What does PEC provide?
The PEC process is designed to take a student through a thoughtful and deliberate series of steps to assist in gaining admission to the colleges and universities that best serve the student’s interests and needs.
Based on face-to-face meetings as well as email correspondence, the steps are arranged as follows:
Assess the student’s interests and goals
- Initial interview with the student and parents to discuss the college search process as well as the aspirations of the family
- Information regarding the student’s extra and co-curricular interests (sports, music, theatre, community service, etc.) is gathered.
- Administration of different assessments to create a profile of the student as a learner including a personality profile, interest inventory, learning style inventory as well as other appropriate assessments.
Assess the student’s academic potential
- Evaluation of report cards and transcript
- Advise on course selections to reflect the student’s abilities
- Counsel the student and family on the appropriate college testing: SAT, ACT, TOEFL and others.
Creation of an initial College List
- Using information gathered from the prior steps, PEC creates a comprehensive list of colleges and universities that meet the student’s criteria.
- Institutional merit scholarship opportunities are identified within the list.
- Presentation of the list with supporting documents to the family.
Student research of the College List
- PEC can assist with travel arrangements for visiting campuses and help with reservations for tours and interviews.
- Frequent communication with the student and parents takes place as schools are considered and evaluated.
- Assistance in crafting the final list of schools to which the student will apply.
Supervision of the application process
- Through a dedicated data base, PEC clients are able to organize their application process to be sure deadlines are met.
- Students have frequent face-to-face meetings during this time to complete applications and familiarize themselves with their guidance office procedures.
- Students are able to ‘brainstorm’ for essay topics during face-to-face meetings and are assisted in crafting compelling essays and personal statements.
- Students create Activities Resumes with direct supervision in developing a professional-looking and meaningful document.
- Successful interview strategies are learned through role-playing and mock interviews.
Financial Aid Assistance
- Families are provided with information and support for the filing of the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) as well as the CSS/Profile.
- PEC is able to help families interpret the aid that is available at the federal, state and institutional level.
- Assistance in identifying and completing applications for private scholarship competitions is provided.
- Evaluation and comparison of aid packages is provided.
- Final selection and enrollment in college
- PEC stays with the family through the frequently difficult step of deciding on the offer to accept and follows up with the student and parents during the transition to college life.
Package Options
(All are included in the Comprehensive Package)
- Assessments and Creation of College List (See sections above)
- Essay Package (one face-face meeting to brainstorm topics for up to 3 essays of student’s choice. 2 critiques and edits of each essay.)
- Summer Planning Package
- Financial Aid Package (See section above)