Why College-Bound Families Value our Services

Students and families are losing a lot of sleep over college admissions. We want to give you back your time and the relationship you have. Do you really want to spend time arguing about the grammar in that CommonApp essay? Did I hear you say, ‘What’s the CommonApp?”

Let’s back track and describe just what it is that we do. We provide college admissions help. Our clients range in grades from middle school to high school, located throughout the US. They come to us because we help them expand beyond the classroom into summer opportunities, explore pre-professional experiences, or even apply to a college prep/boarding school. We work with students where they are and present opportunities for them to reach their full potential.

See How we Relate to Students

Case study: A young man in the 10^th grade, wasn’t sure of what he wanted to be when he grew up but knew he wanted to go to college. We started out by conducting an in-depth interview with the student and his guardians. The student performed 2-3 internal inventories/assessments that we administered. Over the weeks and months to follow, we met with the student to discuss high school course selection,  testing plan, and, as it sometimes happens with teenagers, an academic and social matter that came up during the term. Where we spent a bit more time was on reviewing a selection of summer programs that were a good fit for his interests and goals.

I loved living in Hanover while a student at Dartmouth College. Visited again in October 2010 to get an admissions update. . . Things have changed!

Our firm has spent the past several years visiting these programs, meeting with directors, reading the research reports, and developing a database of knowledge. Out of the hundreds of programs available, we presented a few programs that matched with the student. There are typically essays involved and our role there was to assist the student in developing his voice and telling a story that only he could tell. It’s his “hook” and it’s what makes him stand out among all the other applications submitted. The student writes the essay and we are what you might call their “voice” coach.  We worked with the student on who to ask for a recommendation, requesting transcripts, score reports, etc. Based on our work with the student, we may recommend a study plan for testing. It all depends.

At every step of our work with the student, it’s personalized to the student. We’re not pushing any favored programs.

Junior year and senior year services involve a similar personalized plan. As the student moves closer to the application process, we discuss specific colleges, a campus visit plan, and mock interviewing. All registered students have ready access to our student portal, where we can share comments, look at data on admitted students, and organize the entire admissions process.

High school students have a lot on their plate already. With our services, they’re in the driver’s seat but we are their navigator and coach. Our watchful eye and steady guidance is there to help the student avoid accidents, so that college graduation is in view!

About Dr. Pamela Ellis

Photo of The Education Doctor visiting Occidental College. Can you believe this was taken in January?

We are able to provide these personalized and research-based advisory services under the direction of Dr. Pamela Ellis — The Education Doctor — who has 20+ years in education research and formerly a financial executive in the private sector. Dr. Pamela has advised K-12 school districts, colleges/universities, and after-school programs on academic achievement. The Compass curriculum was developed by Dr. Pamela through her research on transition and retention, and first piloted at Stanford University with a high school writing program. She brings her base of research knowledge and client service excellence to families so that they can be strategic and intentional about education. Dr. Pamela is a graduate of Stanford University and The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Her doctorate was granted from the Stanford University School of Education. You can catch her weekly online, as host of The Education Doctor Radio Show.

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Each newsletter features a summer program, boarding school, and college.

Yes, The Education Doctor really is my registered trademark!