About The Specialist
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 do a free phone or in person interview?
No. We appreciate your interest in us. Due to our reputation, we get many calls each day from interested families. We simply ask that you review all information contained in our site first and set up an hourly consultation (fee of $250 applies) for a more in depth review of your situation. We will then credit this fee towards your package if you would like to proceed with our complete services
Do you accept walk ins?
We can get together with you only if we have a confirmed date set in advance.
We’re Here to Help
Let’s Get Together!