Journey to College:Comprehensive Plan for Junior and Senior Year

Welcome to the excitement of the college journey! Throughout these two years, you will have many opportunities to grow and learn about yourself as we find many great college options that will fit your academic, social and financial needs! The work you do junior year will set you for success during your senior year and make the college application process as seamless and stress-free as possible. My best advice for the process is to be open to new ideas, communicate your thoughts and work together as a team as you embrace all the possibilities and opportunities for your future!

Junior Jumpstart- 3 meetings

• Initial intake with family to discuss student’s academic history, extra-curricular interests and beginning college thoughts and goals

• Meet individually with student to discuss different types of colleges and the concept of fit

• Meet with parents to discuss any concerns, introduce financial aid resources and explain how they can support their student throughout the process

• Discuss local college tour options to see different types of schools and learn how to tour colleges effectively

• Develop a plan for standardized prep and test taking based on student’s school year demands and coursework

College and Career Explorations- 3 meetings

• Introduce how to research colleges and provide access to and training on College Planner Pro

• Complete Corsava card sort and You Science assessment to assess student’s strengths, interests and objectives

• Devise an organizational strategy to fit student’s style

• Begin to plan specific college visit trips

• Research summer options and plan for early deadlines

• Build first draft of student’s resume

Spring into Senior Year- 3 meetings

• Discuss senior year course selection

• Finalize summer plan

• Continue to plan college visits and follow-up after each one

• Discuss letters of recommendation and how to ask for them

• Discuss financial aid options with parents, encouraging FAFSA4caster and schools’ net price calculators

• Build initial college list, including schools in likely, match and reach categories

Senior Summer- Meetings every other week in June-August, with weekly email check-ins

• Revise Corsava card sort and make adjustments based on college visits and research

• Narrow and balance college list based on student criteria and selectivity

• Revise resume and incorporate YouScience strengths

• Essay writing brainstorming and draft development

• Creation of organizational tools and charts to track essays and application deadlines based on student’s college list

• Create Common Application account

• Build lists for extra-curriculars, honors and achievements

• Research and schedule interviews

• Review standardized testing plan

Fall Finale- Meetings every other week in September-December, with weekly email check-ins

• Finalize essays

• Determine strategic plan for admissions deadlines, including Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision and any scholarship deadlines

• Discuss letters of recommendation based on individual school’s requests

• Reminders about FAFSA and CSS profile deadlines

• Strategic research plan to assist in answering supplemental essays

• Guided assistance in completing applications

Spring Selections- Two meetings scheduled, as needed, between February-April

• Review college decisions, financial aid offers and Admitted Student Day events

• Answer questions and provide guidance during the decision making process

• Provide tips for a successful transition to college

• Reminders to send final transcript and official test scores to selected school

Journey to College:
Senior Strategy Sessions

If you are a senior ready to tackle your college applications, AT College Consulting can help guide you through the complete process or focus on the pieces you need to finish with confidence.

The Essay

Together, we will brainstorm ideas and research content for the required essays. We will help manage application deadlines and work one-on-one with the student in the editing process.

• Common App + Four UC PIQs + 3 Supplemental Essays: This strategy session is for the student applying to both Common Application schools plus the University of California system. We will complete 8 essays.

• Common App + 3 Supplements OR 4 UC PIQs: This strategy session is for the student who would like help with the essays for either the Common App or the University of California system. We will complete 4 essays.

• Small Group Session: Want to work together with a friend on your essays? Find a partner, or two, and we will meet twice to brainstorm and outline together, followed by 3 hours of one-on-one editing.

The College List

• Balanced List Creation: Together, we will learn how to research colleges and identify attributes that best fit a student’s needs. Includes access to several online tools to organize, manage and demystify the college application process.

• Financial Aid 101: Focused guidance on understanding how to calculate your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) and how it impacts the college list. We will explore the FAFSA, the CSS Profile and schools’ Net Price Calculators, and assess how individual schools meet a family’s demonstrated need and offer merit aid opportunities.

The Application Process

• Resume Building and Activities Section: Strategic guidance in crafting a student resume and completing the Activities Section of the Common App and the UC application. Learn how to highlight your accomplishments. Includes access to YouScience, an online assessment tool that helps students better understand their individual strengths.

The Senior Comprehensive Package

• Includes comprehensive essay assistance for up to 12 schools, balanced college list development, financial aid 101, strategic work on student’s resume and activity section, and YouScience strengths assessment.

Sophomore Year Kick-Off Comprehensive Package

During the early high school years, AT College Consulting believes it’s important for students to invest the time to explore their interests, discover their passions and concentrate on getting good grades. When students focus on the present, they can reflect on their needs, assess how they learn, identify their challenges and take advantage of opportunities that will serve them well. Taking these steps sophomore year prepares students to articulate their motivations, fully pursue their interests, and ultimately understand how and why college aligns with their individual needs and goals.

In our first set of meetings, we will spend time getting to know each other through a series of parent and student surveys, and will discuss the results of various assessments, including YouScience.

• Meeting 1: Review parent and student surveys

• Meeting 2: Discuss YouScience aptitude assessment results

• Meeting 3: Complete learning style and personality assessments and discuss summer goals.

During second semester, we will discuss activities and interests, finalize plans for summer, assess rigor and coursework for junior year and begin the college conversation with local visit options.

• Meeting 4: Solidify summer plans, work on applications and begin activity tracker.

• Meeting 5: Plan junior year coursework

• Meeting 6: Introduce the college search process with local tour options and discussion of college costs

Hourly Consultations

• For those families that want to ask questions along the way as they navigate the process independently.

• For students who need targeted essay editing or help with additional supplemental essays.

• For families of students in 9th and 10th grade that would like to start preparing for the college journey.