College Planning Services

There are a lot of components in successful college planning.

We distilled them into 12 critical components. Here are the college planning services we provide to families with college-bound students.

Students

​Match Qualifications to Colleges

To avoid paying retail for college, you have to choose the right college. Using your student’s GPA, test scores and strength of their high school curriculum combined with the CAP index, we assess which colleges may be the best fit.

Prep for College Admissions

The college admissions process is complicated. That is why we provide a central repository, schedule and support for the important components of college admissions: submission deadlines, test dates, essay organizer and help with making essays effective.

Gain Self Awareness

Who are you and who do you want to be? These are the questions that start the process. When students understand their strengths, personality type and learning styles, they can choose an appropriate career and be more effective in college.

Get the Right Mindset

Inspire the families we serve to dream big but stay grounded and do everything in our power to help them achieve their dreams. We bring expertise to keep you from falling prey to the alluring ease of small plans.

Family

​Select Right Fit Colleges

Based on colleges identified and the family financial resources available, we help families choose which colleges where students should apply. They are the ones most likely to accept the student, have the desired major, and are likely to offer a “lower than retail” price for you.

Assess Scholarship Options

The vast majority of scholarship money comes from the colleges where you apply. We focus on finding the best scholarship options at the schools on your college target list.

Compare Award Offers

When families receive award offers, they do not have a good point of reference as to whether it is a good offer or not. We provide you with comparisons from that school for similar students as yours, so you can decide if it is a good offer or if you want to make an appeal.

Transition Successfully

As students head off to college, they experience a new level of independence. However, there can be roadbumps for the unprepared. We provide HIPAA & FERPA directives, college finance 101 coaching, and stress management support to ensure the transition is successful.

Parents

Estimate Family Contribution

What colleges expect families to contribute each year to their student’s college expenses can come as quite a surprise. We help you understand what it will be before your student applies to college, so the schools you target can be affordable for your family.

Apply for Financial Aid

Completing financial aid forms (FAFSA and CSS) is about as much fun as doing taxes, and most accountants will not help. We collect the necessary data and complete the forms for you. This ensures accuracy so you get the most aid to which you are entitled. Get started today!

Assess Retirement Readiness

Far too many parents dip into their retirement money to pay for college. We work with your financial advisor to understand how you can pay for college and maintain your current lifestyle while staying on track for retirement.

Calculate Cash Flow for College

Once you are on track for retirement, we help you calculate the family working contribution. This includes identifying the college budget, the family budget and from where the resources for college come. And if necessary, we also look at loans or other funding options.

Blog

Blog

Going From Manager to Mentor

By Graham Archer
Transitioning from high school to college is not only hard on the students, it can also be extremely difficult for the parents. The kids are looking forward to the independence of college and their new chapter. That’s not to say there isn’t a bit of anxiety with this BIG step, but it’s truly something they are excited to begin.
Learn More!