Why would we consider paying for private college counseling when there are counselors at our high school?

By no means should an Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) replace the role of the high school Guidance Counselor.  Rather, it should be an enhancement to the college planning process with a personal touch!  With budget cuts, increasing enrollments and greater demands on Guidance Counselors, students and parents may feel the need for a more personalized and focused approach to their college search and application needs.  Capstone consultants are not limited to working with students and their families within the school year or the school day alone.  With the flexibility of meeting in the comfort of their own home or other locations near home after hours or during the weekend ensures we know the students well, providing personalized and customized college counsel.   And, because Capstone is independent, we spend upwards to 20% of our time visiting college campuses all over the country to know about a college in person and not simply from a recruiters visit to the local high school!  Additionally, we attend local and regional workshops and conferences for the purpose of staying abreast of growing trends in college admissions and financial aid.  And perhaps most valuable, with over 2,000 colleagues across the country working independently with students, the collective knowledge is unmatched.

We don’t live in the Atlanta area, does this mean we would have to find another college planner other than Capstone?

No way! Capstone can serve students both locally and long-distance through our virtual consulting services.  By utilizing tools such as Facetime, Skype, or Zoom along with Capstone’s unbelievable Student Portal resource, students can experience the same benefit of Capstone’s personalized service as do local students.  We serve students from local towns such as Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Tyrone, Sharpsburg, Newnan, Fairburn, Hampton and Lovejoy located in Georgia, and Huntsville and surrounding areas in Alabama.  We also serve students from our neighboring states such as Tennessee and Florida, and even places as far away as Germany.

How important is it for my child to do something other than work or “having fun” during the summer?

Summers are a valuable time to invest in experiences that not only prepare the student for college academically, but provide opportunity to serve others, learn more about themselves and intentionally customize the road to college.  With only 3 summers available during the formative high school years, being intentional about your summer could make all the difference between colleges.  Athletic camps, religious affiliated camps, Academic camps, Tours, Volunteer experiences, Internships, Political experiences are only a few of the many experiences upon which a student can embark.

My son is a junior in high school and thinks he wants to major in Graphic Design when he gets into college.  How can we be certain of this career choice before spending time and money on college expenses?

There are a couple of methods Capstone has utilized in bringing a better understanding and assurance to knowing more about major and career selection as students continue on their journey to college.  As a high school junior or senior, Capstone administers the Strong Interest Inventory® assessment.  As a Certified Strong Practitioner, Mark is able to assist in interpreting the report generated by the student.  These results are able to identify key areas of occupational interest and further develops these interests into potential career categories and major subjects.  As a secondary measure, Capstone encourages and attempts to find internship opportunities in these areas of interest to provide moments of hands-on exposure.  Capstone’s membership and relationship with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce provides a virtually unlimited supply of endless possibilities.

We seem to have waited until the last minute to start the college search process.  Is it too late?  Can we still call Capstone for help?

Yes!  While running behind the schedule of most students pursuing college, starting “late in the game” doesn’t mean you won’t get into a very good college that is also a very good fit!   Many colleges and universities have a rolling acceptance policy that sometimes stretches into the summer months.  Our suggestion is not to panic!  We can definitely still help!

I don’t think my child is ready for college, but he graduates from high school this year!  What should we do?

It is completely normal for some high school graduates to take a year off from academics before starting college.  It is important that the student has a plan!  Gap year experiences can vary across the board from local 1-2 week experiences to full-year world-wide explorers.  It’s important to find the experience that fits best for the student and the family and one that meets the needs a student may have in preparing for that college experience.

When do you recommend we begin college admissions counseling?

Capstone can begin at any point throughout high school.  Ideally it’s important to know the sooner a student can begin, the more prepared they will become.  Capstone has plans for high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.  It’s never too late, and certainly never too early!

I noticed you have a Christian College Option regarding your services.  Does this mean we would have to consider a Christian college even though we are not interested in Christian colleges?

Absolutely not.  The Christian College Option is available for students with an interest in pursuing Christian higher education.  If this is not an interest of the student, colleges of this nature will not appear on the list.  Remember, it’s all about a good fit!

If my child decides to defer college for one year for a gap-year experience, when should we actually begin the college admissions process?

This often depends on the institution.  However, many institutions require students to go through the admissions process the same as their peers.  Upon acceptance it is encouraged students inform the college of their intent to take the following year as a gap year.  Often times the college will defer their enrollment for the following year.  Some colleges will require a re-application, but will utilize the other elements of the admissions file for re-acceptance.  Because this process is usually institutionally specific, Capstone advises students to contact the office of admissions to ask of their policy on gap year experiences.

My daughter is in her first year of college, but does not want to continue past this year.  What should we do about the likelihood of her transferring?

Transferring can be extremely stressful on students.  After all, they are students at a college and taking classes at the college they intend to transfer away from.  It is important for these students to talk through their options before making this critical decision.  With implications to financial aid and potentially losing credits along the way, it could remain to be more costly than first realized.  Capstone’s experience in assisting transfer students could prove to be helpful to the student considering this as an option.

We think we could benefit by Capstone’s assistance with only the application and essays.  Does Capstone assist with only certain aspects of the admissions process?

Yes.  However, Capstone’s holistic approach to assisting students provides a more comprehensive perspective on college selection and admissions.  It is not unusual, however, for some families to request assistance with only certain aspects of the admissions process.  In this case, Capstone bills by the hour.