Our process
Sixteen months, eight phases, one steady rhythm.
College admissions feels chaotic because nobody tells you what's supposed to happen when. Here is exactly what we do, in the order we do it.
- 1
Phase 01
Discovery (Month 1)
We meet, twice. The first meeting is the student alone — what excites them, what scares them, what they think they want. The second is with the family — finances, geography, non‑negotiables. By the end of week four, we hand you a written student profile that the rest of the process is built on.
- 2
Phase 02
Self‑Knowledge & Activities (Months 2–4)
Long before essays, we go deep on the student's story. We audit activities, look for the underdeveloped ones, and quietly retire the ones that don't matter. Most students leave this phase with a clearer summer plan and a couple of brave new commitments.
- 3
Phase 03
School List & Testing (Months 4–7)
We build a balanced list of eight to twelve schools across reach, target and likely tiers. In parallel we set a realistic SAT/ACT testing schedule (or commit early to a test‑optional strategy) and identify scholarships worth the application time.
- 4
Phase 04
Essays (Months 7–10)
The Common App essay starts in late June. By Labor Day, the personal statement is locked. From there it's supplemental essays — usually six to twenty across the list — through October and early November. Every essay is the student's voice, edited until it sings.
- 5
Phase 05
Applications & Aid (Months 10–11)
Submission is a season, not a single day. We track every requirement, every recommendation, every portal. FAFSA opens in October; CSS Profile in the same window. Parents have a dedicated session for both.
- 6
Phase 06
Interviews & Waiting (Months 11–13)
We do mock interviews — recorded, reviewed, repeated until the student is at ease. Then the long pause. We check in monthly through the winter, with one cup‑of‑coffee call in February.
- 7
Phase 07
Decisions & Enrollment (Months 14–15)
March through May. We sit with every offer and every aid letter side‑by‑side. We negotiate aid where it's appropriate. We make the deposit decision together, on the family's timeline — not on May 1 at 11:59 p.m.
- 8
Phase 08
Launch (Month 16)
Roommate questionnaires, orientation logistics, first‑semester course selection. We stay reachable through the first day of college because the work isn't done until the student is sitting in a classroom that fits.
When should we start?
The most common starting points are spring of sophomore year and summer before junior year. Both work beautifully. Starting later is also fine — we run a focused Senior Year Intensive for families who come in during junior summer or fall of senior year.
The honest truth: it's almost never too late, and rarely too early.