Your Path to a Great Fit College Begins Here
Thinking ahead to college applications?
Transform your college application journey with step by step guidance and personalized support.
Explore activities and interests, identify and develop leadership opportunities, plan summer enrichments, build a great-fit college list, and craft stand-out essays you’ll look back on with pride. Develop a comprehensive application that tells a clear story in your own authentic voice while gaining college-level writing and critical-thinking skills you’ll carry wherever you go.
Packages & Programs
The Novel
Comprehensive College Advising Package (9th or 10th Grade Start)
35 hours advising
Ready to chart your path? Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your needs.
Ideal for students aiming for the most selective colleges, including UCs, Ivies and “Little Ivies,” nationally competitive independent scholarships, or significant institutional scholarships and merit aid. Emphasis on curriculum enhancement and rigor, unique experiences or talents, and leadership with quantifiable impact. Students needing sustained organizational support and career exploration and advising will also benefit from this package.
Includes onboarding into College Planner Pro (junior year) and up to six passes to Manette’s Virtual Office Hours during August and September (senior year).
The Short Story
College Planning, Essay, and Application Support
(Junior Start)
20 hours advising
Now enrolling class of 2027 students. Class of 2026, please see Flash Fiction and Short Takes packages.
Ready to chart your path? Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your needs and uncover how I can help you navigate the road ahead.
Ideal for students aiming for a combination of selective in-state and out-of-state colleges, positioning themselves for scholarship and institutional merit aid. Also popular with busy families who are looking for timeline management as well as students planning to apply for WUE, MSEP, or another tuition exchange.
Includes onboarding into College Planner Pro and up to four passes to Manette’s Virtual Office Hours on Mondays, 4-6 PM, August 1 through September 30.
The Flash Fiction
10-Hour A La Carte Package
(Summer/Fall Seniors)
10 hours advising
This limited advising package is ideal for students who are applying to a balanced combination of in-state and out of state schools and would like support through the process.
The Short Story package is a better fit if you would like help creating your college list, are writing multiple types of applications, or want assistance with scholarship research, summer planning, and honors college essays.
Includes up to two passes to Manette’s Virtual Office Hours on Mondays, 4-6 PM, August 1 through September 30.
Ready to chart your path? Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your needs.
Short Takes
Short Takes will be available for scheduling starting July 7th. If you do not see available appointment times, this particular package has filled. Other packages may still have availability.
Short Takes do not require an Initial Family Consult. Choose your package, read and agree to the client agreement, schedule both appointments, and purchase.
Please consult your family calendar before scheduling. Though rescheduling with 24 hours notice may be possible, availability is not guaranteed as major deadlines approach.
Bring What You’ve Got: Common App Personal Essay Support $500
Meeting One: Introductions, brainstorming & feedback on essay starts or one completed draft. Generative writing prompts as needed. Students will leave with a clear sense of direction. 60 minutes
Asynchronous written feedback. 30 minutes
Meeting Two: Feedback on the revised personal essay draft. Discussion of supplemental essay approaches (as time permits). 60 minutes
Bring What You’ve Got: UC Personal Insight Questions $500
Meeting One: Introductions, brainstorming and/or feedback on essay starts or drafts. Generative writing prompts as needed. Students will leave with a clear sense of direction. 60 minutes
Asynchronous written feedback. 30 minutes
Meeting Two: Feedback on revised essays. Advising on activities list as time permits. 60 minutes
The Supplemental: Additional Essay Support (1-3 essays*) $500
Ideal for students writing essays for scholarships and honors programs, or demanding supplemental essays for competitive colleges.
Meeting One: Discussion of 2-3 prompts; evaluation of starts and drafts. Brainstorming and generative personalized writing prompts as needed. 60 minutes
Asynchronous written feedback. 30 minutes
Meeting Two: Feedback on revisions. Additional strategies and support (as time permits.) 60 minutes
*Total word count of your 2-3 essays may not exceed 1500 words.
Virtual Office Hours
Drop-In Application Help for Seniors
$35/session
Mondays, 4:00-6:00 PM, August & September.
Affordable individualized support when you need it. Sessions are capped at 12 students and are run like college office hours. Students learn from each other’s questions in a non-competitive, task-focused, supportive environment. Got a question? Need direction? Ask Manette!
Office Hours passes included with all Novel, Short Story, and Flash Fiction Packages.
Testimonials
What Others Are Saying...
Frequently Asked Questions
When should we start the college application process?
Ideally, the process begins with a conversation at the end of 9th grade. Based on that conversation and the student’s goals, we’ll decide on appropriate support and establish an advising cadence. The earlier we start, the more comprehensive our approach can be.
How do your services differ from what school counselors offer?
School counselors provide valuable resources but often manage hundreds of students. I offer personalized, one-on-one attention focused exclusively on your student’s unique goals and needs.
Do you ever write essays for your students?
No. To do so would be unethical. And admissions officers are experts at spotting inauthentic writing, whether generated by AI or a “helpful” parent. My role is to offer you the tools and support you need to write original essays and create authentic applications that genuinely represent your experiences and accomplishments while meeting application requirements.
Do you guarantee admission to specific colleges?
No ethical college advisor or practice can guarantee admissions outcomes. I follow the guidelines set by the Independent Educational Consultant Association, and my families agree to follow them as well: IECA Best Practices. What I do guarantee is a process that helps you present your authentic self effectively, make informed decisions, and develop valuable skills that benefit you regardless of where you ultimately enroll.
How many colleges should I apply to?
In one case, 6 applications will be plenty; in another, 12 are not enough. I’ll help your student develop a strategic list that is tailored to their specific goals, preferences, and profile.
Do you help students find and apply for scholarships?
Yes. My students have been the recipients of multiple scholarships and opportunities, including:
- CBYX Scholarship for study abroad/gap year in Germany
- Lorraine David Scholarship from the Erie Education Foundation
- Denver Excelsior Scholarship
- Green and Gold Scholarship (CSU)
- Bank of America Student Leaders Program
- Coca-Cola Scholarship
- Gore Scholarship (Wichita State)
- University of Missouri/Kansas City Trustees’ Scholarship
- University of Kansas SELF Engineering Leadership Fellowship
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers Scholarship
- Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship (CBYE)
Do you help students get merit aid?
Yes–if I have worked with those students to build an appropriate college list.
Do you help students get need-based aid?
Yes–if I have worked with these students to build an appropriate college list.
Why do you set caps on the number of hours for your packages?
I cap my package hours for two reasons. The first is that it motivates students to work efficiently and independently, meet their task deadlines, and adhere to the college list and application plan we’ve agreed on. The second is that it keeps my prices affordable and fair. If I offer unlimited hours, some students will not meet task deadlines, knowing they can always schedule more time. The result is that I have to charge more for each package, with the organized students subsidizing those that require more hours.
Package students who would like to purchase additional time will always be accommodated. Package students are also eligible for passes to my Virtual Office Hours.
Do you specialize in advising any particular type of student, such as engineers or creative writers, or sending students to any particular college or university?
I’ve advised future chemical and environmental engineers, mechanical and aerospace engineers, economists, video game designers, creative writers, historians, speech pathologists, nurses, entrepreneurs, teachers, philosophers, social workers, scientists, one botanist, veterinarians, physicians, and many students who plan to matriculate undeclared in order to continue exploring their options and interests.
Are there any students you do not advise?
I do not advise portfolio students–other than creative writers–though I am happy to offer referrals. I advise student athletes on their essays only, with permission and in partnership with their athletic advisors.
What if your packages are too expensive for me? Do you ever offer discounts?
I offer spring and fall pro bono hours, including application boot camps, drop-in help, and essay writing workshops, through multiple libraries in Weld and Boulder Counties. If you don’t see me on the calendar, call your teen librarian and ask them to invite me! Your student’s guidance counselor, librarian or English teacher can also invite me to your high school. I volunteer regularly at Niwot High School, mentor student-led College Planning and Application clubs, and I love speaking to small groups such as robotics teams and school PTAs.
Finally, I urge your student to subscribe to my affordable Virtual Office Hours for seniors. For $35, students can drop in for support as they work through applications. These sessions are capped at 12 students and run like college office hours, with students learning from each other’s questions in a non-competitive, task-focused, supportive environment.
Together we have celebrated admissions to a wide range of colleges and universities.
