Has the college application deadlines process become a source of frustration for you or are you afraid it soon will? Imagine not having to fight with your child their entire senior year! While it may sound a bit dramatic, parents who have been through the college application process can tell you just how fevered and contentious things can become.
This is where Spark College Consulting steps in!
We remove stress and facilitate the communication and the schedule needed to complete your student’s college application process – Everything done in a timely manner and all deadlines met with ease. Soon your child will be on their way. When you work with Spark College Consulting, you can really enjoy their last year at home!
“When I heard about how stressful it was for some of my friends to help their kids get through the college application process, I started to worry that the whole process was going to put our entire family into a really unhappy place. So, I hired Elizabeth, not so much for my very organized child, but for me. Now I don’t have to be the one nagging about deadlines, essays, recommendation letters, and the other minutia involved in the process. Elizabeth is keeping my daughter on track and as stress free as possible and I get to be a sounding board for my daughter!”
– Mom of Menlo-Atherton Student
What to Expect – College Application Process
Free Hour-long Consultation – You and your child will meet in-person with Elizabeth Katz, owner of Spark College Consulting, to review our college application process. This has to be a good fit for your child and and it is important to note that ultimately, we see this as their decision. This is why:
When the student is fully on-board, they take ownership of their college application process and their deadlines in a very different way. While this may sound daunting to some parents, we find that when kids see that they have the power to take the reins, wonderful things begin to happen. Commitment from your child is essential and ensures a cooperative, collaborative and successful experience.
Spark College Consulting is there at every step to oversee and direct the game plan, provide valuable information in the process and hold your student accountable along the way. Once everyone is on the same page, if your child want to proceed and if you are ready to move ahead, we jump in!
We Start Where You Are
- Junior Year – We work with your student to prepare their list of top schools, review the application process and deadlines for each, and set a plan for the next 12-18mos.
- Summer Junior/Senior Year – During the Summer between Junior/Senior year we focus on college application essays and approach them in the way best-suited to each school.
- Fall of Senior Year – Now that their essays are complete, we comfortably address the college applications themselves. Deadlines are met.
We begin meeting with your child right away and can come to your home or to wherever it is convenient and conducive to work with your student.
The College Application Process
How Long Does it Take?
Directed attention over an extended period of time makes the most of your child’s college application process. Ultimately the duration depends upon when you start the clock —The best time is Junior Year. While we work successfully with students anywhere from 6- 18 months, we find that those who begin early have the most control over the process and the outcome.
In order to to keep the college application process on track, our attention is focused directly on the student and the myriad of details that are a part of a successful result. For parents, this means freedom from micro-managing the things that will often cause a child to shut down. Working with a parent or family member can be stressful, our process allows space for everyone to be at their best.
Because Spark College Consulting works with your student throughout the school year(s) and over the Summer to make certain college application deadlines are approached strategically and prepared for in advance, you can know things are getting done. We do all that can be done to get child into their school(s) of choice, as they thrive during their Senior year of High School.
When you start your child with Spark College Consulting in their Junior Year, their schedule includes:
- 6-7 meetings during their Junior Year
- 8 meetings over their Junior/Senior Summer
- 9-15 meetings early in their Senior Year
Is it Too Late for My Student?
Life can get in the way of a parent’s best intentions – And sometimes those college application deadlines are looming before you know it! Spark College Consulting will take a student until the summer before their Senior Year. At that point there is still work we can do to get your child the results you both want. If you have questions, it is best to call us to discuss your specific situation.
College Application Process Made Easy
The last couple years of High School can really set parents and kids at odds. We understand that you want your child to have the best chance at success in life. Working with Spark College Consulting does just that. We keep your student engaged in the entire college application process, require that they take ownership. and act as liaison between parents and students along the way.
Spark College Consulting becomes the go-between in all communication regarding the college application process and keeps parents looped-in with updates as we deliver news back and forth between parent and student. We find that students really rise to the occasion and have great success when they are required to answer to a professional in this way. This new communication boundary sets a very different tone and is part of the secret to our success.
Please give us a call at 650-274-9924
Or email us for a Free 20-Minute Phone Consultation.
From there we can schedule a time to meet.