A Different Kind of College Admissions Advising
Lisa Kok College Advising offers
A SANER APPROACH
Do you want to get into the best school--or the best school for you?
The first answer leads to a lot of anxiety. The second leads to a better result.
The college admissions process can be maddening, but there is a "saner approach."
This approach has only two steps, but they yield excellent results, both in admissions and in mental health.
# 1 - Research yourself. Or, quite simply, think. Begin early in high school to think about the kind of person (not applicant) you want to be
#2 - Research schools - and you!
It seems overly simplistic. But it isn't. Research is the most important task applicants must do, but the one into which they often put the least effort. And that is a mistake.
Research the schools. Read through a Fiske Guide, even some of the entries of schools you are not interested in. It will help you compare. Dig into the schools' websites--deeply. Go to the academic program you are interested in and read the course descriptions. See what research the faculty are doing. Explore the campus organizations. If the school is grabbing you, go a step further and read the campus newspaper.
Research yourself (Socrates told us to!). What kind of vibe makes you most able to thrive--laid back or competitive? Do you feel happy near nature or do you crave an urban, energy filled environment? Do you prefer a campus with ample opportunity to join or create social action initiatives or do you crave a school that shows out in droves for college football games?
Putting together your college list is not a one shot effort. It will evolve as you do over the months between the summer before Senior year and application deadlines. That can cause anxiety; however, choosing the final list will be a whole lot easier if you know the schools, and yourself as an applicant, well.
Why engage an independent advisor?
Many high schools, even prestigious ones, have only one counselor for every 50 students. They simply may not be able to offer the attention you need, especially when you have ten or more supplemental essays to write. It is rare that they are available to you during the summer and breaks, when much work needs to be done.
Even if you are well-satisfied with your school's college advising staff, sometimes you just want another point of view.
FREE ADVICE
Whether you work with me, with another counselor, or on your own -- start early. Even in 9th grade, get a spiral notebook and record your extracurricular activities (you would be surprised what you forget!). Jot down thoughts as you have them. Starting early is not the same as obsessing; instead, preparation will give you a greater sense of control and lessen your anxiety.
About
Click below to read about my experience, credentials, and most importantly, my philosophy about college admissions.
Services and Fees
My fees are hourly and increase during times of great demand in the application season. You can save money doing a large share of the work in the summer before Senior year, which will make your Senior year easier and save money as well.
Grad School/Transfer
In some ways the process of applying to graduate school or of transferring is the same as when you first applied to college. In some ways it is different.
I can help.
Testimonials
"The skills and versatile knowledge of Lisa Esposito Kok had a transformative effect on our son's college application process; what had been a daunting mass of obstacles to engaging [our son] in the quest became one with less stress and pressure with her intervention...In tandem with his high school counselor's work, our son's eyes were opened by her encyclopedic knowledge of the American and international collegiate landscape--not to mention her brilliantly guided coaching of his essay writing that was focused and targeted in a way we could not have imagined from his school during a busy senior year. She helped us to focus on building a CV that included sharpening the strength of his extra-curricular activities, and nobody could have prepared him more rigorously for his college list. Indeed, her coaching and guiding of the supplementary essays and personal statement were indispensable to getting him into the interview process and then, in our happy conclusion, his acceptance into the stellar university he now attends as a freshman. Whether the student is in NYC or anywhere in the States, I would have no hesitation in recommending Lisa, with her savvy and diligence, as a College Admission and Essay Writing coach." S.C., parent, NewYork City, N.Y.
"Lisa was beneficial in helping me tackle the mountains of supplemental questions and providing good feedback on other parts of my applications. Without her help and guidance, I'm not sure how I'd have managed to complete fifteen college applications." T.M., student, New York City, N.Y.
“I had the pleasure of working with Lisa twice, for freshmen year and as a transfer. I looked forward to seeing her each time. Sessions with her were never boring for me, rather, something I was eager to do. The application process is not easy, and often I would get stuck on a prompt. Lisa helped spark ideas and guided me to take my uninspired drafts of answers to boring supplement questions and turn them into enlightening and intriguing responses I was more than proud to submit. Every supplement she worked on with me was creative, well written, informative and really showed I had done research on the school. Each and every one of my applications, whether to my first choice school or a likely, was an amazing application. Despite Lisa’s incredible writing abilities she is so warm and friendly and is so helpful in every aspect of the application--from the technicals of the common app, to the writing bits, to even figuring out where to apply. I could not recommend her enough!!!!" D.B., student, Wash., DC
"I contacted Lisa when my child was in the second half of 11th grade. It was the best thing I'd ever done. She made the process so much easier with her knowledge and patience. As a parent, there were two things that were important to me: one, that my daughter felt comfortable with her and two, that I could approach her whenever I had a doubt or just to vent my frustration. She fulfilled both of my needs." M.B., parent, New York City, NY