Welcome to Mosaic College Prep’s new blog! When parents and students first come to us, frayed nerves abound. It’s not uncommon to see tears. Parents often feel that they are the only ones who didn’t get the memo about the nuances of college planning. Students are convinced that they will be the sole member of their class that does not get into a “good” college. Where does the stress come from? For one, there is a pervasive feeling that high school is just a training ground for getting into a good school and that, because of this, if you’re not constantly considering how something will look on college applications, you are behind the 8 Ball. Add to this the fact that most students and parents have no idea exactly what to be doing to get ready and the misinformation chatter that circulates through the high school hallways and the stress mounts. Sound familiar? With college acceptance rates at an all-time low, the stress isn’t unwarranted, but it is unnecessary. We make it our job at MCP to stop the stress of college applications. So much of the anxiety comes from a lack of information regarding the process and what better way to help explain things than by keeping our families up-to-date with what is going on in the world of college applications! When we first meet a family, we find most of the questions that arise surround the shadowy mystery of what happens once the student hits the submit button. We want to share what we know with every college-bound applicant, making sure that everyone is able to breathe a little easier. As with everything, knowledge is power!

I became a college counselor because I wanted to educate and expand thinking about the college application process. At its best, this process can be transformational. Students have the unique opportunity to consider their stories -where they’ve come from and where they would most like to go. When it’s done right, the fear and anxiety that inevitably comes out at our first meeting, evolves into self-confidence and great enthusiasm for the next steps.

While it’s true that most of the application work comes up in junior and senior year, it’s never too early to gather information and to plan. So sit back, relax and enjoy as we take you through a year behind-the-scenes of college applications!