College Assistance for Successful College Admissions
College admissions can be complicated. Students spend an average of 38 minutes working with their high school counselor discussing their college search and college applications. Most high school counselors work with more than 450 students. This is why families often want additional help with college planning.
Finding Colleges and College Counseling
Susie Watts is a college planner and educational consultant who has provided college planning for students for more than 20 years. She understands college admissions and can benefit your student in many ways.
College Assistance that Makes a Difference
- Meeting with you and your student to discuss college planning
- Providing an initial list of schools for the college search
- Reading and reviewing college applications
- Brainstorming Ideas for college essays
- Preparing for college interviews
- Advising students on getting the strongest teacher recommendations
- Organizing schedules and preparing for college visits
- Adhering to deadlines for applications, financial aid and scholarships. Free initial visit with a certified financial aid planner
- Assisting with special needs and interests: athletic, musical, artistic, learning disabilities, homeschooled students, etc.
- Guiding your student with college assistance from the college search through the final acceptance
An Educational Consultant and College Planner Provide
College Counseling that Makes a Difference
Here are five reasons how an educational consultant can help your student with college planning that will make a difference.
1. Educational consultants or college planners do not guarantee students admission to any particular college. They do, however, assist students in the college search to find schools that are a good fit and affordable at the same time. They also provide information and assistance with financial aid, scholarships, and the FAFSA form. They know that some colleges are more generous with financial aid and scholarships and encourage students to include a few of these on their college list if they are a good match.
2. Educational consultants are not limited in the number of hours they can work with students. This allows them to be available when students need them, with the answers they need. They advise students on what courses to take in high school, when to take the SAT and ACT, college visits, and even do mock interviews to help students prepare for meetings with college representatives. College counseling and assisting students with their applications is their job and they are not distracted by other responsibilities.
3. Educational consultants want to help students find colleges that are committed to seeing their students graduate in four years, rather than the usual, five, six or more. This can save parents a considerable amount of money. Most parents would be surprised to see the low four year graduation rate at many schools. The average six year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S. is 54%, yet many schools are graduating 60% or more of their students in four years. This makes better sense to most parents.
4. Educational consultants help to keep your student organized in order to meet all deadlines for applications, supplements and financial aid and scholarships. Students appreciate having a schedule and completing an application so that there is plenty of time to review it before it must be submitted. This helps them feel more in control of the college admissions process. Colleges all have different application deadlines from November through June and many will not accept applications if they arrive late.
5. Educational consultants are members of professional organizations like the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and attend state and national conferences to continue their professional development. They adhere to strict standards and have one purpose in mind: Helping your student navigate the college admissions process.
A college education is one of the most expensive investments a family will make. It should be obvious that more time and thought needs to go into the college search and helping students prepare for college. Most educational consultants charge affordable fees and are very generous with their time.
College Application Essays for Successful College Admissions
Write an engaging college essay to make your application stand out! A great essay could help you to pave the way to a brighter future.
Most college essay questions are designed as a way for colleges to learn more about you. This is your chance to tell colleges more about yourself. The first step to writing a successful college essay is choosing the right topic. Pick a topic that allows you to give colleges the best idea of who you are as a person. What are your interests? What are your dreams? What is important to you? These are all aspects of your personality that colleges are interested in.
Approach your college essay as you would any of your previous school essays. Begin with an outline detailing the structure of your essay, as well as emphasizing the main points. Think about your strengths and weaknesses, and then choose one or two positive aspects of your personality to demonstrate to the college committee. You can structure your essay in several basic ways. In your essay, you can focus on a single strength that you possess, elaborating on it in detail. Or, you can choose two or three significant aspects of your personality to discuss, devoting only a paragraph to each aspect. The narrative essay is also a common and effective format; in the narrative essay, begin with a short and engaging story about yourself, and then explain how that story relates to your personality.
Illustrate your positive traits through the story, perhaps talking about an event that highlights your creativity, problem-solving skills, or your ability to help others.
When writing your essay, make sure to clarify the strengths of your personality, rather than simply stating things that you've done (ex. "I volunteered for a historical group"). Go the extra step to demonstrate how your activities reveal your personality and values (ex. "I have always been interested in Early American History, specifically about the Florida Pioneer Era. As a Historical Society volunteer, I was able to help my community and learn more about our local history."). Talking about your strengths and values gives a much deeper insight into your personality than merely listing some of your activities.
Don't forget to proofread and edit your essay. Make sure your writing reads smoothly, clearly, and is free from grammar and spelling errors. It never hurts to send it to a professional editing service for polishing. Not only would a professional editor check for basic grammar errors, but an editor could also give you valuable feedback about the content of your essay. Most college essays have a word count requirement; a professional reduction edit could neatly trim your writing down to the required word count.
A student application essay is a great chance for you to show colleges your strengths. Approach it with confidence and dedication, and you'll soon be off to a promising new future!
Full-time professional editor, published writer & marketing consultant, Heather Todd has a passion for helping others create a letter-perfect presentation in their writing.
