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The College Admissions Journey
Everyone starts off the college admissions journey from a different place—maybe you’re super excited to jump in, or quietly content that you are well prepared for this moment. Or maybe you’re in a puddle of distress, wondering how to begin.
No matter where you start, the end goal is the same: a college or university that fits who you are and who you want to become.
Every family’s admissions journey will look a little different because every family, and every teen, is unique. But the main stages of the journey will be the same.
Charting Pathways helps teens chart their own paths to college by guiding them through these stages.
Know Thyself: who are you right now and who do you want to become? You will want to find colleges that fit your interests and preferences and help you grow in ways true to your values, so the first step is learning about yourself.
Know Thy Parameters: determine your personal academic profile and your financial situation so that you will be able to find colleges that match
Compile the Preliminary List: Create a list of about 20 schools that fit your personal preferences, interests, and values, and that match your academic and financial parameters
Gather Intel and Whittle Down Your List: research, research, research!
Application Season: this stage becomes the most stressful when it is left to the end; start early, and you’ll sail through!
Decision Time: from the school that fits you best to comparing your financial aid awards, there is still work to be done after applications are submitted.
Packages and Services
Charting Pathways specializes in guiding you through the full admissions journey, but we know that sometimes you just need a little push to get unstuck from a particular stage, so we have service packages for those times, too.
Charting My Course (all-inclusive package): taking you through the foundations (Know Thyself and Know Thy Parameters), the list building, applications, and decision time. Families can start as early as the summer before junior year.
Finding My Way (underclass add-on): for the families that want a head start, work on the foundations stage begins before the junior year. More time is spent on planning the high school experience and financial situation.
Sketching the Map (applications only): for the (rising) senior who wants help pulling together, working on, and tracking the various components of a college application, from formulating your overall narrative, to crafting the activities list, and producing polished essays.
Single Waypoint (one essay only): for guidance on a single essay of your choice
Hourly: Not ready for a full package? Just want a check-in to make sure you are on the right track? We’ve got you covered!
“The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side.” ~Margaret Carty
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