The College Essay Package is a combination of services that will help a student plan, write, and revise an outstanding college essay. It will provide important guidance on the school-specific supplemental essays as well.

The college essay is one of College Specific's specialties. Founder Cassie Nichols has taught the essay in the classroom, at international workshops, and to hundreds of private clients. She has also published a book on the college essay, entitled The College Essay Trap.

All counselors at College Specific have been trained by Cassie, and she personally reads and evaluates every essay we review.

*This is a popular package with limited availability, so it is best to purchase it by the end of junior year.

"When we read an application and then discuss an application in our Admissions Committee, we consider both the academic and the personal qualities of each student. We think about what a student has accomplished within the context of the opportunities and challenges he or she has faced. And we seek those students who will bring a variety of experiences, backgrounds, interests and opinions to the campus. We especially appreciate students who love thinking hard about things and who like to make a difference in the world."

- Duke University

Application season is demanding, complicated, and stressful. But for an ambitious college applicant, surviving application season with sanity intact is not the only goal.

While it is important for a student to submit all applications, essays, résumés, rec letters, portfolios, and more to the correct school by the correct deadline, it is also essential that each of these components be as thorough and polished as possible. With so many details and so much pressure, it is highly recommended that students have a careful plan for how to approach application season.

The Application Season Strategy Session will help them develop that plan, and will help enable them to approach application season in a way that will reduce confusion, stress and errors, and effectively showcase their record and unique abilities to each of the schools on their list.

The college interview is not simply a formality; it’s an opportunity for students to set themselves apart from other applicants, and can also be a great way for students to learn more about the colleges they're interested in attending.

We've found that many students get anxious about college interviews—especially their first one—and this can sometimes have an adverse effect on their experience. As with most intimidating situations, however, the anxiety can be markedly diminished through preparation.

The College Interview Prep Session is geared toward making the student comfortable with the interview process. It includes a discussion of the process—including what sort of things an interviewer is looking for, and what effects the interview might have on the school's selection process—followed by a mock interview to familiarize the student with the interview process itself.

During application season, it is important for students to check in periodically with their College Specific counselor to ensure that everything is on track, and that no important deadlines or details are being overlooked.

Normally, these meetings are scheduled on a monthly basis, beginning in September or October and ending in December, just before the last applications are submitted. This package includes three meetings, which is usually all that is necessary. However, more meetings can be purchased if required.

Before the student submits a major application—the Common Application, for example—an experienced counselor will sift through it line by line, verifying that the application is complete, that there are no errors, and that the information included represents the student in a positive way.

This service takes a lot of the anxiety out of one of the most stressful parts of the process, and helps avoid the delays and negative consequences that can result from erroneous or confusing information. Please note that this service takes place via email, and includes a grammar check of the main application essay, but not a comprehensive essay review or edit.

"Academic strength, certainly as an indicator of how thoroughly you've been prepared to succeed in a dynamic interdisciplinary environment, is key. To that end, the amount of intellectual challenge you've taken on based on what is offered in your educational environment will be highly important."

- University of Michigan

In order to succeed during this complex and important period of high school, it is critical to have a full understanding of what is required of both students and parents, and to formulate a plan that takes into account each student's unique strengths, aspirations, and capabilities.

The Junior Year Planning Session is a detailed discussion of how a student can maximize academic and extracurricular activities in a way that will best ensure a wide range of options during the college admissions process that will take place the following year. During this session, students will create a roadmap for junior year. It includes academic and extracurricular planning, guidance on standardized testing, summer planning, and more.

Ideally, the Junior Planning Session takes place before the class schedule for fall of junior year has been finalized, either near the end of sophomore year or during the summer before junior year classes have begun.

One of the most important parts of a successful college admissions season is a college list that aims high but is also realistic. The college list is the foundation upon which much of a student's application season workload will be based. In our experience, students who take the time to build a college list that excites them—but is also balanced—have a much more successful and enjoyable senior year.

The College List-Building Session will help students begin to explore the many college opportunities available to them, and provide them with online resources to narrow their options down to a list of about a dozen colleges that are most ideally suited to the individual student's needs, desires, and capabilities. The counselor will also offer guidance on planning college visits, if desired.

A shorter Follow-Up Session is also included in this package, during which a student's subsequent college research and campus visits are discussed and a balanced college list is finalized.

After a Junior Year Planning Session has been completed and junior year has commenced, two check-in meetings, one during the fall and one during the spring, will help keep the student on track and ensure that all questions are answered and potential issues addressed in a timely manner.

The Fall Semester Check-In Meeting should occur after classes have begun, but before winter break (and before the College List-Building Sessions outlined above).

Topics that were discussed during the Fall Semester Check-In Meeting are revisited during this spring meeting to ensure that the student is still on track. As with the prior check-in, the Spring Semester Check-In Meeting will cover current academic performance, standardized testing, and will include a broad discussion of senior-year classes. In addition, this is an opportunity to talk about any summer plans that have not yet been finalized, with an eye toward how they will impact the college admissions process.