College Counseling for Woodside Families
Thoughtful, personal college guidance for a close-knit community. We help Woodside students find schools where they'll genuinely thrive, with a process that values fit over rankings.
College Counseling Services for Woodside Students
College counseling for families in Woodside. Near Portola Valley and nestled in the redwoods, Woodside families tend to value genuine fit over prestige alone. We bring that same philosophy to the admissions process.
College Application Strategy Where Most Families Start
School list building, timeline management, and positioning. For Woodside families, we take the time to understand what your student actually wants from their college experience, then build a balanced list of schools where they'll be happy, challenged, and supported.
Personal Essay Coaching
Story discovery, drafting, and revision. Woodside students often have distinctive experiences shaped by this unique community. We help them translate those experiences into essays that feel honest and compelling, revealing character rather than chasing trends.
Interview Preparation
Mock interviews for selective schools. We help Woodside students practice speaking about their interests with confidence and warmth, so they walk into any interview prepared to make a genuine connection.
Course Planning & Profile Building
Strategic course selection, extracurricular positioning, and summer planning starting sophomore year. We help Woodside students build a profile that reflects their genuine interests and commitments, creating a narrative admissions officers can follow.
Financial Aid & Scholarship Guidance
FAFSA, CSS Profile, and scholarship search strategy. We help Woodside families understand aid options, merit scholarships, and the financial landscape so that the best-fit school is also a financially sound choice.
UC & CSU Application Support
PIQ (Personal Insight Questions) coaching and UC-specific strategy. Many Woodside students include UCs in their college list. We know the nuances that make UC applications distinct, from PIQ structure to campus culture differences across the system.
We've helped Woodside students build applications for UCs, private universities, liberal arts colleges, and CSUs. In a community that values individual growth over prestige, our role is to help each student find the school where they'll do their best work and feel at home.
Common Questions from Woodside Families
When should we start college counseling?
Ideally sophomore year, when course planning and extracurricular choices start to matter most. Woodside families who begin early have time to explore options thoughtfully rather than rushing through the process. But we can help at any stage, even senior fall for application crunch.
Is this just for students applying to elite universities?
Not at all. We help students find the right fit, whether that's a selective private university, a UC, a CSU, a liberal arts college, or a community college transfer path. Woodside families often prioritize environment and culture alongside academics, and we welcome that approach.
Do you help with essays?
Yes. Essay coaching is one of our most popular services. We help Woodside students discover their story, draft, revise, and polish. For UC applications, we also coach PIQ (Personal Insight Questions) writing, which requires a different approach than Common App 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.
Finding the right college starts with knowing your student
A relaxed conversation about where your student stands, what matters to them, and how to find a school where they'll thrive. No pressure, no sales pitch.