Counselors

School Counselors and College Advance – Working Together


At College Advance we understand the many hats you wear working with students and their families. The student/counselor ratios are unspeakable. Yet, college admission planning, writing recommendations and all that goes into the process fall to counselors and the college and career center staff.

Today, it takes an army of counselors and specialists to help our four year college bound students research, find, apply and get into the nation’s top colleges. And, to be sure the final choice is the best fit for students.

Collaboration rather than competition is our mission. We look forward to helping you with the college admission process at your school. Here is how we can help:

  • We are available to discuss specific student issues, the college search process or specific suggestions on the best colleges for the criteria a student may bring to you for which you may want another perspective.
  • Serve as ombudspeople for you or your students with colleges. We have over 25 years of experience in admission and academic in colleges, universities and high schools. Our goal is to advocate for students who may not know how to cut through the bureaucratic red tape of educational institutions.
  • Provide in-service workshops on developing effective programming that can streamline your college counseling program.
  • We also offer seminars to schools and communities of all types. Check these out. There are no fees for these seminars:

College Admission: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Why Is it So Hard to Get Into Top Colleges?
This seminar is designed to help school counselors and teachers convey a positive message about today’s admission process to students and/or their parents. Getting into the very top colleges today is getting harder and harder. And, colleges that once were backups for some students are now reaches for this generation. In this seminar we provide the history and context that has led up to the current competitive college admissions phenomenon. The admissions process of tomorrow will be discussed by our staff that have experienced these major changes first hand. Participants will learn new steps and procedures that can lead to successful college admission.

Audience: Counselors, Teachers, Students or Parents
Seminar: 001
Timeframes: 40 minutes, 60 minutes or 90 minutes


Case Study: How Admissions Decisions Are Made
Have you wondered how admissions decisions are actually made? What really goes on behind the closed door of admissions committees? College Advance can take you through a case study where you will decide the fate of applicants – and then hear how admissions offices would have made their decisions.

Audience: Students and Parents
Seminar: 002
Timeframes: 1 hour or 1.5 hours or 2 hours


What are the “100 Best Colleges”? Who and What Defines “Best”?
In this seminar participants learn how US News and World Report and other competing college ranking services develop their lists of “Best Colleges.” The criteria are real eye-openers. How parents can use these reports to their full advantage is outlined from an insider’s personal perspective and experience.

Audience: Counselors, Teachers, Students or Parents
Seminar: 003
Timeframes: 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 60 minutes


Developing the Plan for College
Students often think only about today and not about their futures. With competitive college admission, planning really should begin in the late elementary and middle school years. We show counselors, teachers, parents and their college bound students how to set up a college planning road map. When it is time to apply to college, the chances of getting in are vastly increased and seminar participants will know what to do every step of the way.

Audience: Counselors, Teachers, Students or Parents
Seminar: 004
Timeframe: 20 minutes, 40 minutes or 60 minutes


The Ten Myths and Ten Truths of College Admission
In this the most popular seminar College Advance offers, we pinpoint 10 of the most common myths heard on the school grounds, at the water cooler and around the dinner tables across the country. Providing accurate and up to date information on colleges and the admission process is key to assisting students with their road to college. Our Ten Myths seminar helps counselors and teachers understand how to best address the truths to the myths they hear. A 2nd version of this seminar can be offered to students and parents.

Audience: Counselors, Teachers, Students or Parents
Seminar: 005
Time: 45 minutes, 60 minutes or 90 minutes


Writing the College Recommendation
This seminar is designed for counselors and teachers who write recommendations to college admissions offices. Pointers are offered as to what works and what doesn’t from the admissions officers’ perspective who toil hours over thousands of applications. To know what colleges want to read will increase your students’ opportunities to get into the colleges where they apply.

Audience: Counselors or Teachers
Seminar: 006
Timeframe: 30 minutes, 40 minutes or 1 hour


Raising the Average Student
Parents naturally compare their own children to the children of their friends and colleagues. Their children may have better profiles. With an average child, what is a parent to do? Community colleges is always an option, but sometimes these are not the best places to land for higher education. In this seminar we profile colleges that students can get into but more importantly are much better suited for them than Harvard, Stanford, or Yale. Career success and income levels are discussed in this informative seminar to help parents who are concerned about their children’s futures. And, for students to realize that no matter their grades, scores, etc, there is a 4 year college education available to which they would be best suited. It is often just a matter of knowing how to find them and where to look.

Audience: Counselors, Teachers or Parents
Seminar: 007
Time: 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes


Top Four Year Colleges for the Average Student
There are over 3,500 colleges and universities in the country. The schools we hear about are primarily those that almost require finding a cure for cancer to get into. Community college is always a great back up option, however, there is no reason why the four year option cannot still be in the mix when targeting colleges. This seminar will discuss the pros and cons of the community college and four year college options and the ins and outs of selecting colleges that are the “best fit” schools to consider. Examples are given to show students, parents, counselors, and teachers that a four year school can be in the future – from the freshman year!

Audience: Counselors, Teachers, Students or Parents
Seminar: 008
Timeframe: 30 minutes, 60minutes


UC/Cal State, Public versus Private Colleges and Universities
This workshop helps to clarify the strengths and challenges of both the private and public schools, so your students can make informed choices concerning college placement. The presentation is designed to dispel some of the myths, discuss the nature of college choice relative to size, type, location, and cost. Many private schools today cost parents less than the University of California!
The seminar will show you how to gain admission to the top choice colleges and to get the money to attend – regardless of the “sticker price” – as many schools now are offering scholarships that never existed even 5 years ago.

Audience: Counselors, Students or Parents
Seminar: 009
Timeframes: 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes


Girls in Admissions
Over 56% of all college undergraduates are now women, and that number is steadily increasing. As applicant pools in college admissions become more competitive, and colleges look to balance the gender gap in higher education, it has become increasingly difficult for young women to gain acceptance at top tier schools. This seminar explores the increasing gender gap in college applicants and how young women can prevail in the college admissions process. An overview of women’s colleges in the United States will also show some alternatives for college bound girls.

Audience: Counselors, Teachers or Parents
Seminar: 010
Timeframes: 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes