“Smart College Selection will assist your child from beginning to end and take a lot of the ‘time and frustration’ of figuring out the best approach of college decision and application off of your (the parents’) plate. It will also allow you and your junior/senior the ability to enjoy the process and last few years of the high school experience.”

At Smart College Selection, we help students and their families confidently and strategically move through the college selection process. Our focus is on college selection rather than college admissions, because we believe that students shouldn’t be fighting for admission to a handful of schools but should be choosing between the thousands of excellent schools - big and small - to find those that fit them best.

We have developed a smart approach to college selection. Effective college decision-making begins with students understanding themselves, setting clear objectives, and creating a robust plan. Think about it: when you buy a car or a house, you don’t start with what houses or cars are available, and you don’t obsess over what your friend is buying. Instead, you start with an understanding of what you want and need. So that’s where we start when working with a student and family. To see a detailed list of what our students focus on with their Consultant by grade year, see ‘Services.’

In the junior year, we help students research potential schools fully. We work together to come up with a comprehensive list of criteria for the college list, and then we create a smart list of colleges that meet the criteria, including admissibility, affordability, and other important fit factors. When the time comes, students know why they are applying to each school on their final list and they understand how their profile compares with that of admitted students. That helps students significantly as they craft compelling applications.

All Smart College Selection students participate in a small group, week-long college application workshop the summer before their senior year to jumpstart the application process. And Smart College Selection Consultants guide each student (and their parents!) personally through the application and decision-making process throughout the senior year. You can learn more about our signature application workshops, see ‘Application Workshops.’

The Smart College Selection approach includes formal and informal activities, student and family meetings, a powerful on-line college selection planning platform, customized tools, an eight-step essay development process, and most importantly, lots of snacks, encouragement, laughs, perspective, and celebration. To learn more about our results, see ‘Results.’  

Please see the ‘FAQs’ section for information on timing, costs, and process. Most students begin working with Smart College Selection in their sophomore year or earlier; occasionally we have room in our practice to accept new students in the junior year. To inquire about availability, go to ‘Contact Us’.