Important Information Pertaining to:

All Rising 9th - 12th Grade Packages & Services

College Advising Support Information 

College Advising Planning meetings focus on the pieces prior to the application process such as activities/summer planning, high school course selection, exploration of majors, admission testing planning, college list choices, and more. 

**We will be working through Google documents to provide and work with specific resources, so parents and students will need a Google compatible email. **

Client Meetings

• 1st Meeting
• In order to have everyone on the same page, we encourage students and parents to join the first college admissions planning meeting together. 
• Additional Meetings
• We encourage students to meet with the advisor alone so they can start to own their admissions process and develop more independence. 
• Parents are welcome to join for the first 10 to 15-minutes to ask questions or book separate meetings to get questions answered. 
• The parent emails we have on file are included in student notes and to-do lists.  
• We are conscious of students’ busy schedules and attention spans so we plan meetings to be laser-focused so students can optimize their time. 
• Full meetings are up to 60 minutes. 
• Brief meetings are up to 30 minutes. 
• Scheduling meetings is on the onus of the student or family.

College Application & Essay Support Information

College Application & Essay meetings and support focus on the application process such as the application itself including the activities list and questions as well as the personal statement and essays required for various colleges. 

More Information

• We encourage students to complete all application work by November 1st.  This ensures students can take advantage of important early application opportunities, prepare their best quality work, and reduce stress in the 12th grade year. With this in mind, all Essay & Application Support Packages expire December 15 of 12th grade.

• Our support is for self-directed students who can manage the application and essay tasks independently.  
• Students are responsible for organizing, researching, and managing their application process, including all tasks, deadlines, application requirements, and more. 
• **We will be working through Google documents to provide and work with specific resources, so parents and students will need a Google compatible email. **

Application & Essay Meetings

• All application/essay meetings are for students only. 
• This is a time for students to find their own voice and deepen their independence. 
• We ask that parents please not participate, sit in the same room, or attend college application/essay meetings. 
• Scheduling meetings is on the onus of the student or family.
• We are conscious of students’ busy schedules and attention spans so we plan meetings to be laser-focused so students can optimize their time. 
• Full meetings are up to 60 minutes. 
• Brief meetings are up to 30 minutes. 
• We are not able to provide application/essay support for scholarships, summer and honors programs, etc within the CORE and PREMIUM packages. 

Payment Information

• ***VERY IMPORTANT - Your advisor has provided a link to your online store to select and purchase your service. 
• Please visit that link and complete the purchase of your service. 
• Use the primary parent email in the checkout process. 
• This email address will receive an emailed confirmation of purchase as well as a Welcome Email with the link to book your first meeting and additional steps before meeting with your advisor. 
• Please check your spam box if not in your inbox. Email hello@thebestu.net for any questions. 
• If you select a payment plan option, the credit card provided will be automatically charged according to the schedule provided at the time of purchase. 
• In the event that a payment is not completed services will be paused until payment is received. 
• Payment plans are available for PREMIUM and CORE Packages see your online store for payment options. 
• For Hourly & 4-Hour Flex Package - We bill in 10-minute increments and charge for meeting time, as well as time spent outside of meetings on correspondence, research, review of essays/applications, building college lists, and more.

Roles

Student Roles

• Students are responsible for organizing, researching, and managing their application process, including all tasks, deadlines, application requirements, and more. 
• We uphold an ethical essay process and believe that there can be “too many cooks in the ‘essay’ kitchen,” which can damage student applications. Students are responsible for writing and using their own voice in essays with the guidance of the Essay Specialist.
• Human errors are natural. Students must do final edits before sending applications. 
• Be active, engaged, and thoughtful in your college admissions process.
• Stay on top of your tasks, deadlines, and do your work ahead of time. You are responsible for managing and completing all tasks.
• Be open to suggestions and advice throughout the process.
• Keep your parents and counselor in the loop throughout the process.
• Explore and apply to a range of schools that match your fit factors and are realistic options that include likely, possible, and reach schools.

Parent Roles

• Parents are welcome to provide context to the essay specialist directly to help round out the student’s story, especially in the brainstorming stages.  
• At times, parent or teacher expectations of the essays can be different from the ability, voice, and interests of the student and what colleges want to see. We ask that you please trust the process. 
• Empower your students to be independent and fully engaged in the process. When parents dominate the student’s process, students tend not to be fully involved in their process and have difficulty understanding who they are and what they want. The most successful college admissions process happens when the student can take ownership of the process.
• Gentle check-ins and task reminders when needed. 
• Prepare for how to pay for college/apply for financial/assist with the scholarship research process. 
• Help your student with scheduling, registering, planning, and booking, if needed.