If you hire me, I’ll help your family develop a strategy to save money at the many colleges and universities that are generous with merit aid. For example, my current student has decided with his parents that he would like a sizable scholarship to a school where he will most likely be accepted. They have a reasonable request, and I have a proven plan to help them afford college. In the end, the family will save thousands of dollars, above and beyond my comprehensive consulting fees.

I was a public school teacher for twenty-four years, and I have my master's degree in Health and Consumer Sciences Education. I am certified in the state of Massachusetts in career and vocational education. I have taught several college and career preparatory and mental health education classes over the years, while working very closely with school counselors and adjustment counselors. My students range in learning differences, and I know how to modify projects (both short and lengthy) for students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Anxiety and Depression. Additionally, I have Sheltered English Immersion training, so I am qualified to work with students whose first language is NOT English. For six years, I volunteered my time as a college consultant at my high school. After being told by many students and parents that I have a “knack” for this kind of work, I began advising students outside of my school and in my community. AK College Consulting was born in 2022!

The “Services Offered” portion of my website lists all of the services I will provide once your family commits to AK College Consulting. A comprehensive approach is what works best, and I offer hourly services. I am available by phone, email, Zoom, and in person as needed and as stated in our contract.

I am an active member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, and I read the IECA updates daily. I spend about twenty hours each week, reading and keeping up to date on higher education and college admissions. I also belong to weekly college counselor collaboratives where we continuously share best practices. This is my commitment to excellence, for myself, my students and their families.

Parents are welcome to attend any meeting, and part of the comprehensive package includes meetings where I update parents as needed.

This is why comprehensive consulting is so important. By spending time with your child, and your family, I will feel more confident about who my student is and where they need to be, academically, socially and emotionally. Together, we will match what we know about the applicant to a particular school. Because I have researched and toured so many colleges, I offer insight and add schools to the list that may not have otherwise been considered.

When students take the career and skills assessment through AK College Consulting, they become more self-aware and self-confident. We get to the heart of who they are through several conversations and validated tools, and we also have a better idea of what careers and college majors are of interest to them. It is a lot to expect that a high school student will know exactly what they want to do when they graduate from high school or college. Through the career and assessment process, we will eliminate the obvious while spending time figuring out the direction for which they will turn and thrive.

There is no possible way for me or any college counselor to guarantee admission to a university. My job is to guide the student with patience, thought, and meaning. I am an expert in college advising, and I will treat your child the way in which I hope my child would be treated if the tables were turned.

As a former high school teacher, I had the privilege to work closely with school counselors in college and post secondary planning. Most college counselors are stretched too thin, especially with the rise of mental health complications in teens over the past ten years. School counselors are pressed for time, and it is not their fault. That is where I come in to save the day or the year!

“Bonding Before Business” is the phrase one of my favorite professors repeated to us in graduate school. I love teenagers, and my students will know it shortly after meeting with me. I spend hours and hours reading about best practices, and I have worked with countless students in their admissions processes. When families commit to the comprehensive services package, I have the opportunity to give teens what they need when they need it. In this way, the parent can and will relax more. Leave the gentle reminders and nagging to me.

A good teacher is able to extract from the student the best of their personal talents. This is my overarching objective as your family’s college consultant. We start with our creative writing exercises lessons before beginning draft one. I encourage my students to write a piece that makes them stand out from the rest of the applicants, keeping in mind that admissions officers will be more receptive to captivating reads. For ethical reasons, I will not write the essay, but I will help with brainstorming, providing feedback, and editing.

Three years ago, a student walked into my office and told me that he didn't like school, he didn't like to study, and he had some learning differences. He was going to college for lack of another plan. The admissions process made him anxious. What he didn't know at the time, was that he was and is more than his grade point average and standardized test scores in high school. Through a series of questions, conversations, and some mutual respect, we arrived at a place where he was able to share with me all of the amazing things he did throughout high school. With my coaching, he felt comfortable enough to communicate who he truly was on his application and his essay. He received merit scholarships and acceptances that surprised him and gave him hope.

I do not tutor students who need assistance with SATs or ACTs, but I will connect you with only the best in the business.