Testimonial 4

KIND WORDS FROM OUR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

College Mode's “best-of”

The college process can be all-consuming and pretty stressful. For our family, we wanted to try to make it as low-key as possible. And a big part of that was getting some help in areas where we knew it could benefit our son. To be honest, we didn’t really know what we needed before we worked with College Mode. It all feels pretty daunting, so we started by meeting with them to understand the process. While they helped us in so many ways there are two areas that really stand out and for us and set them apart in our minds.

1. College Mode's “best-of”: Vetted information and resources that provide context and help offset information overload. So much of what we saw working together was that we were familiar enough with things or had a lot of information but didn’t always have the full picture or solid context. It was really hard to wade through so much information and know what resources, software, programs, information were better than others. Plus being in information overload felt like it would make decisions harder for us. That’s a big part of what makes it overwhelming. With Sharon and Lynn’s support we were able to lean on their “best of” recommendations and use that to guide what our son did in creating his list of colleges; in developing his essay; and for us in better navigating the process of paying for college. Looking ahead we plan to take the same approach with narrowing down our son’s choices, comparing college packages, and finding scholarships to help lower costs.

2. Agency: Helping our son find his own voice; use it to tell his story and take ownership of decisions. This one is probably the most important to us. Our son worked with Lynn and Sharon to tell his authentic story in his college essay and in supplemental essays. A big part of this was the fact that they got to know him during the process. Through their essay workshop and prep with him, they were able to help him develop a narrative that he felt was very authentic to him. In the end, when you read it you feel like he is talking to you from the page. That’s exactly what we had hoped as it’s so important to find a way to set yourself apart from others in your application. No easy feat. Getting to know him gave Sharon and Lynn insight into who he is and what matters to him, and they used that knowledge to help guide him in telling his story.

With support and guidance from College Mode, our son has developed skills that will serve him always, and we are so grateful for the guidance and support they have provided. –Parent of ’20 Graduate