College Planning

One of the most important parts in the planning process is finding the college where the student will be challenged and motivated to reach their full potential.

We start with The Birkman Method, which is a personality, social perception and occupational interest assessment, identifying behavioral styles, motivations, expectations, and stress behaviors.  This assessment provides and integrated, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive analysis that often eliminates the need for multiple assessments.  This will suggest career options for which they are suited, and identify strengths and weaknesses.  Our focus the turns to the student's current GPA and other test scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT) for evaluation, if improvement is needed we address it in the preparation step.

We bring awareness to the student of how much scores matter in being accepted into the school of choice and the size of the financial aid award.  What you need to know about AP courses, (what you don't know can be expensive).  Develop a brag list, of all the student's accomplishments, one that really highlights who they are.

Through the interview process and assessment we help develop a list of schools based on the student's major and preferences of size, location, school sports, clubs, and activities.  Our plan of action will include what the student needs to work on and a  timeline to keep on track for all the deadlines such as the "FASFA" (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), the College Board CSS Profile, when applicable, and college applications.

Evaluate the parent's ability to pay for college with a thorough asset and cash flow analysis, along with a retirement income calculation.  Remember, you can borrow for college, but you cannot borrow for your retirement.