Preparing for college is a complex and rewarding process
We can help.
Through our long-term coaching, students have:
Our programs span from 8th through 12th grades. We help families in a systematic, multidimensional way. The students who work with us long-term get much better results than those who start with us in 12th grade. Our long-term students, who have worked with us all four years of high school, report they feel ready to go to college.
College Planning Foundations Program (8th-10th Grade)
We recommend this service for young teens who want to start planning for college early. Through six or seven one-hour sessions, Blue Stars Certified™ counselors guide students through the College Planning Foundations Workbook, helping them lay the groundwork for a successful admissions journey. At the end of the program, counselors meet with the family to report on the student’s progress and discuss next steps.
Workbook topics include:
- Identifying the key traits important to top colleges
- Writing a compelling personal narrative
- Exploring skills and interests
- Goal-setting
- Creating a college-planning timeline
Full-Service Annual College Planning Package (8th-11th Grade)
This service is for families seeking in-depth, sustained guidance. Students meet with a Blue Stars counselor once a month for strategic planning and for 1-2 holistic check-ins between strategic meetings. They work in close contact with their counselor throughout the year, and parents talk with Dr. M monthly. As Founder and CEO, Dr. M holds regular bi-monthly meetings with her staff and discusses each student in depth.
- Monthly one-on-one meetings with your Blue Stars Certified counselor
- Check-ins with Blue Stars Certified℠ counselor between meetings, as needed
- Quarterly parent-only check-ins
- Life coaching on time management, stress management, social media, and decision-making
- Customized month-by-month timeline for each academic year
- Guidance in setting SMART goals each semester
- Volunteering and internship readiness training
- Career exploration resources to help you find your passion
- Major exploration resources for your academic development
- Critical thinking resources for profile building and definition
- School research so you can begin to explore colleges
- Comprehensive records of all student achievement data
- Detailed progress reports sent to parents after every meeting
- Tailor-made list of summer programs and assistance with summer program applications
- Independent Project Coaching
Summer Planning Package
- Assistance with applying to summer programs, including editing essays and reviewing applications
- Internship-readiness program for developing a resumé and LinkedIn profile
- Interview preparation and training
- Expert coaching for developing a unique summer project
Blue Stars is proud to partner with a research program for high school students - Polygence. Through our partnership, students have the chance to work with top academic experts from R1 universities on individual research projects! Students who come through Blue Stars are offered a 10% discount to all research programs at Polygence. In addition, Blue Stars students have the unique opportunity to participate in the Polygence Career Sampler Pathfinders Program for free!
“I still remember her telling me that a student with a 3.5 GPA can also go to a good school.”
“We cannot thank Amy and Laura enough for making an incredibly difficult year more manageable and sane.”
“I still remember her telling me that a student with a 3.5 GPA can also go to a good school.”
“We cannot thank Amy and Laura enough for making an incredibly difficult year more manageable and sane.”
Latest News
The Five Most Important Features of a Successful Stanford Application
In our steady work helping students get admitted to Stanford (working with many of them starting in ninth grade), the Blue Stars counseling team has identified these five qualities as the most important features of a successful Stanford applicant and application.
Stress Management Tips for Teens (+ a Bonus Pro Tip!)
I remember working with Vince G. a few years [...]
Community Service Tips the Scales for College Applicants
Community service is important to colleges because it proves [...]