Yes. The college list created for your student will take into consideration your financial situation. Original cost and institutional aid often have the most impact on the financial bottom line.  Additionally, specific knowledge regarding how different schools award aid will be applied to appropriate college list creation for each student. Scholarship opportunities (college specific and some community) and merit aid options will be researched for your student regarding their college list. Advice on applying for outside scholarships may also be provided.

**We do not assist with the actual completion of the FAFSA, but we do provide information to help you understand and decide if completing it best serves your student.

Many students begin this process at the end of sophomore year or the beginning of junior year, but students who wish to have help with curriculum and extracurricular choices in accordance with interest development and goals begin as early as winter of their 8th grade year. It is much easier to help a student develop their resume from the beginning than it is to deal with results that cannot be amended. By beginning the process before freshman year, we have the opportunity to help the student naturally grow their interests, knowledge, abilities and skills, and identify areas of strengths and weaknesses early on. Research based strengths and interest assessments are utilized to help create custom high school plans for 8th and 9th graders, and personality and career assessments are used to help identify “right fit” college major options at age 16 and beyond.

No. Although students and families in Columbus and the surrounding areas benefit from the choice to meet with us in our office, through zoom, or a combination of both, we work with students from all over the country via video conferencing. We also use a shared professional portal that allows us to communicate with students and their parents. Additionally, our professional scope includes national and state specific college information and statistics, all US college application types (ie: common, coalition, uc apply), and the application process for students with varying citizenship and US documentation.

In our opinion, college consulting usually saves you money (in reference to paying for college). Our guidance can bring forth your student’s best work in the application process which usually leads to more institutional awarded aid. Additionally, we can help create a college list that may yield more money offered to your student and assist with scholarship opportunities.

Because the process is different for each student, the cost can vary. College consulting comprehensive packages throughout the midwest typically cost several thousand dollars. At the AAC, we choose to work with families on an hourly basis, ensuring that the fee is accessible for each family. Typically, we meet the needs of our students during 1.5 hours with 8th graders and freshmen, 2 – 3 hours with sophomores, 6 – 8 hours with juniors, and 8 – 10 hours with seniors. Students with very ambitious goals often require more time. Please contact our office for specific cost and service information.

Mostly our clients are public, private, and homeschooled students in grades 8 – 12. These students are interested in applying to state colleges, liberal arts schools, technical schools, vocational programs, or Ivy League universities, and they work through that developmental process with us. We do not have our own agenda to obtain admissions at specific universities. We prefer to guide student achievement and goal attainment in an individualized manner and at the post-secondary institution where they should find the most success.

We also serve college students seeking advising in graduate school and medical school admissions.  Occasionally, we consult with adults interested in reentering a career or problem solving through a career change.

After receiving training from a professional college application essay instructor, we developed a system for helping students complete their essays in steps, stay on track, and ensure their voice is heard and a strong story is told. We have an excellent record helping hundreds of students break down important essays into a seamless process that produces a strong personal narrative that answers the important questions colleges ask students. After years of experience and continued professional development, we are skilled practitioners who understanding what colleges are hoping to learn about students through essays, and we pride ourselves on the process and outcome with students.