College Counseling for Mountain View Families
Mountain View students grow up at the intersection of innovation and ambition. We help them channel that energy into applications that reflect who they actually are, not just what they have accomplished.
College Counseling Services for Mountain View Students
College counseling for families in Mountain View. This is a community shaped by the tech industry, where parents understand strategic planning and students are surrounded by ambition. The college process here requires the same thoughtful approach: clear goals, authentic positioning, and a plan that makes the most of what each student brings to the table.
College Application Strategy Where Most Families Start
School list building, timeline management, and positioning. Mountain View families often have global perspectives and wide-ranging interests. We help students build a balanced list that includes reach, target, and safety schools where their unique combination of strengths is genuinely valued.
Personal Essay Coaching
Story discovery, drafting, and revision. Mountain View students often have rich, multicultural backgrounds and distinctive experiences. The essay is where that comes alive. We help students move past listing achievements and into storytelling that admissions officers remember.
Interview Preparation
Mock interviews for selective schools. Mountain View students tend to be technically strong, but interviews reward warmth, curiosity, and personal reflection. We help students practice articulating their interests naturally, so the conversation feels authentic rather than rehearsed.
Course Planning & Profile Building
Strategic course selection, extracurricular positioning, and summer planning starting sophomore year. In Mountain View, where students have access to everything from robotics labs to community organizations, we help build a profile with focus and coherence rather than breadth for its own sake.
Financial Aid & Scholarship Guidance
FAFSA, CSS Profile, and scholarship search strategy. Mountain View is economically diverse, and many families benefit from need-based aid or merit scholarships they did not know existed. We make the financial side part of the plan from day one, so families can make informed decisions.
UC & CSU Application Support
PIQ (Personal Insight Questions) coaching and UC-specific strategy. For many Mountain View families, the UC system is a primary target. We help students navigate major selection, campus-specific strengths, and the PIQ prompts that can set a strong applicant apart from thousands of peers.
Aidan helped me understand subjects I was struggling with. He explains things in a way that actually makes sense and sticks with you.
We have helped Mountain View students build applications for top-tier private universities, UCs, selective liberal arts colleges, and leading STEM programs. In a community with this much talent and drive, our focus is on finding schools where your student will thrive, not just where the name recognition is highest.
Common Questions from Mountain View Families
When should we start college counseling?
Ideally sophomore year, when course planning and extracurricular choices start to shape a student's profile. In Mountain View, where students have access to a wide range of academic and extracurricular options, starting early gives families the time to be strategic rather than reactive.
My student is interested in STEM. Do you help with engineering and CS applications?
Yes. Many Mountain View students are drawn to STEM fields, which makes sense given the community they grow up in. We help with school selection for competitive engineering and computer science programs, and we work on positioning that shows depth of interest beyond just coursework and test scores.
Do you help with essays?
Yes. Essay coaching is one of our most requested services. We help students discover their story, draft, revise, and polish, for both Common App and UC PIQ essays. The goal is always an essay that sounds like the student, not like a consultant.
My student would be the first in our family to attend college. Can you help?
Absolutely. Mountain View is a diverse community, and many of our families are navigating the college process for the first time. We walk through every step together: applications, financial aid, campus visits, and decision-making. First-generation students often have compelling stories, and we help them tell those stories well.
What does college counseling cost?
Engagements typically start at $100/hour. We discuss fit, goals, and the right session cadence during the free consultation before making any recommendations.
Do you work with students applying to UCs specifically?
Yes. The UC system is a top priority for many Mountain View families, and the application process is distinct from private universities. We specialize in PIQ coaching, major selection strategy, and understanding campus-specific strengths so students apply where they are the strongest fit.
Your student has the talent. Let's make sure their application shows it.
A candid conversation about where your student stands, what schools make sense, and how to build an application that reflects their real strengths and ambitions.