Time For College Admission Coaching

I love my job! 

When I started my own college admission coaching business in 2006 I was looking for a way to stay connected to the world of college admissions counseling while staying at home with a new baby.  I thought I’d eventually return to the public schools.  WRONG!  Now I doubt I’ll ever go back.

Don’t get me wrong, I worked with some great people and I loved my students, but a large school district is almost the textbook definition of bureaucracy.  I know all the educators out there can relate.  I wanted to focus on students, not paperwork or testing.  This year a nearby high school estimated they will spend 25 of 180 instruction days doing nothing but federally and state mandated testing.  Count additional days for the “good tests” like the PSAT and Advanced Placement exams and pretty soon 20% of the school year is made up of testing.

No wonder school counselors aren’t getting enough time to offer academic guidance and college planning to students.  The counselors are busy testing, handling schedules, dealing with crisis situations, attending required meetings, and working with at-risk students; there is simply not enough time in the day.  Add to that the fact that the average student to counselor ratio is 457 to 1!

I’ve broken free from the bureaucracy and now get to spend ALL my time helping students and their families prepare for college.  I can meet in the evenings or on weekends, so I can work with the entire family.  I don’t need to wait until students are in high school to make suggestions on course selection and academic planning.  I can take the time to really get to know the people I work with; yes, they are people, not numbers.  I know their strengths, weaknesses, and goals.  When students come to my SAT prep classes they have chosen to give up extra free time so they can improve their chances of getting into the college of their dreams.   I have the privilege of working with some of the most unique students who are truly interested and motivated in maximizing their college options.

So I can’t imagine going back to the old way of doing things.  I love helping students and families with college admission coaching. I love being my own boss!