationwide. I also work as an adjunct faculty member at UC San Diego Extension where I train adults from around the world who endeavor to be college counselors in high schools or consultants in private practice.
You and your child may now be overwhelmed with many college options and fear making a poor decision. However, the truth is that excellent education occurs at hundreds of colleges. With my professional experience, your child can discover the college best suited for him or her and ultimately move forward in a rewarding career.
We need help choosing a college, but still have a few questions and concerns…
My child knows the college he or she wants to attend.
Your child’s life can change drastically in his or her final years of high school. It is quite common for high school students to initially expect that their college decisions will be easy, but then find themselves overwhelmed when their options expand or fall through. With my help in choosing a college, your child can explore a wide variety of colleges – some of which he or she may have not considered as possibilities.
Starting sessions with me while your child is in his or her sophomore or junior year of high school will allow your child to grow, develop and learn more about him or herself before committing to a few limited options.
What’s so complicated about choosing a college?
Your college decision process may have been much easier when you were in high school. Now, you may be surprised by how much effort and research it takes to make an informed decision. However, using my expertise, choosing a college can be a rewarding and thoughtful experience for your child and your family.
We believe we can organize the decision making process ourselves.
It is fantastic that you and your child have taken steps to research and organize the process of choosing a college. While you may have access to a lot of online and guidebook information, it still may be difficult to find colleges that are tailored to your child’s unique set of goals, needs and interests. With such an important decision, you do not want to miss out on any ideal colleges or make a mistake along the way. I’ve been through this process with so many students that I can help you identify any potential hurdles and set the stage for your child’s success.
Help Your Child Choose The College That Is The Best Fit
If you are ready to provide your child with expert and thorough help in choosing a college, I invite you to call me for a free 30-minute phone consultation to discuss your family’s needs and how counseling sessions can help your child make a thoughtful decision.