How I Work
After spending five years working for a national college counseling company, I realized that what my families appreciated most was the personal connection I established with my students. Planning for college can be stressful, so knowing you have someone on your side every step of the way can make this experience better. With this in mind, I created a boutique firm where I am committed to only working with a small group of 15 seniors per year, so that my families know they are receiving my full attention. To give you some idea, I joke with my families that my response time to emails is about sixteen minutes, but it’s usually less.
As a counselor, I find that if I work with students one on one, it encourages them to take ownership of their process, making them proud of their work and the outcomes. Time and time again, I have heard from parents how impressed they are by their kids’ application essays because they didn’t know what they were capable of, but I do. Essay writing is often the biggest stumbling block for students, but it’s my favorite part. Helping to find a kid’s story is one of the biggest reasons why I do this work, because it’s incredibly satisfying when a student feels like they have discovered the story that expresses them best. One student called me the ‘Essay Whisperer’ and I’ll happily take on that title.
After every session, parents get a detailed email explaining what we covered in our meeting. You’ll always know what’s going on but avoid having to fight over the dinner table about deadlines and expectations because I take on that responsibility. Sounds so easy, right? A parent’s dream – having all the necessary information to sleep well at night knowing I’m taking on the responsibility of a college applications, so you get to avoid all the drama. Your student will work hard, but I try to make the process manageable. I tailor the length and frequency of our meetings depending on each student’s needs. I don’t believe in one size fits all counseling, so I adjust the program as needed based on what works best for each student.
