College Admissions Consulting
College counseling that feels less like a service and more like having the right person in your corner.
Every family I work with gets the same thing — my full attention, my honest guidance, and a plan built around their student. And behind every recommendation I make is a team of specialists I collaborate with closely, so your student always gets the benefit of our collective expertise.
Kaara Koplowitz
Founder & Lead College Counselor
Comprehensive College Counseling
The college process looks very different than it did when you applied, and that's okay. Most families feel a little lost at the start, and that's exactly why Strides exists.
Our comprehensive counseling is built around your student from the very beginning. We take the time to learn who they are, their strengths, their goals, and the schools that will genuinely fit them, before we ever talk about applications. From course selection in 9th grade to the moment they commit on Decision Day, we are with your whole family every step of the way.
This is not a checklist service. It's a relationship. You'll have a counselor who knows your student by name and a team ready to support every part of the journey, so no one in your family ever feels alone in this process.
Test Prep & Score Strategy
SAT scores can be an important part of your student's college application, but they're one piece of a much larger picture. At Strides, we help families figure out exactly how much weight testing should carry for their specific student, and build a strategy around that.
For students who are strong test takers, a great SAT score can meaningfully expand their college list and open doors to scholarship opportunities that make a real difference. For students who aren't, we know exactly which schools will celebrate everything else they bring to the table.
We also offer SAT prep in both one-on-one and small group settings, as well as AP tutoring across a variety of subjects for students who want expert support alongside their coursework. Whatever your student's relationship with testing looks like, we have a plan that works for them.
Crafting Your Story: Essay Coaching
The college essay is the one place in an application where your student gets to be a person, not a set of numbers. It is also the part most families underestimate, and the part that can make a meaningful difference in a competitive applicant pool.
Our essay coaching is a collaborative process. We work closely with your student to find the story only they can tell, because that is exactly what admissions officers are looking for. In a sea of accomplished applicants, it is not the student with the most impressive resume who stands out — it is the one whose essay made someone stop, read twice, and remember their name.
We help your student find that story, shape it with clarity and confidence, and tell it in a voice that is unmistakably theirs. No templates. No ghostwriting. Just a skilled coach helping your student say exactly what they mean in a way that only they could say it.
From the personal statement to supplemental essays, we treat every prompt as an opportunity — because admissions offices do too.
College Planning for High School Students (Grades 9–11)
The families who feel most prepared during senior year are almost always the ones who started building a foundation earlier. Not with pressure, but with a clear sense of direction.
Our high school planning support is designed for students in 9th through 11th grade who want to be strategic about their high school experience. We help students choose the right courses, build a meaningful extracurricular profile, start thinking about college lists, and develop the habits that make senior year feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
Whether you're looking for occasional guidance or more regular support, everything at Strides can be tailored to what your family needs. You don't have to commit to a full package to get started — we meet you wherever you are.