College Admissions Counseling
Our approach which begins as early as ninth grade, helps candidates explore their interests, strengths and opportunities. With individual consultation and guidance, students develop a strong academic and personal profile, one step at a time, resulting in flawlessly prepared college applications.
Preliminary Evaluation
Each GPEC student receives a comprehensive initial evaluation, covering grades, interests, activities, career goals and passions. During the interview, we begin getting to know the family’s needs and priorities and develop a timeline for the student’s current academic year.
Academic Guidance
Choosing the right courses and monitoring a student’s progress throughout high school are important. A GPEC advisor will make recommendations annually, including for Honors, Advanced Placement and IB tracks, and will provide advice for meetings with teachers and school guidance counselors.
Exam Preparation
Which standardized tests and when to take them can be confusing and a source of stress for both students and parents. GPEC will help map out a customized schedule of exams appropriate for the student’s strengths and make recommendations for tutors if necessary.
Extracurricular Activities and Community Service Recommendations
Grades and test scores are only half of a student’s story. Colleges and universities want to know what passions and skills a prospective student will bring to campus. Exploring areas of interest (sports, art, music, clubs, etc.), helping to identify community service and leadership opportunities and making suggestions for worthwhile summer programs are just some of the ways we support the development of a well-rounded applicant.
Career Readiness
Expertise Internships and real-world jobs show colleges that a student is mature, career-focused and ready to take on adult responsibilities. GPEC advisors help identify opportunities to obtain work and professional experience and can assist with résumés, cover letters and interview skills.
College Search Guidance
Creating a customized list of reach, target and safety schools is one of the most critical yet exciting tasks in preparation for the formal application process. Over the course of several meetings, a student’s interests, talents, academic track record and list of desired school characteristics are all taken into consideration to create a working list.
Campus Visit and Interview Preparation
Students are encouraged to visit as many college campuses as time and finances will allow. A GPEC advisor will provide guidance for visitations and a checklist to complete for later review. Preparing for personal interviews is important. Our mock interviews are a helpful tool to build a student’s confidence.
Parent Communication
Clear and ongoing communication with parents is essential. Regular check-ins ensure that everyone is up to date on a student’s progress and aware of next steps. Depending on a family’s preference, phone calls, emails and/or meetings are flexible ways to stay in touch.
Essay Boot Camps
Test scores, grades and lists of activities and honors make up the largest segments of a college application. But there is one more place where a student can truly distinguish him- or herself: the Common Application essay and the supplemental essays most colleges require. In 650 words or fewer, students have the opportunity to share experiences, hopes, dreams, lessons learned from failure, ideals or any other stories that answer one basic question: What would you like us to know about you? Two weeks of essay boot camp — one for Common App/Coalition App essays and one for supplemental essays — are offered the summer before senior year. Our process is tight and disciplined; students leave with essays that reflect their personality and draw together all of the elements of their application.
Task Organization and Management
Preparing for standardized exams, participating in extracurricular activities, working at a job or internship, writing essays, applying for financial aid and filling in a dozen multi-part applications can overwhelm even the most organized student. Your GPEC advisor is available for guidance on managing schedules and deadlines.
Application Preparation (up to 12 schools)
Years’ worth of preparation and hard work will culminate in beautifully prepared applications for up to 12 thoughtfully selected colleges and universities. By this point, we have created a unique profile for each student — a story that reflects his or her strengths, achievements, interests, skills and passions. A completed application will typically include grades, test scores, activities, letters of recommendation and at least one personal essay. Some colleges allow additional materials, such as an artist portfolio or clip of a musical performance, which a GPEC advisor will help to identify. By reviewing application requirements and highlighting important dates well in advance, families can be confident that everything will be fully completed and submitted on time.
Ongoing Support
During this intense but exhilarating journey, we offer enthusiasm, encouragement, answers to questions, access to resources and a promise of continual effort to do whatever is needed to produce the best possible outcome for each student. We are only a phone call, email or text away during the entire process.