At the beginning of my college process I was both lost and nervous. I constantly compared myself to other students, and didn't think I could get into any of the schools I wanted to. Not only did Laura help me get into my dream school, but she also taught me a very valuable lesson. I am more than test scores and grades. The most important thing is who you are as a person, and what you give back to your community. Laura helped me develop confidence in myself. Not only did we work on college material, but we also worked on what skills are important to be successful like thinking through situations and how to push through academic and personal challenges even when I did not want to. I will carry those skills for the rest of my life.

 

Ben F., student, Hall High School '16

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As a high school sophomore my son, Anthony, had a very clear, yet limited, idea of where and what he wanted to study in college. He had his sights set on one school, and that was it. He wanted to attend a specific, competitive program in real estate and urban development and did not plan for much beyond that. We sought Laura’s guidance for many reasons: he needed to develop a strategy to realize his goals, he needed help to become aware of other suitable college options in case this plan didn’t work out, and he needed to learn how to deal with disappointment if he did not get into his first-choice college. Laura worked with Anthony from his sophomore year through his senior year. She helped him come to understand his academic profile in relation to the colleges he was looking at; she guided him in learning how to critically think through academic and social situations that appeared to impact his performance. With her guidance and support, Anthony willingly prepared for standardized tests and discovered that with applied energy and focus he could realize his goals. He became more deliberate in his approach to his academic and extracurricular activities. Later on, she introduced him to Chris Brennan, the founder of JEKL—a neuromuscular sports training program. Laura recognized Anthony’s struggle with self-awareness, occasional negative energy, and his mostly extrinsic motivations, and believed that Chris’ past experience as a coach for professional and Olympic athletes could help Anthony progress both mentally and physically. Anthony began attending JEKL to work out with Chis while continuing to work with Laura and the combination of the two helped him establish coping strategies and critical thinking skills that you hope, as a parent, your child will come to learn. He began taking accountability for his situation, and was able to understand his motivations as being extrinsically driven and started to change them. Laura also helped Anthony come to terms with the possibility of disappointment/rejection and how to manage that fear. He also explored other career options and identified productive summer activities. She structured his entire process but allowed him to own it. She organized and directed him through the entire process from filling out the applications, to brainstorming and editing essays, choosing schools, and ultimately, submission. Laura was always realistic and honest, yet pushed Anthony to challenge himself. Anthony completed the application process early and with little stress, and my husband and I could act as a support to him and allow him to own it completely. Laura’s help was essential. Thanks to her, Anthony was recently accepted to his first-choice college and program; more importantly he is ready to attend college! Anthony continues to workout with Chris and we now have Laura working with our second son, Lucca who is a current sophomore. Start early, it’s worth it.

 

Tina Riccio, mother of Anthony, Southington High School '18

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The college process is scary, intense and overwhelming for the entire family.  The most valuable asset Laura brought to the table was her ability to communicate openly and directly with our son. She was able to really see
what he wanted and needed outside of our wants and needs for him.

 

Communicating with stressed and busy teenagers is never easy but Laura made it a comfortable and successful experience for all of us.

 

Rhonda C. Wirth, parent

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From my first meeting, Laura took the time to get to know me as a holistic applicant rather than an admissions statistics, which aided in the critical development of my initial school list. By pushing me to consider schools I was unfamiliar with and educating me (and my parents) about a range of college choices, Laura broadened my horizons to other schools that offered a rigorous academic atmosphere coupled with tremendous leadership and extracurricular opportunities. This speaks to the invaluable guidance Laura provides from developing a college list and planning a standardized test schedule to guiding and helping to develop personal essays and submitting the final application.  She was there through it all, even when I received the first of many acceptances. Laura helped me realize that picking a college is not just about the name of the school but also about where I can pursue a challenging academic education and also maintain my involvement outside of the classroom, which was so important to me.  She helped me find an overall “best fit” and I’m grateful for that. 

 

Emily D., student

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My older brother had worked with Laura throughout his college application process, and so when my Junior year rolled around I knew I also wanted to work with Laura, someone who would help advise me throughout the challenging Junior/Senior year timeframe. I instantly developed a close relationship with her; I felt comfortable talking to her about anything and everything. Junior and Senior years of High School are emotionally difficult times for many people as they strive to find balance between academics, extracurriculars, sports, friends, family, and self time. I was personally breaking under the stress, and Laura came as a breath of fresh air, not only guiding me in my academic endeavors, but also helping me through my personal challenges. It was so crucial for me to have not only a college counselor, but a close friend who's "been through it all" and could assist with that part of my journey. It was also crucial for me to have someone who knew the ins and outs of college admissions and could thus advise me on what activities I needed to round me out holistically, and what types of details I needed to include in my application to make it stand out from the thousands of others. 

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It seems like high school drags on; that it takes forever to get to senior year. But the college application process flies by—Laura helped pace me so that it was not so much of a burden. She made the process fun, even—we would bounce off creative ideas for essays, get excited about different colleges, etc. In all, Laura was my savior throughout the whole process- without her, I don't think I would've had the insight, organization, creative ideas, and professional-looking application I needed to get into the school of my dreams.  

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Amelia O., student

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Laura listened to everything we said and truly understood how our daughter felt. It inspired a great deal of confidence that they developed a trusting rapport. She very capably put together a comprehensive and realistic timeline to meet our needs. The best part of this relationship was that Laura handled all of the "nagging" deadlines, allowing us to enjoy our time with our daughter. The entire process was well worth it when our daughter was accepted Early Decision to her number one choice.

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Sarah D., parent