Seek the Peak: FAQ and Free Resources

Seek the Peak: FAQ and Free Resources

When is the best time to sign up for college consulting?

The best time to begin working with a college admissions advisor is in the fall of the junior year. That third year of high school is the best opportunity to make choices about choices in classes and extracurricular activities and discuss and plan for the ACT and SAT testing.

Of course, we can help students with the process of choosing and gaining admission to college no matter when you contact us. Feel free to call at any time during your student’s high school career, or even after graduation, if you need help in making sense of college options and pathways.

In general, though, “the earlier, the better” is a good approach. A start during the junior year can reduce stress and allow for more opportunity to consider choices.

How expensive is college admission consulting?

The average American family will spend at least $100,000 on a child’s college costs. 

The use of a professional consultant to help you and your child determine the best higher education options, and to advance the processes of admission, financial aid, and scholarships, costs a relatively small amount in comparison to that investment.

The typical range of price for comprehensive college consulting services on Colorado’s Front Range is between about $2,500 and about $7,500, with an hourly rate between $100 – $250 per hour. That is about the same rate you would pay a therapist or other professional. 

Our rates are a solid value and very much in line with those local averages.

Free Resources

For Students

For Parents and Caregivers

Important Dates for High School Juniors and Seniors and College-Bound Students

College Search and Information

Recommended College Guidebooks

Scholarship Searches

Please note:  It is not a good idea to pay for online scholarship services. Most will be very happy to take payment, but offer little in the way of results. 

College Application

  • Common Application – college application and supplements accepted by over 800 member institutions.  (The newest version is now available, but essay prompts may not yet be updated.)
  • Universal Application – college application and supplements accepted by a select group of colleges
  • Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success – new portfolio-based application used by nearly 100 colleges
  • ZeeMee – smartphone app that creates a profile used to supplement the college application submitted to over 200 colleges

College Athletics

  • NCAA Eligibility Center – learn more about the NCAA, its athletics divisions, its sports and other information about collegiate athletics.
  • NAIA Eligibility Center – for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics member schools.
  • beRecruited – connect with over 25,000 coaches in 31 sports
  • Scholarship Stats – odds of playing college sports and athletic scholarship sources

College Majors & Career Planning

  • Educate to Career – provides occupations and salary outcomes by college and major
  • Glassdoor – provides an inside look at potential jobs and employers
  • MyMajors – provides searches and articles on majors and careers
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook – research potential salary ranges by occupation and region
  • PayScale – provides a survey and salary report as well as tips to help you accomplish your career goals
  • Roadtrip Nation – provides interviews with hundreds of professionals to help you “Define Your Road in Life”
  • Salary.com – provides articles on majors, jobs and earning potential
  • Study.com – offers videos on thousands of subjects including majors and careers
  • TryEngineering – provides helpful insights and articles about engineering careers

First Generation College Students

  • I’m First – online community that celebrates first-generation college students and that supports those who will soon join them.
  • College In Colorado – helps Colorado residents explore career and education pathways, plan and apply for college, and create a plan for postsecondary and workforce success.

DREAMer Students

  • College In Colorado – Includes a webpage where students without proof of legal U.S. residency and who wish to attend a Colorado public college or university can learn whether they may be eligible for in-state tuition and resources that include an eligibility calculator, information about scholarships for undocumented students, detailed information about how Colorado ASSET works, resources for educators who assist students who may qualify for ASSET, etc.

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