College Planning Services
Navigating the path to higher education can be overwhelming for both students and families, but with the right guidance, it can also be a fulfilling and empowering journey. As Independent Education Consultants, we aim to put students in the driver’s seat, helping them take ownership of their future while also considering the unique goals and priorities of their family.
Our role is to supplement the invaluable support provided by school counselors. The average school counselor oversees nearly 500 students and spends approximately 22% of their time on college-related matters. This is an uncontrollable nature of their position and school counselors are still an important and necessary part of college application. An IEC utilizes current and continued professional development in the college admissions area to provide more personalized attention and advice.
By partnering with AAC, students and families gain the flexibility to choose how much support they want and when they need it. Our services are always personalized for each student, with convenient appointment times available in-person or via Zoom. Together, we will navigate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead and make the college admission process more collaborative and less stressful.
Junior Year- Preparing to Apply for College
The junior year of high school is one of the most important years for college planning. Through years of experience, we have cultivated a junior plan, including 5 appointments, that meets the needs of most students. In AAC fashion, we are always prepared to deviate from the plan and rearrange the order of timely steps to meet individual needs. We believe junior planning is important for each student and family and should provide education, guide discovery, and assist in comprehensive preparation. Waiting until senior year can not often cause a rushed feeling and can also reduce opportunities to make changes that could have easily boosted the quality of an application. Although we are equipped to support those circumstances, our goal is a quality plan, authenticity, confidence, and calmness for the student and family which we believe begins in the junior year.
Timing: It is best to begin Junior Services in the summer between sophomore and junior year. However, we will continue to accept new students throughout Junior Year as space allows.
Junior Year Services Focus On:
Building student engagement in the college/career planning process
Supporting the family/student in appropriate college visits and experiences
Building an appropriate college list for the student based on “good fit” for college major, rigor, goals, finances, student life, geography, and more
Reviewing/Developing a resume of experiences supportive of their college list and scholarship goals
Discovering additional outside enrichment opportunities as appropriate, such as: research, summer experiences, and independent projects.
Pre-writing activities to help ease the student into the college application writing needed to complete applications
Confirming/Developing an authentic college major/career identity through job shadow suggestions, course recommendations, internet searches, and other assignments
Completing a testing plan appropriate for the college list and goals
Senior Year- Applying to College
Through years of experience, we have cultivated a senior plan including 8 sessions to meet the needs of a typical senior applying to several colleges. However, senior needs vary greatly according to the number and competitive nature of colleges on a student’s list.
Early Action application deadlines begin as early as October 15th during the fall semester of senior year! The AAC prefers to begin senior services with students in the early summer between junior and senior year, and our goal is to help students create authentic, comprehensive, and polished applications that will stand out in admissions and scholarships.
Timing: It is best to begin Senior Services in the summer between junior and senior year. However, we will continue to accept new students throughout Senior Year as space allows.
Senior Year Services Focus On:
Creating/Completing a detailed application schedule personalized to application deadlines appropriate for each student
Transforming a list of accomplishments into a “brag sheet” for school counselors and refined application material
Advising/Decision Making regarding college lists, specific college majors, goals, scholarships, and SAT/ACT scores vs Test-Optional
Completing the many application essays (varies depending on college list) including critical guidance on essay topic choice
Discussing scholarship opportunities/types and helping students and families understand the options
Highlighting outlying tasks that need to be completed by the student and adding accountability for completion
The staff was very friendly, supportive and easy to work with! They were very patient and did a great job of listening to us and answering any questions we had! The whole major and college search can be very confusing and intimidating. They do a great job of simplifying the process- that eliminates a lot of stress for the student and parents!
The advice and guidance you gave through our meetings were extremely insightful. It was a pleasure working with you- you’re not just a college counselor, but a friendly and supportive person, as well. You really understand how to make an application stand out, and my mom and I appreciate the lengths you went to make sure everything was submitted perfectly.