Frequently Asked Questions

There are a lot of resources out there in regards to finding a college for a high school student. The problem is they aren’t catered to each individual. High School Counselors have a lot of information on how to find schools, but it isn’t always about finding the best fit. Many companies help students improve their application process to get into ‘elite’ schools. Before College is unique from all other organizations due to our commitment to each individual: We don’t settle for finding any school for our students. We strive to learn about what each student’s long-term objectives are to ensure that we’re looking for institutions that directly correlate with those goals.

Other websites and agencies will tell families WHAT to do: We teach families HOW - and every student’s journey is unique to their specific situation.

So many kids we’ve met with have applied to schools, but ask them what they want to do after graduation and they express uncertainty!

You wouldn’t buy a house by putting offers on every lot for sale. You wouldn’t buy a car by going to every dealership and expressing interest in buying a vehicle. So why do we allow our kids to choose colleges in this manner?

We begin by asking the questions we didn’t know to ask ourselves at that age. We learn about long-term goals of the students, and figure out what they know or don’t know about their ideal learning environment. We talk about anything and everything that goes into a college experience and see what their initial feelings are.

From there, we give them resources to utilize to put that criteria in a search database to find schools that align with their core values. We educate them on connecting with people at the institution to make sure they have as much information as possible before applying to ensure they put their best foot forward and unlock every bit of merit aid they’re entitled to.

There are 3800 schools out there for higher education, and we work hard to ensure every student finds the one that’s best for them!

Thousands of dollars can be saved using this plan by helping students:

Many college guidance / recruiting agencies charge thousands of dollars for their ‘Premium’ packages. We feel education shouldn’t have a ‘luxury tax’ applied to it. For $400, you get to sit down with one of our consultants in order to implement the process described above. Our thought is if we can find you an extra $100 in merit aid per year, your investment will have paid for itself - and in many cases, we’ve saved families thousands!

When it comes to looking for schools, there’s no room for a ‘partial’ education. You should commit to a school knowing you dotted every i and crossed every t to ensure you’ve found the school that aligns with your goals. That’s why we utilize one guidance package that will fit your needs, regardless of where you are in the search process.

With the ability to use Skype, we can set up a meeting and work with families no matter where they are located. 

Our hours are flexible - our consultants’ schedule can vary week-to-week, but there is no permanent restrictions to any days/times on when we can set up a Skype meeting!

You can contact us via the website or you can email Bryan McDermand at bryan@beforecollegeconsulting.com