How I Work

Expert Support Throughout The College Application Process

Applying to college can be a stressful yet exciting time for high school, transfer or continuing education students and their families. Step by step, I aim to be an important part of this process by helping students set their higher education goals, overcome obstacles, organize their time and implement a thorough plan to successfully apply to colleges that ideally fit their needs and interests.

Common College Admission Myths

After more than two decades in the education field, I have learned that there are no secrets, tricks or easy 10-step processes to get into college. It’s common for students and families to search through guidebooks and filter through droves of data and statistics to find great colleges to apply to. Unfortunately, when one bases a college decision on statistics, it can be easy to ignore whether or not a college will actually be a good fit. In addition, during the application process, many students focus on showing off commonly valued skills in order to appear like a competitive candidate while, at the same time, disregarding their true personal interests. In these cases, when students lose sight of their interests during the application process, they can end up attending a college where they are unhappy and eventually feel the need to transfer.

The truth is that successfully applying to the best-fitting colleges is often a difficult process. It involves introspection, informed research, organization and time management. With experience and skill, I can guide you through important decisions and help you or your child develop an individualized application plan that can ultimately lead to a satisfying education and future.

Personalized Advice

When I work with students and families, the environment of our sessions is calm, patient and respectful. I act as a support system and advisor, providing expert guidance and helping students organize their time in order to meet important deadlines. As a consultant, I cannot submit any of my clients’ applications, write essays or prevent all mistakes. However, I can optimize their chances of finding and getting into a college that best fits their educational goals.

In sessions, I break down the complicated application process into more manageable pieces and limit any confusion students and families may have along the way. In the end, my goal is to compile a number of colleges that my clients are excited about, help them stay on track to successfully apply and take this life-changing step in a positive and productive way.

Convenient Online Sessions

For added convenience, I offer a comprehensive online platform with which my clients and their parents can access trusted admissions statistics as well as organize schedules and to-do lists. We meet online via video conferences or screencasting sessions and sessions are tailored to their personal needs.

Experience You Can Trust

As a lifelong educator, I have a true passion for what I do. Other college admissions counselors often start working with clients as a hobby with little or no experience in the 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.

Now, I 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. I also act as a leader in the college admissions community by serving on boards and presenting at conferences nationwide. My extensive experience with the admissions process as well as my in-depth knowledge of many great colleges and universities throughout the US make me a great asset throughout the application process.

Optimize Your College Admission Strategy

If you would like to learn more about my services and packages, I invite you to call me for a free 30-minute phone consultation to answer any questions and discuss how I can provide guidance during this important milestone.

ONLINE SERVICES

I work with students from across the United States and around the world. All my services are available online. Students will find online sessions as convenient and personalized as if we were in the office together.

RECENT POSTS

An “Optional” College Application Requirement—Is It Really Optional?

One of the qualities of undergraduate education in the United States I appreciate is that our system of higher education is a marketplace of different college options.  The beauty of this system is that there are many opportunities to find colleges that fit an individual student’s needs and interests. For…

Applying to College as an Introvert: Letter of Recommendation

This is my third post addressing the college admissions process for introverts. The last two posts in this series addressed extracurricular activities and the admissions interview.  Let’s now turn to the letter of recommendation.  As an introvert myself, I’ve had to ask many people to write letters of recommendation for me when I applied to graduate schools, jobs, and other opportunities. And I believe that introverted students face particular challenges in thinking about letters of recommendation for their applications.

Applying to College as an Introvert: Admission Interview

As I mentioned in my last post, “Applying to College as an Introvert: Extracurricular Activities,” introverted students sometimes feel that they are disadvantaged in the college application process, especially where extracurricular activities are concerned.  In this post, I would like to discuss how to approach admissions office interviews. 

Applying to College as an Introvert: Extracurricular Activities

Recently, I was sitting across the desk from a parent and student whose transcript was filled with excellent grades and rigorous courses. The student enjoyed school and had SAT scores that were well above average.