Insight and Planning

Get Clear. Take off.

I meet students where they are—and help them focus on what matters to them and how they can present their best selves in the admissions process through insightful, methodical and purposeful planning. My comprehensive program offers students a custom online dashboard and one-on-one sessions in Self Assessment, Academic Planning, College Search, Personal Statements and Application Support.

Self Assessment

WE START WITH A BASELINE

College Fly partners with the world’s leading career advancement platform that allows students to reflect on past experiences, future goals and discover what makes them unique—in tandem with career paths based on their strengths, interests and personality.

ACTIVITIES AND SUMMER PLANNING

How students spend their time outside of the classroom matters. And what matters to them—matters most. We debunk myths around “what colleges want” and focus on interests, personal development, growth and leadership opportunities.

Academic Planning

BALANCE AND RIGOR

A healthy focus on learning and academic success looks different for every student, but one thing is clear: balancing academic rigor with life outside of the classroom can be challenging. We’ll make a detailed plan based on interests and goals—and leave room for some fun in—and out of the classroom.

Testing

make a plan

“Should I take standardized tests? If so, when should I sit for them? What’s better for me, the SAT or ACT? How important are AP or IB exams?” There’s lots of questions around testing today, and yet what’s clear is that having a plan in place is key. I help students determine their path, implement a plan and find support services—based on their preferences, skills and goals.

College Search

in-depth Student + parent surveys

We’ll go deep with essential questions for both students and parents on several factors that together, with our Self Assessment and Academic Planning sessions, lay the foundation for a successful preliminary college search.

LIST DEVELOPMENT + REFINEMENT

I hand-craft a suggested list of colleges based on a student’s skills, interests and preferences, together with parent input and cost considerations—and provide reports with data points for each school. Students learn what “a good fit” actually means and how to research schools, what questions to ask and how to look critically at each institution. In the end, students understand best practices for building and refining a balanced list—one that’s based on fit and allows for successful outcomes.

COLLEGE VISITS

When to go, what to ask, who to see and what to do: college visits are an important part of the planning process. I help prepare families to plan successful trips, ask key questions—and have some fun along the way!

Personal Statements

student stories: WHAT MATTERS AND WHY

Personal statements, unlike academic essays, are unique assignments. Students learn what colleges need from them—and how to approach each assignment. With a custom planning dashboard, we’ll use essential tools for organizing statements by institution and by prompt. We’ll also brainstorm topics, discuss topics to avoid, and develop an understanding of why insight into a student’s key character traits matter. In the end, my approach is holistic and driven by the belief that when students tell deep, authentic stories—it’s a gift to admissions readers—and to themselves.

Application Support

APPLICATION PLANS + REVIEWS

“How many schools should I apply to? Should I apply Early Decision? Early Action? Regular Decision?” We parse these questions with industry best practices—and what makes sense given a student’s preferences, academic goals and financial resources. College Fly’s dashboard allows for organized, detailed application plans and offers tools to keep them on track with a custom calendar and alerts. Once students complete their applications, together we’ll conduct comprehensive application reviews.

INTERVIEWS

If interviews are in play—whether optional or required, preparing for them is important, and practicing for them can be fun. Students learn about the types of interviews, what might be asked of them, how to approach the process and what kinds of questions they can ask to glean insight into a schools academic culture, programs and life outside the classroom.

AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

As a matter of practice, College Fly integrates merit aid scholarship data into each student’s college list so that families have a sense of what to expect from in-state, private and out-of-state institutions. Students and families also learn how to approach local, national, talent and other scholarships—and the realities and steps for applying for need-based aid.

OFFERS + DECISIONS

There’s lots of moving parts in the spring of senior year. I help students and parents understand admissions offers, waitlists and protocols for securing a seat at the best-fit college of their choice.