College Counseling for Menlo Park Families
From course planning to application strategy, we help Menlo Park students navigate admissions with a clear plan, whether they're considering schools across the country or around the world.
College Counseling Services for Menlo Park Students
College counseling for families in Menlo Park. From Sharon Heights to Felton Gables, we work with students from both public and private school backgrounds, each with distinct strengths and distinct challenges in the admissions process.
College Application Strategy Where Most Families Start
School list building, timeline management, and positioning. Menlo Park families often consider a broad range of options, from top research universities to international programs. We help students build a list that reflects their actual interests, not just local trends.
Personal Essay Coaching
Story discovery, drafting, and revision. Menlo Park students come from varied backgrounds, public and private, domestic and international. We help each student find the story that makes their perspective memorable and their application cohesive.
Interview Preparation
Mock interviews for selective schools. We help Menlo Park students practice articulating their passions with confidence, whether the interview is with a local alumni representative or a virtual admissions conversation with a school abroad.
Course Planning & Profile Building
Strategic course selection, extracurricular positioning, and summer planning starting sophomore year. We work with Menlo Park students to align their academic choices with their application narrative, whether they're on an honors track or exploring interdisciplinary interests.
Financial Aid & Scholarship Guidance
FAFSA, CSS Profile, and scholarship search strategy. We help Menlo Park families navigate the financial side with clarity. Understanding aid options early can open doors to schools that might otherwise seem out of reach.
UC & CSU Application Support
PIQ (Personal Insight Questions) coaching and UC-specific strategy. Many Menlo Park students apply to the UC system as part of a broader strategy. We know the nuances that make UC applications distinct from private-school apps and international programs.
We've helped Menlo Park students build applications for UCs, private universities, liberal arts colleges, and international programs. With families here often weighing options across both coasts and overseas, our role is to help students find the environment where they'll do their best work.
Common Questions from Menlo Park Families
When should we start college counseling?
Ideally sophomore year, when course planning and extracurricular choices start to matter most. Menlo Park families who begin early have the most flexibility to build a cohesive profile. But we help at any stage, including senior fall for application crunch.
Is this just for students applying to elite universities?
No. We help students find the right fit across a wide range of options: UCs, CSUs, private universities, liberal arts colleges, and international programs. Many Menlo Park families are considering schools outside the typical Silicon Valley list, and we welcome that broader perspective.
Do you help with essays?
Yes. Essay coaching is one of our most popular services. We help Menlo Park students discover their story, draft, revise, and polish. For UC applications, we also coach PIQ writing, which requires a different approach than Common App or Coalition essays.
My student would be the first in our family to attend college. Can you help?
Absolutely. We specialize in making the college process clear and navigable for all families, regardless of background. First-generation students often have incredible stories to tell. They just need someone to help them see it and communicate it. We walk through every step together.
What does college counseling cost?
Engagements typically start at $100/hour. Some families want comprehensive support from sophomore year through senior spring, and others need focused help during application season. We discuss fit, goals, and timeline during the free consultation before making any recommendations.
College planning starts with a conversation
A candid discussion about where your student stands, what schools align with their goals, and the first steps to building an application that reflects who they actually are.