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Your College Counseling Journey Begins Here.

Greenhaus College Consulting offers a variety of services from comprehensive college planning to mentoring students towards their college and career goals. With the Greenhaus approach, we customize each service to meet your needs. Located in San Diego, we work with local clients in person and with clients out of the area by Skype, email and phone.

Services Include:

 

Assisting high school students in building a solid academic plan will prepare them for a successful college experience. When we develop a strong academic foundation, we take into account the student’s possible major, selectivity of the college, and freshman requirements for private and public universities. Expert Academic Planning goes beyond scheduling classes, it focuses on a four year plan and takes into consideration a student’s passions and interests. Careful consideration is taken to prepare future engineers and science majors. We will also explore how you might add summer classes for credit through community college, online options and pre-college programs.

Jumpstart to College focuses on sophomores wanting a head start on college planning in order to be more prepared during junior year. This package will include academic planning focusing on how to prepare for UC and selective private schools admissions and summer activity planning. College planning sessions can help to educate families on how colleges evaluate applications and how to set yourself apart early in the process. STEM Majors are advised to begin college counseling earlier in the process.

ACADEMIC PLANNING:

Academic preparation is the strongest prediction of how well a student will do in their first year of college. Students who take rigorous classes are more prepared to earn high grades in college. Getting a jumpstart on this process is imperative so that we have time to make changes in the students curriculum prior to the junior year. We will identity the UC requirements as well as how to prepare best for STEM programs and selective college admissions. Each students academic plan will be tailored towards their interests and goals. Options for summer classes for credit will be explored as well.

CAREER ASSESSMENT:

Greenhaus College Consulting utilizes The Strong Interest Inventory® which is an assessment that helps students to match their interests with educational, and career goals by using an individual’s preferences in a variety of areas to aid them in discovering potential career options. Students identify their work personality by exploring their interests in six broad areas: realistic, artistic, investigative, social, enterprising, and conventional. They will receive a copy of their test results and a follow up assignment to help them further explore their interests.

SUMMER PLANNING:

Colleges are taking note of a students activities during the summer. While many school based clubs and programs are not available during the summer, colleges still would like to see how creative a student can be in choosing their own activities and be committed to something that demonstrates their commitment to their local community. What you do In the summer can really help you stand out. During these planning sessions we will discuss how best to use your time In the summer and spread out your time between projects, classes, programs, volunteer work other activities of interest.

EXTRACURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT:

Extracurriculars are a critical part of a students college application, as they demonstrate who you are outside of the classroom and provide an opportunity to showcase your leadership skills and community involvement. Colleges want to see involvement in these activities for several years and it takes much time and commitment to build an authentic extracurricular resume that strategically enhances a students overall profile. We will spend time discussing which activities make sense to pursue given their interests and how colleges will evaluate each activity.

PHASE 1: SPRING of Junior Year

Exploration: When we first begin working with students, we like to spend some time helping them learn about who they are, and how that will translate to their educational choices about college and their decision of where to spend the next four years. Once students learn more about themselves, they feel more confident about making decisions. The overall goal of this phase is to have the students emerge from this process with self confidence and the enthusiasm to move onto the next phase.

This process will include:

  • Personality Testing, Learning Style Quiz, Educational Questionnaires, and Career Matching Assessments.
  • Discussions about school work.
  • Academic planning for senior year.
  • Testing strategies.
  • Volunteer work and summer planning.
  • Building good relationships with teachers.
  • Educating Students and Families on the College Admissions Process.

 

PHASE 2: SUMMER before Senior Year

Planning: Summer is a great time for our students to become organized and focused on the college search process. Our ultimate goal is help our Seniors be prepared for the fall.

The planning phase consists of:

  • Developing a customized list of 10-15 colleges.
  • Evaluation for Potential Merit Scholarships.
  • Refining the Student Activity Resume.
  • Beginning the college essay.
  • Developing topics for supplemental essays.
  • Campus Visit Planning and Preparation.
  • Developing an Action Timeline to help keep the student on task.

 

PHASE 3: FALL of Senior Year

Applying: The goal of the application phase is to make sure the student is fully engaged in the application process. The counselor is ready to answer questions and keep the student on task and focused. The major activities included are listed below:

  • Follow an Action Timeline to meet application/essay deadlines.
  • Complete any of the outstanding work from Phase 1 & 2.
  • Prepare Brag Packets for Teachers/Counselors to assist with Letters of Recommendation.
  • Begin the Common Application/UC Application/CSU Application.
  • Essay Brainstorming/Review Sessions.
  • Application Strategies: Early Decision, Early Action.
  • Help with Demonstrating Interest to your top choice colleges.
  • Review and Revise all of the applications prior to submission.
  • Financial Aid Consulting for Families.
  • Interview Preparation.
  • Documentation Follow-up.

 

PHASE 4: SPRING of Senior Year

Selection: The goal of this phase is to evaluate all of your options to find your best college fit. The major activities included are listed below:

  • Consultation on various college options.
  • Financial Aid Award Breakdown.
  • Freshman Transition Advising.
  • Accommodations Advising for LD & ADHD Students.
  • General Consultations as needed.

We offer expert guidance for students interested in pursuing visual/performing arts BFA and BA programs. SERVICES INCLUDE:

  • Building a college list of creative colleges, art schools and traditional 4-year schools with art programs
  • Exploration of college majors within the school of arts- illustration, fine art, graphic design and other creative majors.
  • Identifying and organizing portfolio requirements for each school with deadlines
  • Preparing for college visits and interviews

The number of sessions of a transfer student package is based on the number of applications as well as the time frame for transfer. Our guidance focuses on helping the student to best articulate themselves in the transfer admissions process.

SERVICES INCLUDE:

  • Academic Planning/Course Selection
  • Customized list of 6-8 Colleges
  • Refining the student activity resume
  • Developing Essay Topics
  • Application Review
  • Campus Visit Preparation
  • Developing an action timeline
Application Review

We assist students with completing applications and reviewing their final draft before submitting to the colleges. Special attention is given to the activities section of the college application. Students will need to present their student resume as a way to showcase their talents and skills. Our goal is to help them present themselves as their best candidate.

Essay Coaching

While some students will have little trouble getting started with the essay, revising the essay and focusing on key factors that make it personal will be the most challenging part of the application process. Others will procrastinate on how to begin their first draft and need assistance with how to brainstorm for topics. Overall, the essay can create some stress for students and having an essay coach help to guide you in a positive direction can make all the difference.

Greenhaus Consulting has worked with many students with various learning differences including anxiety and attention deficit disorder. We have a broad understanding of how colleges interpret the academic profile of a student who has struggled throughout high school and has had difficulty reaching their full potential.

Services Include:

  1. Evaluating the students current ability to be successful in college
  2. Evaluating the current support programs available on campus
  3. Setting up accommodations on campus
  4. Developing a transition program
  5. Finding off-campus educational resources

This package has been quite useful to many families as it prepares students to arrive on campus with a solid plan in place. Few consultants offer this level of support and consultation. We offer a customized mini package that focuses on getting ready for college. One on One student sessions are combined with educational research and parent consultations. This service can be quite helpful for students needing to secure academic accommodations through the Office of Disabilities but is not limited to these services. Sessions can include, choosing classes, special housing, resources for learning support, preparing the student to interface with the office of disabilities, setting up a college success plan over the summer, and registering for summer classes. Greenhaus Educational Consulting will interface with the office of disabilities at your university and help you to locate additional resources to help you succeed.

Academic coaching is available to students who wish to improve their academic skill set.  Making the transition to college can be quite an adjustment for students who have struggled with various learning challenges during high school. Weekly coaching sessions are customized and structured to meet the needs of each student while assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Students will focus on practicing better study habits, keeping track of weekly assignments, how to avoid procrastination, getting organized, interfacing with professors, understanding the syllabus, examining their personal motivation and taking ownership of their academic success. The goal of academic coaching is to assess the students current level of functioning while assisting them in creating both short and learn term goals. While the majority of students begin using our academic coaching services during freshman year, these services can benefit students at any point in college who experience obstacles that might prevent them in achieving their full potential.