HELLO!
My name is Mike. I provide strategic guidance to college applicants and younger students, and calm, confident reassurance to their parents. Preparing for and applying to college should be enjoyable -- a time of growth and discovery. I help make it so.
Working with me, you'll have the option of best-in-class essay coaching or full-service college counseling (which includes my essay services).
This website contains information on my approach, but please schedule a call with me to see how I might best serve your family.
My one-on-one, customized services offer the flexibility and customization to fit every student's needs. I am based in Atlanta, GA, but I work with students from all over the US and abroad.
​
Parents, I Feel Your Pain!
As a parent, I believed that my own priorities for my kids' colleges were most important: highest rating, best reputation, etc. Then they got involved. ​
My daughters, not surprisingly, had their own ideas about college. Very quickly, I had to recalibrate my approach or risk alienating them -- and damaging their chances for a truly fulfilling college experience. ​
Even though I had worked with dozens of students before my own kids began the application process, I still fell prey to the anxiety and urge to micromanage that plague so many parents. So I understand.​
When I began to develop what I now call the VITAL Method of mentoring students on a pathway to thrive in college and beyond, everything changed.
FIT IS LIT
As you read on, you might wonder why I don't use words like 'guaranteed admission,' 'Ivy League,' etc. Isn't the whole point of being an 'independent educational consultant' to sell parents on how great I am at getting kids into competitive colleges?​
Honestly, no. If you're looking for a consultant who can guarantee admission to an elite college, I would respectfully ask you to speak to someone else. If you were my friend, I would also warn you to keep your hand on your wallet.​​​​​
There is a great college waiting for your child. That I will guarantee. The main thing is to find the school where they can truly thrive: the place (or places) where they FIT.​
I will work with your student to help them identify and develop their greatest and most durable interests and talents. Together, we will all discuss the criteria that are most important to their college selection process.​
Based on that work, I will present them (and you) with a list of colleges where they can find lasting fulfillment and success.
There is no guarantee that they will, but together we can maximize the odds for them.
I will:
-
Help your student assemble a high school curriculum that best prepares them
-
Identify and suggest colleges that offer the best environment for growth, achievement and happiness
-
Make sure that their essays are as polished and persuasive as they can be
-
Help them complete their applications
-
Refer you to best-in-class test prep services if needed
-
Provide you with as many resources as I can to help you understand -- and enjoy -- this process​
These are the things good, honest IECs do for their client families. Guaranteeing admission is not.
​​I offer several packages within my college admissions consulting service. These vary based on the student's age, number of college applications, etc. Please get in touch with me for details on pricing (email me here or book a free zoom chat on my calendar).
College Counseling - Freshmen
For your 9th grader, two things are important: mindset and curriculum. Adopting the habits that foster growth and maximizing academic challenges will begin to prepare them for college. In our initial meeting, we'll review course options and plan an optimal college prep curriculum. I'll also get them started on the VITAL Method. We'll meet every two months to review progress.
College Counseling - Sophomores
​​
This package is essentially a continuation of the tempo of my 9th grade program, beginning a year later for families that prefer a more relaxed approach to college preparation. If you want to pick classes on your own and allow your students a low-stress freshman year, I completely support that. My overarching intention is to reduce stress for both student and parent. With Sophomores, in addition to curriculum and growth habits, we'll discuss strategies for summer jobs and activities.
​​
College Counseling - Juniors
​​
By Junior year, things are beginning to get 'real'. We'll review your students courses so far, and identify any gaps that might urgently need to be addressed. The VITAL Method for Juniors takes on the added dimension of preparing to write the college application personal statement. We will also discuss your student's priorities for college selection, and begin to match their personal criteria with colleges that meet those needs. Ideally, we'd meet once a month to develop a productive pace. ​
​
College Counseling - Seniors
​​
Students who engage me for the first time as Seniors tend to be hyper-focused on applications and essays -- as they should be. Generally, course selections have already been made, but if we begin work during the summer we can sometimes make adjustments to address any deficiencies. Together, we will finalize their college list and develop application plans and strategies. I strongly advise families to plan for summer work on the personal statement; completing that essay before school starts is best. Weekly meetings are optimal, if the student's schedule permits.
​​
College Essay Coaching
Students who attend schools with strong counseling departments or families with deep experience in the application process sometimes opt for my 'essays only' service. I am happy to engage either in the Junior or Senior year, although an earlier start usually leads to less stress and much better essays. Please see my College Essay Coaching section for details; I bill this service on an hourly basis, both for essay-only and package-based engagements.
Counseling for Transfer Applicants
Sometimes students apply to college as Seniors with the intention of filling gaps in their experience and then transferring after their first year. Other students decide to transfer after having a college experience that no longer meets their needs. I am happy to help, no matter which scenario has led to the transfer decision. I can help students examine the factors and criteria that are most important to their success, help prepare a college list and advise on applications and essays.
Counseling for Graduate School Applicants
From the very beginning of my work as an IEC, I have helped students write grad school essays. Often, these are the same students I helped when they applied to their undergraduate colleges. Generally, students applying to grad school have needed less counseling on school selection and personal life visioning, but these conversations are sometimes the most rewarding. Helping young adults zero in on the next phase of their development is something I really enjoy. We can discuss either a package or an hourly rate, depending on your needs.
COLLEGE ESSAY COACHING
I began my career as an IEC working as a college essay coach. This is the process I have used over the years, with great success. Since every student presents a different set of talents and needs, I provide this service on an hourly basis.
Group or Solo Workshops
Often the first exposure to the college essay writing process for rising seniors, my workshops introduce students to this unique challenge and prepare them to write efficiently and effectively.
Guided Brainstorming
Using exercises developed by some of the best thinkers in the field, I help students focus on the critical elements of a great essay and identify powerful, meaningful topics that illustrate their truth.
Structuring the Essay
Great essays require mindful preparation. I encourage students to test their topics for maximum interest and impact before they begin writing, a process that results in greater creativity.
One-on-One Coaching
Every student brings a unique set of skills and insights to the writing process. I help students assess their readiness to write and respond with the instruction that best serves their needs.
Weekly Check-ins
Teenagers have busy lives. Weekly check-ins provide milestones to keep work progressing toward deadlines, and help students identify small issues before they become larger problems.
Polish and Submit
Good writing emerges from editing and re-writing, and rarely from a first draft. I challenge students to raise their essays to the highest quality possible before submitting them to colleges.
Member of:
"Mr. Mike is a dad who helps us."​
I didn't think much about it at the time when a student at Cristo Rey referred to me that way. But in the years since, I have realized that my entire worldview revolves around that simple idea.​
A dad who helps. ​
I didn't always see things that way. At Princeton University, I completed a 120-page thesis on eighteenth-century piracy and played varsity football. After graduation, I went in search of something better to write about, and found work as a welder and a bouncer at a Chicago bar. Then winter and ambition chased me indoors to a copywriting job.​
In the years since, I have had many valuable professional experiences. In the 90's, I built one of the earliest intranet-based documentation systems which led to my founding Advent Inc., specializing in online documentation and website development.​
After Advent morphed into a software company, I exited the venture to work on my first novel, then launched GoDeep, an analytics platform for the professional and college football market. ​
GoDeep had some interesting moments with big-time football programs, but ultimately did not gain widespread adoption. I decided to follow my heart and began coaching students who were writing their college application essays, then later became a full-service independent educational consultant. ​
The mentoring and life-visioning aspect of my work with students has been the most fulfilling experience of my career. Through college counseling, I am able to help young people to understand, define and pursue their ambitions. ​
The perspective I have gained from many experiences both gritty and glamorous has enabled me to understand and relate to a wide range of young people. The empathy of fatherhood has helped me put my heart into every conversation I have with my students.
My business card says "independent educational consultant," but I'd rather be known as "a dad who helps."
A significant portion of the work I do is for underserved students, all of which is done through partner organizations such as these. I cherish the relationships I have formed with them over the years.
