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Frequently Asked Questions:

What do college consultants do?

College consultants offer assistance and guidance with all aspects of college planning and admissions. We work with students to identify their academic goals and personal interests. We provide guidance in selecting high school courses and extracurricular activities. With the students' goals and interests in mind, we create a list of colleges for students to consider. Finally, we help our students create compelling and convincing applications.

Most importantly, college consultants are educators. We equip you and your student with the tools and information you need to make one of life's most important decisions. In working with SOAr, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the college admissions process, the trends in admissions and how they relate to your student's circumstances, and the key topics you need to understand to find a college that best meets your student's needs and preferences. SOAR addresses practical topics such as standardized testing, financial aid, college majors, careers, summer programs, interviewing, and essays.

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Why would someone hire a college consultant?

There are many good reasons to hire a college consultant. Families choose SOAR for many reasons, including:

• Because college choice and the admissions process are stressful, detailed, confusing, and very, very important.
  
• To assist in analyzing and articulating academic and social needs and goals, and identifying colleges that will provide the "best fit" for those needs and goals.
• For expert, personalized advice on what colleges are really looking for, how to write the admissions essay, and how financial aid works.
• Because school guidance counselors have large caseloads, limited time, and are not focused solely on your student.
• For a knowledgeable sounding board and a reality check. When it comes to college admissions, "you don't know what you don't know." A qualified college consultant will have the level of knowledge necessary to fill in the gaps on your own.
• Because our services are designed to be a convenient and efficient part of a busy lifestyle.
• To learn about unique educational programs and opportunities.
• For assistance with organization and time management.
• To take the pressure off of Mom and Dad and help maintain family harmony during a stressful process.
• So that their student's unique personalities and talents shine through in their college application!
• Simply put, engaging a college consultant is an investment in your student's future success and well-being. 
  

Why should I pay for a scholarship Consultant?
​A scholarship consultant is affordable to utilize. Most professionals are equipped to provide very reasonable prices to their clients to ensure they are offered the most effective guidance at an affordable cost. Scholarship consultants guide applicants through all potential funding options that may be available to them for college tuition. Students often focus on these kinds of professionals when attempting to make sure they have access to as much potential as possible in being able to successfully pay for college through their aptitudes and talents. People that are considering the idea of attending college are usually quite excited about the opportunity. This excitement could also turn to stress when trying to consider how they will afford tuition while sorting through all potential sources of funds that may be available to them. A scholarship consultant can often be the bridge between students and parents to help motivate them to their potential.   Investing in your future is well worth it.  Most scholarships are between $500- 20,000.  The ability to win just one scholarship will pay for your initial investment of hiring a professional consultant. 

How would an independent educational scholarship consultant benefit me if I receive guidance from my school? 
Each school counselor may be responsible for 400 or more students each year which limits their scheduling time to help discuss and find scholarship funding for college. Applying for a scholarship has become an involved and competitive process. You may want more individually focused time than your school counselor can't provide. In addition, meetings can be scheduled to fit you and your parent's schedules. We routinely schedule meetings in the morning, after school, and on the weekends.  My goal is to complement the services you receive from your school so that you can find the scholarships that best fit you and have the time that you need to use an expert at every step in the process.

What special services do you offer your clients?
I handle all aspects of the scholarship search and application process. I offer a series of career interest and personality assessments to ensure that students have a career focus as they enter the college and scholarship search process.  For individuals who are required to submit application essays, I read all essays and provide feedback within 48 hours of when I receive a student draft.  For students who will have admission and/or scholarship interviews, I also provide practice and coaching sessions.  

When do you schedule your appointments?
Typically scheduled appointments are in the mornings, after school, and on the weekends. I try to work around school schedules as much as possible.

Is this service only for high-achieving straight 'A' students who desire the most competitive scholarships?​
No, but having good grades help. Most often recipients of scholarships have a combination of good grades, volunteer experience, and extracurricular involvement.  I work with students who have a wide range of test scores and GPAs.  I have experience assisting students in choosing scholarships at all levels of competitiveness. If your school marks are not that good, I will be happy to recommend and make suggestions to make you more eligible.

Are students seen individually or in groups?
Our college scholarship planning sessions are intended for individual students and their families. I believe that each student should have my undivided attention when we meet.

With all the information available to students today, can't we just do this ourselves?
Absolutely. Keep in mind that time becomes very limited and the learning curve is very steep. My goal is to reduce the stress families and students experience during the scholarship search and application process so that the entire process is easier on students and parents.  Competitive scholarship is changing and becoming more complex and stressful. My role is to simplify the process because I have experienced this with my own children. 

When should a student start the scholarship planning process? 
This process can start when you begin high school. The competitive nature of college scholarship rewards those who begin planning early. Your courses and academic record starting in the ninth grade affect your scholarship options as a senior. Start thinking about scholarship options and colleges as a freshman and become more focused as you move through your sophomore and junior years.  The earlier you are able to start working with me, the greater your success at finding the scholarships that fit your unique needs.

Do you complete financial aid applications?
I am happy to assist our clients in working with their FAFSA and if required, the CSS profile. Financial fit is a very important aspect of finding the right college and is an important aspect of my practice. This is automatically included in all comprehensive service packages

I am home-schooled. How would your services benefit me?
I assist all types of students. To begin with, we can ensure that your strengths as an individual are enhanced to meet the requirements of the scholarship process. As with all our clients,  I will assist you in setting goals and positioning you to apply for a scholarship while providing important support and professional guidance as you move toward every step along the way. As a home-schooler, it is very ​ important to document your subject mastery through SAT II or AP tests and detailed records of your high school years when available.

We don't live in the Georgia area. Can you provide services to us?
Our out-of-town clients typically schedule a regular telephone call or a web-based video conference using Skype. I have found that regular teleconferences or video conferences work just as well as face-to-face meetings.   Feedback on application essays can always be exchanged via email

What types of scholarships are available?
There are thousands of scholarships available. They can be based on one's academic, financial need, gender, disability, and many more.

How much money have your students earned doing this scholarship search program?
Each student's success varies based on their motivation and commitment to the process. S.O.A.R. consultant in no way represents guarantees or warrants the viability, awarding, or funding of any of the scholarships.