For 16 years, Susan Taub has been advising students to attain their goals of finding the best fit colleges and guiding them through the admissions process to achieve a positive outcome. Susan assists students and parents throughout the United States and internationally.
What Can I Offer You?
Evaluate academic, personal, and extracurricular background.
Guide selection of appropriate and desired colleges.
Assess chances of admission to target colleges.
Help in developing a time line for the admissions process.
Guide students, through self-assessment, to identify 'hooks' and strengths to highlight on their application.
Help with specialized arts program selection and admissions, as well as planning for the specific requirements of the artistic review process.
Assist in every aspect of the application (excluding financial aid): selection of essay topics, editing of essays and short answer questions, presentation of extracurricular achievements and academic recognition.
Offer suggestions on how to solicit the most effective letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselors, as well as suggestions regarding supplemental recommendations.
Suggest ways to make the most of college visits and appropriate contact with professors, admissions officers, coaches, alumni, and students.
Work with the student on how to continually express interest in particular colleges, often a factor in the admissions process.
Prepare a student for alumni and on-campus interviews through mock interviews and offering tips.
For tenth and eleventh grade students, assist with course planning, testing schedule, extracurricular choices, and summer activities.
Provide support and open and honest feedback through every step of the process until after the waitlist (if necessary) and guide in choosing a college once acceptances are offered.
Services
College Counseling
INITIAL EVALUATION AND COLLEGE SEARCH
(May be credited toward a package)
I evaluate the student's academic, personal, and extracurricular background by reviewing his/her high school transcript (courses and grades), test scores (SAT, SAT Subject Tests, ACT, AP), current class schedule, extracurricular and personal activities and accomplishments, awards, and a student questionnaire. I review the student's college search criteria, academic and career interests, and list of colleges and estimate his/her chances of admissions to these schools. I provide suggestions of ways to highlight the student's strengths and accomplishments and address any weaknesses. I assemble a suitable list of colleges for the student based on my findings from the evaluation and the student's college preferences and interests. This is a finite service without any back and forth counseling, but results in an individualized detailed report.
SENIOR YEAR COLLEGE COUNSELING PACKAGE
(6 - 12 months of counseling, ends June 30 of senior year) This package includes the Initial Evaluation and College Search, finalizing the college list, development of a time line for the student's admissions process, help with the application process including brainstorming topics and reviews of multiple drafts for 8 full essays (up to 650 words; 2 essays of 300 words or less can count as 1 full essay), preparation of an annotated activities and achievements resume, preparation of supplemental materials, choosing whom to ask for recommendations and submitting statements to teachers and guidance counselors to assist them in writing these effectively, suggestions for highlighting 'hooks' and strengths, suggestions of ways to express specific interest in each college, overall application review, suggestions for college visits and contact with college personnel, interview preparation including mock interviews, handling deferred or waitlist status, choosing from college acceptances, and support throughout the process for both the student and parents through unlimited email support.
JUNIOR & SENIOR YEAR COLLEGE COUNSELING PACKAGE
(18 - 24 months of counseling, ends June 30 of senior year) In addition to everything in the Senior Year College Counseling Package, this package can start at any point in junior year and also includes help in choosing a possible college academic focus or direction, summer activities planning, assistance with any summer program admissions processes (if applicable), course planning for senior year, testing schedule plans, college visit plans, extracurricular choices and initiatives, assistance with two additional essays (for a total of 10 full page essays up to 650 words; 2 essays of 300 words or less can count as 1 full essay) through unlimited email support.
SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR & SENIOR YEAR COLLEGE COUNSELING PACKAGE
(28 - 36 months of counseling, ends June 30 of senior year)Includes everything in the Junior/Senior Package, aimed at those starting services during 10th grade.
Performing Arts Counseling
Students seeking arts college programs with specialized requirements - such as for musical theater, acting/drama, music, film, fine arts, dance or architecture - need to order a performing arts package and not a regular counseling package.
SENIOR YEAR PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGE COUNSELING PACKAGE
(6 - 12 months of counseling, ends June 30 of senior year) For students going through the specialized, rigorous, and selective theater college admissions process, this package includes all the services of the regular Senior Package plus specific help with choosing an appropriate program (i.e. BA, BFA, or BM) and criteria for selection of a theater program, along with solicitation of artistic references and guidance through the audition process and preparation of special requirements, including audition materials, headshots, compilation of a theatrical resume, and artistic supplements to non-audition colleges.
JUNIOR & SENIOR YEAR PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGE COUNSELING PACKAGE
(18 - 24 months of counseling, end June 30 of senior year) Starting at any point in junior year, this package includes all that is in the Junior and Senior College Counseling Package, as well as any arts training plans that are applicable to college theater applicants. Due to the complexity of the performing arts college process, students should begin as early as possible.
SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR & SENIOR YEAR PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGE COUNSELING PACKAGE
(28 - 36 months of counseling, end June 30 of senior year) Starting at any point in sophomore year, this package includes all that is in the Sophomore, Junior and Senior College Counseling Package, as well as any arts training plans that are applicable to college theater applicants. Due to the complexity of the performing arts college process, students should begin as early as possible.
Additional Services
ESSAY SERVICE
(1 full essay up to 650 words, or 2 essays of 300 words or less each) From brainstorming topics to developing drafts incorporating tone, format and editing. Can be added to a College Counseling Package for essay assistance beyond the number of included essays, or purchased separately.
ESSAY BUNDLE
(3 full essays up to 650 words each; 2 essays of 300 words or less each can count as 1 full essay) Can be added to a College Counseling Package for essay assistance beyond the number of included essays, or purchased separately.
