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Families can request help with the college selection, admission and financial aid process. Our list of available services is listed below: Personality Profile This personality assessment is designed specifically for teenage students. It uses situational questions to determine the student’s unique personality type - including strengths, weaknesses and possible blind spots. The student will then be given the opportunity to review and rank general career categories. Based on their responses, careers are highlighted within the specified categories of interest that match the student’s personality. Finding the right fit is accomplished by matching your student's unique personality with adults of the same type who have reported happiness within their careers. Each student receives a complete report with the results of the personality assessment. Interests/Abilities/Values Instruments & Career Research This set of assessments determines the interests, abilities and values of each student in relation to possible career fields. An in-depth interview will be conducted with the student to review careers that fit with their personality, interests, abilities, values, goals, and overall ideas of what they want in the future. The career research includes an explanation of the general descriptions, daily tasks, pay scales, outlook, and environment of possible careers. The result of this interview will be a prioritized short-list of careers that the student feels are the best fit for them.
This is the critical step towards reducing your family's out-of-pocket costs. There are many ways to PAY for college, but the key is to REDUCE the cost. A certified college planner will review the family’s finances and provide recommendations regarding tax strategies, endowment scholarships, cash flow analysis and general financial planning strategies to reduce costs. The outcome of this work will be to ensure that the parents and student do not overpay for their college experience. Every family is unique and not all items will apply.
Click Here For Documentation on the Cost Reduction Package.
 Major Selection The counselor will review all relevant majors with the student and explore sample courses of study within each one. After a discussion to determine which major will best prepare the student for the resulting career, the student will prioritize the majors of interest and/or select one (if they see a clear choice). The counselor will give advice regarding the selection of a minor that will fit with the major and the student’s desired career goals. This may be a second choice major or an entirely different subject that will bolster the student’s skills for their intended career. Once a major and minor are chosen, the counselor will review all high school courses the student has completed. They will then help the student select the class schedule for the remaining years. This will give the student important input on which high school courses will support their intended major. Additional advice will be given regarding honors, AP and dual enrollment classes according to the student’s level of academic achievement and desired college program of study. College Search Students will be led through a college search database, which incorporates their major, minor, location desires, athletics, extracurricular activities, standardized test scores, and more to develop an expanded list of potential colleges.
 College List Refinement Research will be completed to match the students with potential colleges. This will include determining the college’s requirements for admission and an average student profile, to compare with your student’s current academic status. This will give parents and students an idea of whether they have any leverage with a school for merit aid. In addition, students will complete an in-depth review of each college’s website to obtain more information regarding their criteria of interest: class descriptions for their major/minor, athletic/extracurricular programs, location and aspects of the surrounding environment, and more. This will help narrow the list even further. Pertinent questions to ask college representatives during college fairs and high school visits will be given to students. Coaching for visits with a list of questions for all important departments, plus advice on when to go and who to speak with will be given to the student. Help with outlining a contact schedule, ways in which to continue contact, and who to contact will be discussed as well. Based on the college search, research and visits, a refined college list of 6-10 schools will be created. The counselor will help evaluate each school and the benefit available to the student. A counselor will also give professional advice regarding which schools perceive that they compete with each other for the student’s specific profile type. Personal Calendar The calendar includes information on application deadlines, college essays, references, transcripts, college visits, deposits, registration and more. This is the number one favorite of busy parents and students. PSAT, SAT I and II, ACT, and AP exams Students will be given counsel on what each test involves and suggestions on which tests are compatible with the student’s academic ability in specific subjects. Students will be provided with a plan that outlines when they should take each test and in what order they should be taken, to achieve the best results. Students will also be presented with prep options that are best suited to their learning style. Resume Writing This is an often overlooked area of applications. Since resumes are not often required, students usually skip them. However, a complete resume builds a picture of the student and the inclusion of it in admission applications and distribution of it during interviews and visits can create lasting positive impressions. Plus, a well written resume will help with future job placement and internships. Based on the review of the student’s overall record, counselors will help student's choose which information creates the best and most appropriate picture of them for admission into their desired program. Reference Letters Instruction for obtaining enlightening letters of recommendation will be provided along with advice on who they should be obtained from. A counselor will explain what colleges are looking for, and then speak with the student about reference letter writers. Instructions on delivery methods will be given. Essays A counselor will review the list of possible questions for each college with the student and explain what admissions representatives are looking for. The student and counselor will then discuss possible themes or subject matter for each question, and determine which questions the student has the best answers for. If needed, help creating an outline is available. Once the student has written the rough draft, a counselor will give revision suggestions regarding overall flow, content, grammar and style. Four-year plan This is completed once a student has made the final decision on which school to attend (after admission). In-depth review of selected program’s course schedule will be conducted with the student to identify desired courses and to determine a four-year plan (including your major and minor). Selection of these courses ahead of time, paying special attention to when the college of choice offers these courses and how difficult it is to register for them, will give the student the best chance at graduating on-time – which saves everyone time and money.
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