Getting acquainted guide. Dunce - College planning that s clever

Transcription

1 Getting acquainted guide Dunce - College planning that s clever We guide quirky, hyper-intelligent, alternative, and super-creative students to less-obvious college options and epic opportunities outside the classroom. Here s a quick read for ya to see if we should work together. You ll find out more about who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Ready? Let s go!

2 A QUICK NOTE FROM ALEX ELLISON - FOUNDER OF DUNCE There s some confusion in the marketplace, so I thought I d take this quick opportunity to clear things up, right off the bat. Some college planners are all about getting you into a good (brand name) college. They jump with you through the hoops to get into a Harvard or a Yale or a Berkeley. I see this as the wrong focus. The days of being guaranteed a solid job after college and a gold watch upon retirement due to attendance at one of these famous institutions is gone. But the price tag and prestige still remains. Is it worth bending your life and academic path just to fit in at one of these schools? At Dunce, we don t think so. You re already amazing. What you may not realize is that you have more power than ever before to do whatever you want with your life during and after high school. You don t need to bend to these famous schools demands. You already have strengths, passions, and tendencies that, I guarantee, a handful of lesser-known, but albeit amazing schools would love to foster. These schools fit your life, your interests, and your family s financial standing - not the other way around. It just takes clever college planning. I look forward to helping you tap into your strengths, magnifying the value you bring to the world, and finding the perfect after-high school experience for you. Stay Clever, Alex Ellison

3 MY DECLARATION TO YOU Instead of getting you into a famous school,we ll find an amazing school that will fit you. We work for the student. Parents - although we keep you fully informed and value your voice, we work for your kid(s). We ll have to take their side. We ll need to get to know you. Getting to know you takes time and can t be rushed. We need to learn your strengths. Your likes. Dislikes. All that jazz. But we ll get there, and it s totally worth the time. You won t find cookie-cutters here. We don t see you as a cog in an educational industrial machine. You re a human. We wouldn t dare push a one-size-fits-all plan on you. You have a unique path and we ll work together to find it. Dunce is a no-rush zone. Picking the right after-high school path isn t something to be thrown together in a week. Or two. Or even three. We believe in spending the time with you to make your investment (one of the biggest you ll ever make) totally worth-while. Get involved. Your involvement and enthusiasm are absolutely required for your success. We thrive on relevant information and constructive feedback. Trust us. You re hiring us because we have particular know-how that you don t have.

4 The Process... The earlier we start working together, the better. This is because each year of high school introduces its own opportunity to construct a unique building block to your 4-year college-prep fortress. Here s how this works (Quick note - you ll notice there s a lot to do. Don t worry. It ll fly by and we ll make it enjoyable)... Freshmen and Sophomores - Engage As a Freshman, you ll learn to engage in school and outside of school; you ll gain the confidence to put yourself out there and make your voice heard. Most importantly, you ll learn how to engage in your environment by creating something new. Here s a few specific things we ll do together your Freshman and Sophomore years: Discuss high school plan, including activities, clubs, level of coursework (AP, Honors, etc.), Volunteerism and academic support Identify priorities Personality, career and interest assessments Building a support network Talk about expectations, hopes, fears and assumptions around college. Sign up for and take PSAT. Discuss high school plan, including activities, clubs, level of coursework (AP, Honors, etc), Identify priorities. Overview of school types Discuss summer opportunities and programs. Build resume and activities list to track involvement. Create accounts with College Board and College Prowler. Create a custom blog to discuss...well...whatever you want! Proctored practice tests. Conversations about aligning interests and goals with the college search. Understand how college admissions works and demystify the process. Create a summer plan to stay engaged and active.

5 The Process (Continued)... Juniors - Explore During your Junior year, you ll explore colleges you ve never heard of, interesting programs of study, and alternative paths to greatness. Here s a few specific things we ll do together your Junior year: Sign up for and take the PSAT (National Merit Qualifying exam). Check in with academic plan and level of coursework. Take proctored ACT and SAT and create testing plan (SAT, ACT, AP s, Subject tests, etc.). Develop list of criteria for college search. Discuss good-fit college options and begin creating list (this is a BIG one). Talk about college research methods and how to get questions answered. Plan for summer. Begin financial aid discussion. Register for tests. Continue creating college list. Discuss major, minor and other program options. Begin writing first draft of Common Application essay and honing writing skills. Create Common Application account. Discussion of and practice for interviews. Finalize college list with 8-10 schools. Visit colleges and discuss pros and cons. Arrange for interview, if applicable. Study for 2nd round of tests, if applicable. Finalize Common Application essay. Begin independent scholarship search and discuss search techniques. Create calendar with known due dates and deadlines. Practice essay-writing techniques.

6 The Process (Continued)... Seniors - Execute You re so close! As a Senior, you ll receive the guidance and direction you need to submit applications, apply for alternative programs, and write essays that tell your story. In short, you will DO. Here s a few specific things we ll do together your Senior year: Register for any tests that need to be retaken. Create application accounts with colleges that do not accept the Common Application Begin supplemental and school-specific essays (these will all be kept in Google Docs. for editing and revisions) Decide which schools to apply Early Action, Early Decision and Regular Decision. Update calendar with due dates and deadlines. Create checklist for each college to track application progress. Identify 3 teachers/counselors to write letters of recommendation. Finish and submit Early Action and Early decision applications, essays and supplemental materials. Request transcripts be sent to all schools. Send final test scores to all schools. Complete CSS profile on (only certain schools require this financial document). Finish and send all Regular Decision applications, essays and supplemental materials. Upon receipt of college offers, discuss pros and cons Evaluate financial aid packages and discuss options for financing education. Complete FAFSA. Arrange for any final college visits.

7 PRICING Initial Consultation $80 This is where we ll start. You ll have an hour to meet me and my team (if they re around at the time), and we ll see if we re a good fit. This isn t just a quick meet n greet. You ll have an hour to pick my brain about the admissions process, allow me to bust some myths, and whatever else comes up. 10-Hour Package $1200 Pretty simple. This include: Comprehensive aptitude test (via YouScience.com) to discover how you re wired. Personal account with CollegePlannerPro.com to keep us on track. 10 hours of one-on-one attention from our team of experts. 5-Hour Package (renewals only) $500 After your 10-Hours are up, you then have the option to purchase 5-Hour packages until we re (sniff, sniff) finished working together.

8 WE DON T: WE DO: 1. Promise to get you into an Ivy League school (or anywhere). That s ultimately up to you (but I can help guide you along). 2. See the Ivy Leagues (or most famous schools, in fact) as the end-all, be-all of college supremacy. 3. See any college as the answer to a fulfilling life or a guaranteed meal ticket. Nothing is guaranteed, (especially nowadays). However, college IS a perfect setting to blossom into a remarkable person (if you find the right one). 4. Recommend viewing college as career development. Things change so fast that, by the time you graduate, there s a very real chance that your major will be obsolete (we ll shift the focus so you come out on top no matter what). 1. Help you discover and amplify your strengths, passions, and true interests. 2. Help build your personal brand (yes, you do have one). 3. Work with you to find a list of colleges that fit YOU. 4. See the value in the more innovative, quirkier, less expensive but oh-so good smaller schools. 5. Take into consideration a quality, highly productive and growth-inducing gap year (yes, colleges like this - if done correctly). 6. Explore opportunities during high school that leverage your strengths, passions, and true interests. 7. Walk you through the admissions process (it s not as scary as it sounds). 8. Bust myths about the whole process.

9 STILL WITH ME?... Think we ll be a good fit? That s awesome! Time is of the essence. Here s the next steps Click the link below to fill in your Dunce Questionnaire so I can learn more about you and your after-high school goals. 2. At the end of the questionnaire is a link that you ll click on that takes you to PayPal to book our initial consult. 3. Within one business day of submitting payment for the Initial Consultation, we ll you a link where you can schedule a date/time. I can t wait to help you make the most out of your high school days and launch you into the stratosphere afterwards. Click Here To Fill In Your Dunce Questionnaire Stay Clever, Alex Ellison

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