Why do you need us?
The college application process can be daunting, stressful, and well, downright scary. We’ve been there, so we know exactly what you’re going through. While many students choose to go through the process alone and are successful, why suffer the headaches if you don’t have to? Just like you would go to a doctor if you’re sick because they specialize in medicine, you go to a college consultant when you are preparing for college because we specialize in the college application process. (It just makes sense!)
College is one of the biggest investments one will make in their lifetime. Making the wrong college choice or simply lacking for information can make college much more expensive than it needs to be in the long run. It can also add years to the completion of an undergraduate degree. Unfortunately, today’s high school guidance counselors are so busy and typically need to wear so many hats that it’s difficult for them to spend enough time with each student.
They barely have the time to help the student select a school, let alone navigate them through the entire application process. Using a college consultant can generally increase the likelihood that your child will select the right school for them and can make it more affordable for your family.
WHY PEOPLE WORK WITH US
The most common reason people work with us is because of our success rate. Over the many years we have been college consulting, we still have a 100% acceptance rate for students getting into their choice school. Those schools range from a regular in-state school or small private school, to Ivy Leagues, Ivy League equivalents, Baby Ivies, military academies, and every type of school and program you can think of. We have seen a LOT and can create individualized strategies so every student can be happy and successful, no matter what their path may be.
HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS NEW CLIENTS OFTEN ASK:
How are you different from a school counselor?
Do you know how many minutes the average school counselor spends with a student each year? Thirty Eight minutes. That’s a nationwide average. In more densely populated areas, like the Greater Seattle area, it’s closer to 20 minutes per student.
At College Insights, we spend 20-30 HOURS with each student. It is not uncommon for us to spend forty hours with a student, it just depends on their individual situation. We get to know every detail about a student and their family situation, and create a customized plan and strategy for that student to ensure the greatest potential for success. Add to the fact that we only work with a very specific population of students—the minority of students who go on to college.
We only do college admissions and academic support leading up to college. Period. We do not do schedule changes, work with CPS, help with behavioral problems, deal with interpersonal problems with other students, work with mental health or substance abuse issues or help with problems in the home like high school counselors often have to do. We only work with students who want to go to college. We are highly specialized and aim to be the best in the country at college admissions.
The process is confusing and we don’t know what we’re doing.
Here at College Insights, we are serious about aiming to be the top college consulting firm in the country. We know what we are doing and we are happy to walk our clients through the whole process. It is our passion to see students succeed in their college experience and later in their careers. We are experts so you don’t have to be.
My kid won’t listen to me. Can you talk to them?
Between all of our college counselors we have almost 100 years of education experience working with tens of thousands of teenagers from all over that world- and that is not an over-exaggeration. Our team knows how to talk to students to make them feel properly supported so they can make the decision that will be best for them.
We don’t have enough money to pay for college outright. Do you help find money?
Absolutely! One of our specialties is finance. About half of our clients are from high-income families and have the money to pay cash for their child’s education. However, if you are an average, middle-class family, you technically make too much to qualify for any “aid”, but you don’t make enough to pay cash, so you think student loans are the only option. You’d be surprised at how much money is out there if you only knew where to look and how to navigate the system. We’ve spent years consulting with families and we’ve gotten pretty good at helping them find ways to help them pay for college.
Our child is frustrated. They don’t know their options and they don’t want to waste time and money in college if they don’t know what they want to do, but they feel pressure to go to college. Can you help?
The first thing to understand is that this problem is very, very normal. Students today face a lot of pressure and feel like they’re supposed to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives when they’re just 15, 16, or 17 years old. Many adults still don’t know what they want to be when they grow up, yet society expects teenagers to know. At College Insights, we take the time that is necessary to help students through this process. We give them permission to not know what they want to do or where they want to go.
By giving them the proper support they need and coaching them through the process, we can work together to figure out the next steps in their journey and eventually choose a major or career path. How that process works is very different from student to student. Sometimes they may want to take a gap year and study abroad, or do something local. While at other times, we help them find internships within certain fields that may help add clarity to their situation. We also help them choose a school that will put them in the situation to identify their path more easily. When all is said and done, our goal is to have happy and successful students.
Resources
For SAT information or to sign up to take your test, visit College Board.
For ACT information or to sign up to take your test, visit ACT’s website.
To fill out your Common Application, visit the
Common App website
For more information about the FAFSA or to
complete your FAFSA application, visit FAFSA
Location
College Insights is based in the Greater Seattle area, but we work with students and families all over the world.