All-in-One’s detailed approach to group college admissions counseling grew out of years of work with individual students.
Yes, we do provide independent college admissions counseling, guiding our students through each step of the application and admissions process; however, we only take a limited number of students each year. All-in-One’s reputation is founded on quality, not quantity, and we want to provide only the best service, with only highly trained, highly engaging counselors. It is impossible to accomplish our mission if we overbook our students or overshoot our capacity. Therefore, if you do want independent help, contact us early.
Here’s a summary of what we do with our individual counseling students:
College Selection Assistance – We help students narrow or expand the list of colleges they are considering, based on their interests and qualifications. We provide realistic college counseling, and we give students a range of colleges where they may apply. We suggest applying to at least 5 schools, and some of our more ambitious students apply to over 15.
Organization and Schedule Maintenance – Most of our students clash with their parents over college admissions. Parents feel like the students aren’t organized enough, and students feel like the parents are overbearing. There has to be a middleman, and that is where we come in. We help students develop a reasonable timetable for completing the different components of their applications, and we put the pressure on students to meet their deadlines. Parents can assume the role of friend and confidante, while we crack the whip.
Résumé Development and Editing – Time and again, school officials comment on the quality of our students’ résumés because they are not only attractive, but also clear, concise, and comprehensive. Our students often mail in copies of their résumés to schools, and whatever goes to admissions committees should be top-notch.
Completion of College Applications – No matter what anyone tells you, college applications are time-consuming, and even though technology has made applications seem simpler, many students are still extremely confused by the entire process. They freak out because of limited space, and they worry over each tiny box on the application. We go through each word they submit in their applications to make sure that there are no errors, and our assistance prevents them from falling victim to stress and giving up altogether!
Creation of College Admissions Essays – Different schools have different requirements for essays. Many schools have come to use the Common Application, which requires one common essay, but they still expect students to write additional, supplemental essays that are school-specific. We help students complete all essays and supplements.
Interview Skills – Most schools do NOT require interviews, but some do. Additionally, when students go visit colleges, it is wise to set up a one-on-one time with an admissions officer. For students who get nervous in interview settings, we help out by discussing interview skills and even staging mock interviews.
Discussion of Letters of Recommendation – We help students put together whatever they need to ask for letters of recommendation for their teachers, which usually includes different forms for different schools and various supplemental documents for teacher support. We give them a checklist for a good teacher rec folder, and we badger them until they get the information to their teachers!
