Typical Sophomore year:

• Personal discovery and course selection.  This includes academic development assessments, strengths and interests discussions, brainstorming extracurricular and summer experiences, and early campus visits to local colleges.

Typical Junior year:

• Examine college interests (academically, socially, & professionally), learn how college ‘works’, and will begin to research and identify “right fit” colleges.  

• This includes learning about majors, extra curricular activities, faculty (compared to high school teachers), academic requirements to graduate, student housing, sports, etc.  

• The student will learn how to effectively research schools.

• Continued personal discovery discussions and on-going course selection advice, too.

• Begin creating a professional resume and student activities list.

Typical summer between Junior and Senior year:

• College essay brainstorming and writing.  This includes the Personal Insight Questions (the UCs); the Common Application essay, and additional required essays/short answer questions from other colleges. The goal is to be 90% finished with the essays prior to the senior year starting.  

Typical Senior year:

• College applications and selection process.

• Identifying approximately ten schools where the student will thrive.

• Developing a timeline for the application deadlines and understanding each requirement.

• Continued brainstorming and providing feedback for all essays/short answer questions.

• Helping the student (and family) review choices once all acceptances have been received.