We are an alliance of the most talented college planners using the most effective strategies in the industry.
Our approach is grounded in research and experience. We exceed expectations and enrich lives.
We are a collective.
Why do we do it?
We've grown tired of seeing so many students and families limit their options or worse, get in over their heads in unnecessary debt. More importantly, we feel that what we do is important. We want to be a part of this important and life changing decision and in doing so, we hope to impart powerful and life changing guidance. We came together to share our strengths, wisdom and experience in order to bring you the most comprehensive college advising platform in the country. We are independent thinkers. We are optimists. We live to serve others. Our approach is based on years of unbiased and painstaking research. We discovered that there was a problem with rising higher education costs before it became mainstream and a frequent political soundbite. We developed a unique, compelling and proven solution that has been working for over a decade.
We did our research: most families overpay for college.
Actually, you don't have to do too much research. Just ask around. See how much families are borrowing to pay for college. The cost of attending even a public college can overextend a typical family's budget. Add to this the burden of multiple college students from the same household and you can understand why student loan debt is breaking our country. For many families, this does not have to be the case. There are techniques and strategies that you don't even know exist that can make all of the difference.
Not all college planners or admissions counselors are the same.
This is who we are.
When was the last time you rode a bicycle with just one wheel? Not many people can pull that off. This very principle sets us apart from most other college planners. College planning typically revolves around one wheel or the other.
Wheel #1 - These planners (sometimes known as admissions counselors) can help you choose a career, the right majors and even recommend great colleges that are a an academic fit for your student. However, with costs of attendance reaching north of over $60,000 per year, most people cannot afford the very colleges that these planners recommend. These families remain financially limited with their options.
Wheel #2 - These planners simply explore college funding and investment strategies and have no real expertise in college selection or the true impact their financial recommendations will have on your financial aid. Sometimes they work with a team of admissions counselors to form a more well-rounded planning approach, but ultimately colleges still remain unaffordable and financially out of reach.
We are the bicycle, a truly comprehensive and research-based approach to college planning. We will help you find AND pay for the right college. Setting the right academic track towards a 4-year graduation, implementing the right financial strategy and obtaining the best possible discounts (institutional scholarships and grants) towards your cost of attendance is the most effective and complete solution.
What we are not.
We are not an "outside" scholarship search organization. Many outside scholarships can actually have a negative impact on institutional college financial aid. Also, we are not a student loan or lending institution.