Coaching College Students

Winning a coveted place in the freshman class at the institution of one's choice is a terrific victory and an incredible opportunity! Young people who enter the uniquely American residential, liberal arts-oriented universities or colleges are about to embark on one of the most exciting and significant periods of their lives.

Attending university is a lifetime investment. It is certain to be among the most significant four years of a young person's life. The university experience can provide not only an excellent education, but also important skills, friendships and a network of influences that will shape and guide their lives. It will unquestionably be a taxing and, at times, a rocky path.

Students will be challenged in ways they can't imagine yet. No matter how strong their academic preparation was -- including students who come from the very best schools in the world -- they will face classroom material, learning and teaching techniques, life styles and value models with which they have never dealt. Their biggest challenges will be about making choices and decisions that can affect their lifetime.

Many students, particularly international students, also face the issue of learning to seek and accept advice and counsel, and of searching for and developing relationships with those who can and will mentor their progress and open their eyes to new possibilities. Secondary schools have rarely prepared students for the level of personal responsibility and decision-making, as well as the process of appropriate and inappropriate sharing of research and knowledge, which are part of the university experience.

Why are your admission counselor's services useful, even necessary, after your student has entered college? Because, as you may know, students in their first years at university are very hesitant to ask for help, or to admit that they are having any kind of problem, personal or academic! Calling home raises parents' anxiety levels; seeing a dean sounds like being 'sent to the principal'... a sign of trouble. Many juniors and seniors have said, "Oh, if only I had talked to you a year ago! If only I knew then what I am learning now!"

The college years are a period of radical growth and change... not only for the student, but often for their families as well. If it isn't 'your' student who is struggling with some upheaval, you can be sure that his roommate, the girl down the hall, or the boy in her history class may be dealing with drama or trauma that will affect the total educational experience of the troubled student's peers.

We provide sound, practical counsel and an experienced ear. We check in with students every 2 weeks -- but more importantly, we are accessible to students by phone, Instant Message (IM) or email, if they are in crisis ('What do I do? My computer just crashed... My roommate's brother was in a car accident... I have been sick in my room for 3 days... and my History paper is due at 9 AM!') - or if they are facing personal issues... ('My roommate keeps having her boyfriend spend the night in our room... what do I do??!').

Let us assure you that we do not in any way seek to replace the administrative and educational resources of the universities and colleges that your students will attend. Far from it, and quite the opposite. Our role is to support, motivate, nudge, guide your students to discover and to use the amazing array of opportunities, support services, and eye/door-opening connections with faculty, deans, librarians, career service counselors, etc., that populate every good college and university.

This service is available to former college admissions students of College Goals and to international students.