The college application process has gotten more complex and more competitive (at some schools) than it was even five years ago. A private counselor brings dedicated time, current knowledge of trends and schools, and an outside perspective that's hard for parents to provide on their own. Honestly, one of the biggest benefits is simply having a buffer between you and your student. The essay process in particular can be a real source of tension at home and having someone else in that role takes the pressure off the relationship and lets you stay in your corner as a parent.

School counselors wear a lot of hats: social-emotional support, scheduling, crisis intervention, and yes, college advising, often for hundreds of students at a time. As a school counselor myself, I have deep respect for that work. What I offer privately is dedicated, one-on-one time focused entirely on your student's college journey. I'm not pulled in other directions, and I can go as deep as your student needs.

It depends on how much support you're looking for. For my Comprehensive Package, I take on students starting in the spring of junior year, that's the sweet spot for building a thoughtful college list and getting ahead of the process before senior year hits. For other packages, the summer before senior year is the most common starting point. That said, it's never too late. I've worked with students who came to me in the fall of senior year and we made it work. If you're not sure where to start, my Finding the Right Path package is designed exactly for that.

My job is to help your student find their story, figure out the best way to tell it, and then give feedback that makes their own voice stronger and clearer. The ideas, the words, and the voice are always theirs. I just help them get out of their own way.

That's really up to you and your student. I try to keep parents informed and comfortable without cutting them out of the process. At the same time, one of my goals is to help students feel ownership over their own applications. The more a student drives the process, the better their essays tend to be. I'll always keep you in the loop, but I find the best results happen when students feel like this is their journey, not something being done to them.

This is pretty common and it's one of my favorite challenges. Most of the time, resistance comes from feeling overwhelmed or not knowing where to start. Once we break it down into manageable steps and start talking about what a student actually wants (rather than what they think they're supposed to want), things usually start to click. I've worked with a lot of students who came in reluctant and left genuinely excited about where they were headed.

A few things set me apart. First, I come to this work as a school counselor. I understand teenagers, I know how to meet them where they are, and I'm not just focused on the application. Second, I've worked in international schools in Bulgaria and Hong Kong, which gives me a broader perspective on higher education than most counselors have. Third, and maybe most importantly, I'm not in this to chase prestige. I care about finding the right fit for each student, not just the most impressive name on an acceptance letter.

No - and you should be skeptical of anyone who does. What I can promise is that we'll build a thoughtful, well-balanced list, put together the strongest possible application, and make sure your student's story comes through clearly. Admissions decisions involve factors outside anyone's control, but a strong process makes a real difference.

Yes, though I want to be upfront about my philosophy. I'm happy to include selective schools on a list when they're a genuine fit academically, socially, and personally. What I don't do is build a strategy around chasing rankings or prestige for its own sake. In my experience, students who find the right fit, wherever that is, are happier and more successful than students who end up at a "big name" school that wasn't really right for them. If that approach resonates with you, we'll work great together.

That's completely normal. One of the tools I can use is AchieveWorks, a set of inventories that help students explore their strengths, interests, and learning styles. It's a great starting point for students who feel stuck or aren't sure where to begin. From there, getting to know your student, their personality, what excites them, what kind of environment they thrive in, is a big part of what I do. You don't need to have it figured out before we start. In fact, that exploration is one of the most valuable parts of the whole process.

It starts with getting to know your student, their academic profile, their personality, what they're looking for in a college experience, and your family's financial considerations. From there I use current data and my own knowledge of schools to suggest a balanced mix of likely, match, and reach schools that actually fit. The goal is a list where your student would be genuinely happy at any school on it, not just the reaches.

I offer payment plans and sliding scale fees when appropriate. I never want cost to be the reason a family can't get support. For larger packages, I have several options for payment. Hourly services are billed at the time of the session. If you have concerns about cost, please reach out. I'm always happy to have that conversation.

Yes, all meetings can be virtual. I've worked with students in Oregon and Washington. If you're local to the Portland/Beaverton area and prefer in-person meetings, that's available too.

Yes, and this is an area I feel strongly about. Students with learning differences bring unique perspectives and strengths, and part of my job is helping them see that and communicate it effectively in their applications. I'm also knowledgeable about colleges that offer strong support programs for students with learning differences, which can be an important factor in building the right list.

Yes, scholarship support is included in several of my packages, and I can help identify opportunities that are a good fit for your student. I want to be honest that scholarship searching is a process that requires real effort on the student's part, but I can help point you in the right direction and support the application process along the way.