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Planning begins early!

Rebecca works with students in educational and extracurricular planning, beginning in late middle school or early high school, and helps homeschool parents with documentation. She helps students discover and dive more deeply into passions and interests, and helps build a college list of schools that are good fits academically, socially, and financially. She requires students to apply to a balanced list of colleges and engage in the process. She focuses on fit rather than name-brand and helps students and parents understand the ever-changing college admissions landscape. She has openings for students in the Classes of 2027-2031.

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Educational Planning

Educational Planning

4th-12th Grade

  • Zoom, email, or in-person educational consultation regarding high school curricula choices, and/or general educational planning from late elementary through post-high school

  • Detailed notes in a Google Document with an agenda and to-do list before and after each meeting; students and parents are encouraged to add their own questions to the notes document before each meeting

  • Use Zoom AI assistant (with permission) for a summary of meetings to enhance student support.

  • Help students transition into different educational settings (ie, private school to homeschool; homeschool to public school)

  • Strategize with radically accelerated students about various educational options

  • Help students align their curriculum with A-G requirements for those interested in applying to the UCs and Cal States

  • Help students find appropriate educational resources outside of their current school setting as needed

  • Help advanced elementary and middle school students with high school planning, including making decisions about subject or grade acceleration

Activities Support

Activities Support

9th-12th Grade

  • Detailed discussion about current activities and how to take them to a deeper, more meaningful level should a student want that

  • Help find or develop opportunities related to community service, research, and other extracurriculars for personal growth, leadership development, and honing interests

  • Identify opportunities for competitions in areas of interest (from STEM to humanities)

  • Help develop, design, and edit a robust 3-4 page activities resume used for multiple purposes; Rebecca will share samples as needed

  • Review a student's overall profile and give feedback regarding college admissions readiness

Developing a College List

Developing a College List / Financial Considerations

10th-12th Grade

  • Help families understand college affordability before developing the college list through several thorough methods, including speaking to a professional financial aid specialist, running net price calculators, discussing the difference between need-based and merit-based aid, and understanding what COA (cost of attendance) means.

  • 7-page college and career inventory for students to fill out to help them think about what they might be looking for in a college. It will be reviewed & discussed carefully before Rebecca begins developing a balanced list of colleges for students to explore more deeply.

  • Detailed college research using the college inventory and multiple other resources to form a balanced, wise college list.

  • Links to free career/major inventories for students who need more guidance on majors/careers; includes discussions about various majors that may be a good fit for the student, including alternate majors for the most competitive programs (CS, psychology, engineering, etc.).

  • Help families understand “fit” as well as the college admissions landscape, particularly for highly selective colleges.

College Application Process

College Application Process

Summer before 12th grade to May of 12th grade

  • Using Rebecca’s personal essay brainstorming document, students will receive thorough help for developing an outstanding personal essay that authentically represents them.

  • Brainstorming, support, and editing for supplemental essays (activities, why this major, why this college, overcoming challenges, identity, and community essays, among others).

  • Help with college application questions about activities, honors, coursework, and supplements.

  • Edit essays for college applications, honors colleges, and scholarship competitions.

  • Review applications thoroughly across multiple platforms (Common App, UC App, MIT App, etc.).

  • Help procure excellent academic and non-academic letters of recommendation.

  • Develop a spreadsheet with important college information/data such as admissions deadlines, financial deadlines, interview policies, recommendations required, arts supplement requirements, choices of majors, and much more, tailored to the individual student.

  • Help organize essay prompts to ease the workload. 

  •  Mock interviews with general interview information and feedback

  • Review final college applications (including inviting Rebecca to the Common Application as an advisor so she can review it directly) before submitting

  • General scholarship research and tips

  • Help families manage expectations better, understand the term “institutional priorities.”

  • Teach families to control what they can control and let go of what they can't control

  • Share relevant and updated information regarding higher education, college admissions, and current trends to keep families informed.

  • Help students with college deferrals, waitlists, and writing a LOCI (letter of continued interest).

  • Help students with the pros/cons of each college acceptance, helping with final decisions.

  • Help students considering gap years (note: Rebecca will refer out for gap year specialists as needed).

  • Help students with general financial aid appeals (but refer out for detailed financial advice).

  • Help students with unusual circumstances (low senior year grades, etc.).

Summer Planning & Support

Summer after 9th - summer after 11th

Summer Planning & Support

  • Help students identify summer opportunities, including summer programs (building a balanced list of programs), researching options, summer jobs, and summer activities that align with their interests.

  • Summer program research,  and organize a spreadsheet with applications. requirements, deadlines, essays, and other relevant information.

  • Teach students how to reach out to professors, TAs, grad students, etc. to help procure opportunities.

  • Help students with summer program essays.

Communication Development

Communication Development

All years, particularly 11th and 12th grade

  • Help students learn to advocate for themselves in the classroom when situations arise.

  • Help students learn to communicate when applying for internships, other paid jobs, summer programs, etc.

  • Mock interviews with feedback.

  • Mock interview documents with notes to prepare students for various interviews.

  • Help students develop communication and editing skills for emailing colleges.

  • Help students communicate with teachers, professors, and others who will be writing recommendations.

  • Teach students how to better communicate with colleges when asking questions and demonstrating interest.

  • Teach students how to stay on top of college emails and how to communicate when there are problems.

Students with LDs or Specific Health Challenges

LD/Health-Challenged Student Support

All years

  • Work with students with specific learning disabilities or health issues on reaching out to college disability offices to understand more about their services and whether these would be good colleges for their particular disabilities.

  • Support students with specific learning disabilities or health issues in applying for testing accommodations and communicating with college disability offices during/after the application process.

  • Discuss with students and parents the challenges that they may face in college and how to be proactive.

  • Prepare students to transition to college; help students identify specific needs to ensure a successful transition.

  • Help develop an appropriate college list based on specific needs.

  • Refer out to specialists beyond my experience as needed.

Homeschool Parent & Student Support

Homeschool Parent Support

All years, particularly 11th and 12th grade

  • Help design homeschool parent documents (counselor letter, school profile, transcripts with course descriptions, reading lists); share sample documents.

  • Edit/review homeschool parent documents.

  • Help in selecting curriculum and classes, sharing resources such as online homeschool providers.

  • Review the counselor account in the Common Application.

  • Help calculate weighted/unweighted GPA for homeschool transcripts.

  • Help homeschooled students and parents understand which colleges require more documentation from homeschoolers.

  • Help homeschooled students highlight their unique homeschool experiences as they relate to activities, competitions, and service.

  • Help homeschooled students share their homeschool journeys in additional information or their main essays.

Arts Supplement Support

Arts Supplement Support

11th and 12th grade

  • Help with arts supplements (talent feedback, developing an artist statement, uploading arts supplements).

  • Help develop and/or edit a visual/performing arts resume.

  • Help edit artist statement essays & arts supplement descriptions, sharing samples with students, as needed.

  • Develop spreadsheets of arts supplement requirements (pieces, deadlines, essays, etc.) for individual colleges.

  • Reviewing final portfolios before submission.

Transfer Student Support

Transfer Student Support

Two year process

  • Filling out a college inventory when appropriate to develop a college list.

  • Planning ahead and looking at transfer requirements 1-2 years in advance.

  • Work with transfer students to navigate the transfer admissions process, researching requirements and making detailed spreadsheets with pertinent information to prepare for transfer applications.

  • Help transfer students with college research, course selection, the final application review, and essays.

  • Dig deeper to understand transfer requirements and transfer applications, which are often quite distinct from freshman applications.

  • Help with contacting college counselors, using Assist.org, contacting admissions offices, department heads, etc., to get necessary information about the transfer requirements.

Referrals

Referrals

  • Research to find the best-fit specialized referrals for areas outside my expertise. This includes SAT/ACT tutoring, AP subject tutoring, grad school and med school specialists, EF coaches, athletic recruiting, military and ROTC, school and therapeutic,  and career counseling.

  • For current students, Rebecca will use her network of experts and specialists, filtering down referrals so you don’t have to. The typical time to inquire, respond, and collate a list of referrals is 15-30 minutes.

  • For inquiries, I'll refer you to other consultants if I recognize I'm not the right fit.

Hours (PST):

Monday - Friday: Noon - 7 p.m.

Saturday: 1- 4 p.m.

Sundays & Holidays: Closed

Inquiries: rebecca@orlowskiconsulting.com

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@2025 Orlowski College Consulting, LLC

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