We work with students at different stages of their high school and college planning journey. Early Bird provides an introduction to high school planning for 8th graders, while High School Planning Essentials supports students in 9th and 10th grades as they build a strong academic and co-curricular foundation.Our Strategic College Planning Program is designed to begin in the summer, fall, or early winter of junior year and continues through the college application process, admission decisions, and final college commitment.

Our advising is highly individualized and structured around key milestones and phases of the college planning process rather than a fixed number of meetings.High School Planning Essentials generally includes two scheduled meetings during the academic year. During junior and senior year, meeting frequency varies based on the student’s stage in the process, individual needs, pacing, and progress. Students complete planning, research, writing, and other assignments between meetings so our time together can focus on strategy, discussion, feedback, and meaningful progress.In addition to meetings, students receive ongoing support through our College Toolkit, written follow-up, application and essay review, and communication throughout the process.

Yes! We tailor our approach to meet each student's unique needs. We carefully review 504 plans, IEPs, and other assessment reports to identify the best-fit schools and create personalized strategies for success. If a student's needs are outside of our area expertise, we refer to trusted professionals to ensure they receive the support they deserve.

Meetings occur in our office in Manhattan Beach, in your home, or virtually. We try to accommodate and meet each student’s needs and preferences. If possible, even for students outside our geographical area, we try to meet your student and family in person at least once early in the college planning process.

We believe every experience is valuable and enriches your student’s story, and summer is a great time to find ways to build on interests or explore something new. Whether writing poetry, photographing sporting events, attending a computer science camp, working in a doctor’s office, or delivering pizza, there is a value that develops the student as a person and an applicant. We look for ways outside the classroom to build on your student’s interests where they can contribute and shine in a unique way. We offer resources and advice on identifying and applying to summer programs and other ways students can further shape and enrich their personal stories, focusing on engagement, having fun, connecting with others, and learning.

Our Strategic College Planning Program typically fills before the end of junior year, so availability for students beginning later in the process may be limited.Depending on timing, current caseload, and the student’s individual needs, Focused Consulting may be available for targeted support with college lists, essays, applications, or other specific areas of the application process. If we are unable to provide the appropriate level of support, we are happy to recommend other trusted professionals when possible.

School college counselors play an important role in the college application process, and we value working collaboratively with them. They often have extensive knowledge of their school’s curriculum, students, and application procedures, while also managing large caseloads and many school-wide responsibilities.An independent educational consultant complements the work of the school counselor by providing highly personalized, one-on-one guidance throughout the college planning and application process. We have the time to get to know each student’s interests, strengths, goals, and priorities; help develop a thoughtful and balanced college list; provide individualized essay and application guidance; and offer strategic support as decisions arise throughout the process.We also provide personalized planning and strategy, application organization, timelines and reminders, and our proprietary College Toolkit to help students understand the process, stay organized, and take ownership of their progress. Our goal is not to replace the school counselor, but to provide an additional layer of individualized guidance and support while working collaboratively with the student, family, and school.

We work with students as they develop and write their personal statement, supplemental essays, and short answer responses. Using a highly personalized approach, students learn to communicate their unique and authentic stories in their own voice. We do not write the essays for the students but support their efforts, including brainstorming, scaffolding, and editorial feedback, from original drafts through submission.

No, we serve as advisors for the college application process, including brainstorming, research, feedback, and editorial suggestions. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards and do not complete any part of the student’s application; however, we will walk through, answer questions, and provide context and understanding for the students.

We work with transfer students, adhering to the sometimes differential timeline and identifying each college’s specific transfer requirements.

We offer an overview and test planning guidance; however, we do not do test preparation. We do discuss the value or need for testing related to each student’s abilities, academic interests, and college choices. We also review different approaches and methodologies to test preparation and can refer students to test preparation tutors or services that best meet the student’s needs and abilities.

Of course! We provide insight into pathways, coursework, electives, need for rigor, and clarify questions related to the impact on GPA, preparation for particular majors, and overall academic engagement.

AI is part of our world, and when used ethically and thoughtfully, it can help with research, brainstorming or organizing ideas, but it should never replace a student’s own voice or writing. Colleges want to hear directly from students—admissions officers can recognize AI-generated work and much prefer personal, authentic storytelling. That’s why we focus on real idea development, thoughtful drafting, and refining essays together to make sure each student’s voice shines through.