Question 1

What can you expect from a BCC College Consultant?

Accepted Answer

At BCC, we take a comprehensive and collaborative approach to working with families. We regularly meet one-on-one with you to build meaningful relationships and ensure you are supported throughout your admissions journey.

We will serve as your family's mentor, advisor, and supporter. You will be assigned a primary college consultant as your main contact. Our entire consulting team collaborates to support you throughout your journey.

We provide unparalleled support, including: 
• Reducing stress with expert knowledge and guidance 
• Tracking deadlines and helping with organization 
• Assisting with high school course selection 
• Exploring interests related to college majors and careers 
• Choosing extracurricular activities and summer experiences 
• Creating a standardized testing plan 
• Building a tailored and well-balanced college list 
• Evaluating chances of admission 
• Conducting thoughtful college research and showcasing demonstrated interest 
• Advising on letters of recommendation and supporting application materials 
• Brainstorming, crafting, and editing application essays 
• Completing and submitting applications in a timely manner (students typically apply to 8-12) 
• Preparing for college interviews 
• Discussing college costs and scholarships 
• Providing ongoing support throughout the senior year 
• Evaluating admissions offers

Question 2

How are BCC consultants different from other educational consultants?

Accepted Answer

We are student-centered and data-driven. Our team of college consultants has extensive experience in selective college admissions—Harvard, Tufts, Michigan, Davidson, USC, UCLA, UCSD, and more—and college counseling. We have evaluated thousands of admissions applications, reviewed tens of thousands of essays, visited hundreds of colleges, and helped numerous students find the right college fit. We combine our 215+ years of admissions experience with our higher education research backgrounds to provide unparalleled support and advice to our families.

At BCC, we're not just about finding the right college fit; we understand that fit matters with a college consultant, too. We care deeply about our students and seek to build meaningful relationships with them to help them successfully navigate the college application process with less stress.

Finally, we serve as educational experts to various local and national media outlets and are members of several professional organizations that are considered the gold standard in college consulting, including the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the Independent Educational Consultants Association, and the Higher Education Consultants Association.

Question 3

When should a student begin work with us?

Accepted Answer

Students typically begin their work with us through our freshman strategy session, which can be scheduled any time after June of the student's 8th-grade year. Then, students continue to work with us through our Comprehensive or Premier Packages in either sophomore or junior year. However, we strongly encourage students to begin in sophomore year with one of our packages. We believe that early involvement increases knowledge and decreases stress for families. Because we limit the number of students with whom we work, we tend to fill spots by the fall of junior year.

We know how busy you can be, so our meeting schedule is designed to be flexible and accommodating. We have one family meeting and two student meetings in 10th grade. In 11th grade, we start regular monthly meetings in November. As you progress to 12th grade, we'll meet bi-weekly with you during the summer before senior year until your applications are completed in the fall. We continue to support students throughout the fall and into the spring with interview coaching, updating colleges, discussing admissions offers, and making the final decision.

Question 4

Do we only work with students applying to highly selective colleges?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not. We understand that each student is unique with different goals and aspirations. Our focus is to help you find the schools that will be the best match for you, where you will be happiest and thrive.

Question 5

Why should you hire an educational consultant if your high school student has a counselor at school?

Accepted Answer

The college search and application process can be confusing and overwhelming. Student-to-counselor ratios at many high schools are over 500:1, and current research shows that high school students receive only 38 minutes of personal college admissions guidance from their high school counselors. BCC consultants have the knowledge, expertise, and passion to assist you in successfully navigating every step of the admissions process with less stress. Our personalized approach ensures we have the time and resources to research colleges extensively, work closely with you to find the right fit, and help you stay informed, organized, and on schedule.

Question 6

On average, how many colleges do your students apply to and how many essays do they write?

Accepted Answer

We recommend that most of our students apply to 8-12 colleges. Not only does this number ensure the student has a well-balanced list in terms of chance of admission (likely, target, reach) but also this enables students to have the time and energy to thoughtfully and carefully craft each application to stand out. 
 
In addition to the main personal essay that most colleges require, many colleges also require students to write supplemental essays and answer additional questions. On average, our students who apply to 8 colleges average between 10-15 essays, those who apply to 12 colleges average anywhere from 25-50, and those who apply to 20 colleges often write 50+ essays.
 
We begin essay work with our students in spring of junior year and into the summer to help them brainstorm, draft and edit their essays so the bulk of the work is completed before senior year begins.

Question 7

What role do parents play in the college search and application process?

Accepted Answer

We believe the college admissions process should help students build confidence and maturity, preparing them for college and beyond. While the process is student-centered, we recognize that parents play an essential role. We help parents identify their appropriate roles and contribute their unique knowledge about their students.

After each student meeting, we send a detailed email recap to both the student and parents, covering what we discussed and the next steps. We also facilitate family meetings at several points throughout the process. Parents are always welcome to check in, ask questions, and express concerns.

Question 8

How do we schedule and communicate with you?

Accepted Answer

We work with families across the U.S. and abroad, and all of our meetings are virtual. This flexibility is one of the many benefits of working with a virtual college consultant. You can pick times that work for you using our online scheduling system. We regularly meet with you, breaking the process into manageable chunks to make it seamless and less stressful. Most communication happens via Zoom, phone, email, and text.

Question 9

Can you share some useful college planning resources?

Accepted Answer

College Research:
 • Fiske Guide (https://www.amazon.com/Fiske-Guide-Colleges-2021-Edward/dp/1492664960/ref=pd_lpo_14_img_2/136-1430444-9324642?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1492664960&pd_rd_r=6009453f-ef6f-4578-a40d-b54bef6905db&pd_rd_w=eMbq7&pd_rd_wg=DCOQH&pf_rd_p=337be819-13af-4fb9-8b3e-a5291c097ebb&pf_rd_r=TPXSCKTMCWYKVB3DXBYN&psc=1&refRID=TPXSCKTMCWYKVB3DXBYN)to Colleges by Edward Fiske
 • Big Future (https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/)from The College Board
 • College Navigator (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/)from the National Center for Education Statistics
 • Colleges That Change Lives (https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=colleges+that+change+lives&qid=1619123728&s=books&sr=1-1)by Loren Pope
 • The Best Colleges b(https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-colleges)y Princeton Review
 • College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/)from the US Department of Education

College Campus Visit Videos:
 • YOUniversityTV(https://www.youniversitytv.com/)
 • YouVisit(https://www.youvisit.com/)
 • CampusReel(https://www.campusreel.org/)
 
Standardized Testing:
 • ACT (https://www.act.org/)offers free ACT test prep including full practice tests from previous years
 • SAT(https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat)
 • Khan Academy o(https://www.khanacademy.org/)ffers free test prep

College Applications:
 • Common Application (https://www.commonapp.org/)used by 900+ colleges
 • Coalition Application (https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/)used by 135+ colleges
 • University of California Application (https://apply.universityofcalifornia.edu/my-application/login)used by 9 UC campuses
 • ApplyTexas (https://www.applytexas.org/adappc/gen/c_start.WBX)used by 24 Texas colleges
 • UCAS Application (https://www.ucas.com/students)used by institutions in the UK

Financial Aid, Scholarships and College Costs:
 • FinAid.org(https://finaid.org/)
 • FAFSA (https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa)(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) must be completed to be eligible for any need-based aid from colleges.
 • CSS Profile (https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/)many colleges require this in addition to the FAFSA to be considered for need-based aid.
 • Fastweb (https://www.fastweb.com/)comprehensive site including financial aid, cost, affordability information and scholarship search

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