There are over 2,500 four-year colleges and universities in the United States.  Choosing among them will not be easy, either for you or your student.

Not all colleges are alike.  Choosing where to apply based only on a college’s reputation, location, or published tuition rates can result in missed opportunities to save money and provide a better education for your student.

The problem is even greater for students who have “special needs”, such as students who have struggled with ADHD, ASD, learning differences (LD), mood disorders, addiction, and/or trauma.  Finding colleges that will go the extra mile to address those students’ needs and keep them on track toward graduation can be a daunting task.  (Please see the “Additional Services For Special Needs Students” link for information on how I help those students and their families.)

Nationally, the ratio of public high school counselors to students is well over 300:1; the numbers here in Arizona are worse.  (See “Start Thinking About College Before High School”, Arizona Daily Star, January 18, 2015; “Little College Guidance: 500 High School Students Per Counselor” New York Times, December 25, 2014).  Even private school counselors are often responsible for dozens of students.  Many families benefit from more sustained and personalized attention to their college needs.

I provide one-on-one counseling in the Tucson and Phoenix areas through all phases of the college selection and admissions process for high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and their families.  I assist with:

• Selecting colleges which offer the best “fit” for your student
• Selecting high school classes and extracurricular activities with an eye toward improving chances for college admission, including summer programs and “gap years”
• Choosing which, and how many, standardized tests (e.g., SAT, SAT II, ACT, AP, CLEP) to take — and when to take them; determining when to use a private test preparation provider.
• Calculating the actual costs of various colleges, and considering strategies to reduce that cost
• Filling out the FAFSA — the financial aid form which determines grants, scholarships, and loans available to your student
• Applying to colleges, including advice (and, where necessary, nagging) on deadlines, essays, and more

I first meet with students and their parents to understand the family’s goals and needs.  I also prefer working with your student’s high school counselor, but this is your choice.  I create a list of prospective colleges that are most likely to provide the best environment — academic and social — for the student. I continue to meet with the student (and keep parents posted) throughout the selection and application process. I meet students where they feel most comfortable — at their homes, at my office, or even at a Starbucks.  In addition to meeting in person, I use Skype, e-mail, text, and that old fashioned instrument, the telephone.  College counseling is a long-term commitment on both sides, but it pays off in results.

I specialize in finding information about those over 2,500 colleges that is relevant to your student’s needs and interests. Guidebooks, college rating services, college web sites and marketing brochures, and student review web sites provide a lot of general information — the goal is to separate the pertinent information from a sea of noise.  In addition to those resources, I use the Internet and college visits (a lot of them) to unearth information about individual colleges which will help your family make an informed choice.  Please read this blog for examples of how this approach produces superior results.

What about cost?  I currently charge “full-pay” clients $3,000 for my services, from start to finish.  That is a fraction of the money you will spend on a college, and pales in comparison to the cost of making a poor choice.