FAQ – College Composed

FAQs

Why should I work with educational consultants?

Here are the top 3 reasons:

The college landscape changes rapidly–and is light years away from the college landscape that most parents experienced. College coaches keep up with the changes and bring this knowledge to their work with students.
At many high schools, the college counselors are responsible for a large number of students, making it impossible for them to provide personalized college guidance. Because college coaches take time to know each student, they can provide college lists, essay support and work timelines tailored to the student.
The college application process can be stressful not just for students but for families, and it’s often difficult for parents to work with their own kids on applications. A college coach serves as a buffer to keep your family life more calm.

When is the best time to start working with you?

Ideally, we like to begin work with students during their junior year. That said, we think it is beneficial for students to meet with us during their freshman or sophomore year (on an hourly basis) if they have questions about course selection (“Should I sign up for Spanish III?”), testing (“When should I start studying for the ACT?”), and/or activities (“How should I spend my summer?”). It’s also a great way for students and us to get to know each other before the college process begins in earnest.

Do you guarantee admission?

No. Although we’ve been pleased with our students’ success, we do not guarantee admission to any particular school. Our hope is that by creating a balanced list of “good fit” colleges for each student, students will be admitted to colleges they are happy to attend.

Do you write essays for students?

Definitely not! When it comes to college essays, only one voice matters: the student’s. But, we guide them every step of the way, from brainstorming to final proofread.

Do you work with students outside your two geographical areas?

The short answer: yes.

The long answer: Because we usually work with students in person for at least the first few meetings, most of our students come from the Philadelphia and San Francisco Bay areas. However, after those initial face-to-face meetings, we often work with students through Google docs, email, texts and phone calls. Add in Skype and Google Hangouts, and we are definitely prepared to work with students outside our areas.

How does your pricing work?

We have two packages: Comprehensive and Essays Only. Depending on our availability, we also work with students on an hourly basis (minimum of three hours).

Most of our students opt for the Comprehensive Package because they find it is the most cost-effective way to get the in-depth support they want.

See here for more information.

Do you provide tutoring for the ACT/SAT?

No, but we are happy to refer you to tutors we know can help.

Do you work with students with less-than-perfect grades and scores?

Of course! We know there are many types of students and that every one of them is more than an academic transcript and SAT/ACT score. We meet students where they are and guide them toward where they want to be. In other good news: like students, there are all different types of colleges, and part of our job is finding out which ones best match our students’ preferences, values, goals and aptitudes.

Do you arrange college visits?

We believe college visits are important, and we give advice about how to make the most of your time on campus. Scheduling is up to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

and their answers

FAQs

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