Frequently Asked Questions

I offer a background in psychology, college counseling, career development, and marketing. I can help your teenager discover who she is and what she is looking for in a college, so she can create the college experience she wants!

Think of a baseball shortstop - he plays a specific position. To join a team, the most valuable information he can give about himself is his position. It is more useful than saying, "I'm a baseball player," or a "good athlete."

With college, your student must communicate what sets him apart. "Stats" (SAT or GPA) give general data. They are the foundation of the application. Stats signal the admissions people to read on. But stats are only the first cut. Beyond stats, colleges need more specific information about what your child has to offer! Positioning makes him stand out from the crowd.

Helping your child identify key strengths and establish his unique point of difference vs. the applicant pool will help "cut through the clutter" in the competitive environment. No one can guarantee acceptance at any college, but participating in a process like this can enhance your child's competitive standing in the college marketplace.

Your teenager is busy, too busy to even think! So how can you expect her to suddenly be ready to apply to college, one of the pivotal responsibilities of her life?

If you start early enough, your student only needs to meet with me monthly. This allows self-discovery to fit into her busy schedule in a natural, painless way. It gives her "permission" to pause and reflect, think outside the daily grind, and conceptualize her accomplishments in a "big picture" way.

As a parent, if you feel that your student is so busy with extracurricular activities that adding periodic meetings with a college consultant is too much to handle, you may want to revisit how busy your student actually is, and whether this is an ideal schedule for your child.

For most students, the college process produces great anxiety, inviting procrastination. It fits under the category of "important" but not "urgent" so it gets blocked out, as more pressing daily crises emerge. As time passes, the college process looms even larger. What appears to be apathy may actually be fear of becoming overwhelmed.

Self-discovery can be enjoyable in a positive in-person context with an insightful, supportive coach who inspires confidence. If the process is broken down into small steps, the task does not become overwhelming. Feeling mastery after each step will help your child actually look forward to the next step. Success breeds success!

That said, a constructive college counseling relationship does require at least a basic attitude of cooperation on the part of the student. In our free telephone consultation, the parent and I discuss whether the student will be able to willingly deliver on assignments, such as essay first drafts. If we conclude that the student's attitude is not conducive to a productive relationship, we may decide not to go forward.

The college process is stressful for both parents and students. Having an outside resource as an objective third party sounding board can alleviate tension. Parents can have confidence that there is a positive plan going forward, so they will feel less tempted to micro manage. Students can feel ownership and confidence in their own inner resources in applying, getting accepted and ultimately deciding on the college that suits them best.

If you and your student have serious problems in your relationship, beyond what I would call normal parent-teen tension, you may want to explore the services of a licensed psychologist or family therapist. While I have a background in psychology that enriches my understanding of adolescents and families, I am a college coach and cannot offer psychotherapy. In our free telephone consultation, the parent and I discuss the student's psychological situation and the family relationship as appropriate; if we feel that the student would benefit more from a different kind of service, we may decide not to go forward.

Your guidance department offers valuable assistance, and your student should utilize all available resources. Guidance departments provide access to applicant-college matching software, information fairs and admission road shows. They help students develop college lists and process recommendations and transcripts.

But guidance departments may not have the staff to offer the one-on-one personal time that can lead to self-discovery and help optimally position your student for acceptance at his best-fit college.

It can be helpful to get personal attention from a private source, as well.

Your student can—and should! But internet research is only the beginning. Working with an insightful coach can help integrate facts and stats with the "intangibles" to create the "big picture" of who your child really is.

Why should applying to college be an intimidating struggle, with your student hunched over a computer screen late into the night? A coach can guide your child in a relaxed process learning who he is, what he wants, and what he uniquely has to offer colleges. This can ultimately lead to a more authentic choice and place him in a more strategic position to be accepted.

Students with a GPA below 3.0 probably would benefit more from a different kind of service than a college counselor, such as an independent learning consultant or a subject-oriented tutor. If your student is seriously struggling with basic academics, I suggest that you seek learning disability guidance or remedial academic help first, because (omit because) before you spend money on a college consultant.

Thanks! K

Life holds no guarantees! Any individual can control his effort, but not the outcome. I can help your child on the effort side of the equation, but your child will need to have commitment to this endeavor. I will give an assignment between every session. Your child must put something into this process to get something out of it. I will communicate with you if cooperation becomes an issue.

No one can promise acceptance to any given college. I could never give a guarantee. That would be dishonest and misleading. I recommend you go into it with realistic expectations, based on your child's skills, motivation and academic performance. You need to be open to the process of self-discovery. Perhaps your child will determine his best-fit school is not among the colleges you may have in mind.

I can tell you that participating enthusiastically in this process can enhance your student's chances of finding and being accepted at a college that will fit well with his unique skill set, goals, values and personality.

It is your child who will have the authorship for this work. This is about your child discovering herself and communicating who she is. This is about your child finding her own voice, and using it. My added value is only offering guidance to help her find that voice.

It would be counterproductive if it became my voice, besides being unethical! No, I've already gone to college, and a few grad schools. Now it's up to your child to do it for herself!

The ideal starting time is winter of junior year. This is close enough to application time so that your child will have enough maturity to begin thinking about the future, but early enough to make choices that will positively impact his acceptability to colleges.

It is not too late to start fall of senior year, but more frequent and intensive sessions will be needed to keep on track for college application deadlines.

That depends on when you start and how intensive you want it to be. I offer two college programs, detailed in Packages & Rates.

Unless otherwise arranged, local sessions will be conducted at my office, conveniently located off I-287 in Basking Ridge/New Vernon, NJ. See Location & Directions. The kick-off session will include both parent and student, with only student from then on. However, parents are always welcome to join in at the beginning or end of the session for an update.