FAQ
We are very excited to meet with you. So, please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with some of the answers to the questions that you may have regarding our services in advance.
What are the differences between The Specialist's services and the traditional college counselors?
Added Value. Traditional counseling services are usually limited in their scope of services and this in turn, leaves gaps in the overall planning for the family. Many limit the number of sessions, do not have the extra needed expertise, or charge extra for the needed additional services if they have the expertise. The College Specialist’s services are perhaps one of the most comprehensive in nature in the OC area.
How do we start working with The College Specialist?
We start every relationship by getting together in person and getting to know your family, your stats, data, etc.
Will you be able to help with strategies to increase the odds of admissions applications to the prospective colleges?
Yes. We use myriad of strategies in order to achieve higher admissions results, based on each student’s scholastic profile.
What percentage of your students get accepted to their applied colleges?
95% of our students get accepted to at least 3 of their top 5 applied colleges.
Will you help us with the college counseling process from the start to finish?
Absolutely! We’ll work hand in hand with you in a partnership and as a team until your student is well on it’s way to college.
How often will we meet with you, either virtually or in person? Can you be contacted between sessions for quick questions if needed?
Good question. We will meet with you and with your students as many times as needed to achieve results. We have a very caring and disciplined approach and make sure all things are done properly and on or even before time. Therefore, we do not put a limit on such sensitive issues when it comes to helping our families. Our families and students have full access via email, in person, phone call, etc.
Will you help us in selecting the colleges that are academically right for our students and at the same time we have a better chance of receiving scholarships or free aid ?
Yes. This is a major part of our services. College selection process is perhaps the most important part of the process and we take it very seriously. There are may factors that have to be considered when selecting schools and we help each step of the way.
Will you help us to position our family finances in order to lower our EFC and increase our odds of getting more Free Aid money via FAFSA and CSS-Profile?
Yes. This is a major part of the process. There are many EFC strategies (depending whether you own your business or simply employed as a W2 employee) which we’ll discuss with you in order for you to position yourself in a much more advantageous way to qualify and obtain more in Free Aid.
Will you help us on how to negotiate with colleges to potentially increase their free aid and merit scholarships offers?
Yes. Negotiation is very important when applicable. We will plan for this very important step way in advance when we begin working with you.
Do you offer a free phone or in person interview?
No. We appreciate your interest in us. Due to our solid reputation, years in business, and expertise we get many calls/emails each day from interested families. Therefore, we simply ask that you review all information contained in our site first and set up an initial session (fee of $250 applies) for a more in depth review of your situation.
Needed items for our session:
Please collect and bring all items below to your first session in good order:
For admissions evaluation & analysis needed items:
Student’s GPA/PSAT/SAT/ACT scores if taken
Student’s list of activities
List of colleges of interest if known at this time
For Scholarships, FAFSA, & CSS-Profile evaluation & analysis needed items:
Most recent tax returns
Statements on assets: College savings accounts, 529 accounts, IRA’s, 401K, stocks, bonds, real estate, business, etc.
Methods of payment:
We accept: Cash, Check, and all major credit cards (there is 3.3% bank fee for credit cards).
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