College Application Services
My services include college application packages, essays only, and disability advocacy (help explaining grade drops and accessing disability accommodations). For family incomes under $100,000, please see financial accessibility options at the bottom of the page.
Full College Application Package: $18,500
Comprehensive help navigating schools, finances, and organization. Free access to the Disability Advocacy Package ($2500). Meetings occur weekly and include 12 schools or school systems (e.g. University of California counts as one even if you apply to several).
Who this is for:
Students who need high end support that occurs weekly.
Regular College Application Package: $12,500
Like the full college application package, the regular package includes comprehensive help navigating schools, finances, and organization and free access to the Disability Advocacy Package ($2500). We meet every other week.
Who this is for:
Students who want high end support that occurs every other week. This is ideal for students who are able to work independently.
Add-on Package: $1200/school
This is an optional add-on to the Full College Application Package OR the Regular College Application Package.
Who this is for:
Some families also just feel more comfortable with a more expansive list. Students who are applying to competitive music or arts programs may also need a few more schools on their list. Most of the time, the add-on package isn’t necessary, but it’s here if you need it.
Executive Functioning Package: $14,500
This covers an academic year of help for teens, college students, or adult students who struggle with organization. I will work with your student to collect important due dates, track them in a paper planner or in Google Calendar, and set up phone alerts for important tasks.
This package is not a substitute for therapy and medication. I always recommend that students pursue appropriate medical care to support our work.
Essays Only: $6,500
This package is for families who want to navigate college research and financial aid strategy themselves, but need high end essay editing. I’m tough but kind, and your student will have extensive, detailed feedback on grammar, style, and content for three drafts of their common app essay, three drafts of a state school essay (e.g., University of California), and two drafts of short supplement essays. This covers essays and supplements for up to 12 schools or state school systems.
Please contact me BEFORE your child drafts their essay. Students tend to write essays that address the prompt but don’t necessarily address what admissions is really asking, which means that I may need to ask them to start over. Additionally, this package includes my efficient system for generating and structuring a stand-out essay, and I don’t want your kid to miss out!
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Disability Access Package: $2,500
A full service package for kids with health issues. This package is for students facing complex disability situations that need to be explained to college admissions AND help applying for disability accommodations once they get there.
This package includes help applying for disability accommodations, help navigating privacy vs. disability disclosure on your child’s applications, help explaining drops in grades on the Common App or other state application systems, and if necessary, an advocacy letter to your child’s school.
Mini Disability Package: $1,250
This mini-package is for students facing complex disability situations that need to be explained to college admissions. Choose this package if your student has faced disability or harassment related difficulties that have affected grades, attendance, or extra-curriculars.
This package includes help navigating privacy vs. disability disclosure on your child’s applications, help explaining medical-related drops in grades on the Common Application or other state application systems, and if necessary, an advocacy letter to your child’s high school or college.
Low Cost Resources: $1.50 – $30
Free tips on applications, supporting your teen with mental health issues, and disability access are available on my blog.
I also publish articles for the media, most of which are available for free. My article on disability accommodations for Autism Parenting Magazine is behind a small paywall to help support the publication (you may purchase a single issue or subscribe to the magazine). If you would like access to this article, it is available in Issue 130. I am not financially affiliated with them.
I want my knowledge to be available to everyone regardless of financial ability. For that reason, I have created a variety of downloadable, printable resources. I will continue to add to these offerings over time in order to best meet the needs of low-income students and families who are not familiar with my work yet.
Full College Application Package Details
Up to 12 schools: $18,500
- Comprehensive help navigating schools, finances, and organization
- More quality time with your family. I love to help parents who are busy, chronically ill, or both.
- Help for kids who struggle with health issues and/or disorganization
- Free access to the Disability Advocacy Package ($2500) (great for neurodiverse kids)
- Helps your child build life skills such as document organization and planner use. This can help your child prepare for college and the workplace.
Package Details:
This package provides the support you and your student needs to get through college application season. If managing your child’s apps doesn’t sound fun, I can do it for you.
Enroll in a college admissions package to start working with me on July 1st, 2025 for a college start date of fall, 2026.
This package includes help choosing schools based on your choice of major, campus preferences, extracurriculars, geographic region, access to hospitals, diversity, inclusivity, and state laws (i.e. laws around LGBTQIA+ rights, trans safety, access to reproductive care, etc.).
I help students brainstorm and organize an essay outline and provide detailed edits on the essays. This includes 3 drafts of your common app essay, 3 drafts of state school essays, and 2 drafts of supplemental essays (these are shorter essays required by individual schools, and there are normally 4-5 supplements per school). I will also work with your child to organize deadlines and get their deadlines into a planner to help prevent last minute stress for your family. We can also create a financial strategy based on your family’s needs and specific situation.
The full application package includes free access to the Full Disability Advocacy Package (value: $2500). If your student has mental health difficulties, autism, or other disabilities, I can help with an advocacy letter (if necessary and relevant), help applying for disability accommodations, help navigating privacy vs. disability disclosure, and help explaining any health-related grade changes on the Common App and other application systems. I also help neurodiverse students keep track of applications using Google Drive document organization, planners, spreadsheets, task lists, Google Calendar, and cell phone alarms, depending on what works best for them.
I can help you or your child apply for disability accommodations and can write an advocacy letter for your high school or college if necessary. For the advocacy letter, I typically “ghostwrite” a letter if you need to contact your child’s high school or college due to discrimination, harassment, or disability access issues. If your child is experiencing harassment or other issues affecting their wellbeing, I may also recommend that you also contact a lawyer to get the best support for your child.
Multiple schools in the same state system count as one “slot” out of twelve. For example, the University of California system counts as one school out of the twelve, even if your student applies to several schools within the UC system. They still have the opportunity to apply for 11 other schools and receive my feedback. The Cal States count as one “slot” separate from the UCs because they have a separate application portal.
Example 1: Your student wants to apply for UCLA, UCSD, and UC Davis. They also wish to apply for several Cal States.
This would count as:
- UCs (UCLA, UCSD, UC Davis)
- Cal States
- 10 other schools
Example 2: Your student wants to apply to SUNY Binghamton and Stonybrook (both SUNY schools). They also want to apply to Hunter College and Baruch College (both CUNY schools).
This would count as:
- SUNYs (Binghamton, Stonybrook)
- CUNYs (Hunter College, Baruch)
- 10 other schools
Package Timeline:
The ideal time to start working with me is this summer (July 1st, 2025) for admissions next fall (2026).
If you have summer obligations, you may start working with me as late as Sept. 15th, 2025. I may occasionally be able to enroll students in a package as late as Oct. 15th, 2025 (for fall of 2026 admission) if they are not applying Early Decision or Early Action and if they intend on applying to fewer schools.
The package ends once your applications and financial aid applications are submitted. This ending date can be anywhere from December 1st – March 31st, depending on the schools where you are applying. Disabled students will receive help applying for disability accommodations once applications are complete.
Packages are priced based on work completed so the price will be the same regardless of whether you choose to start in summer time or in fall. The package rate is also the same if your student applies to less than twelve schools.
General College Application Timeline:
College applications take place 12-15 months before you will enroll. This means that high school students should start the summer before senior year, with work on applications continuing into the fall. This is because application and financial aid deadlines tend to occur between October and March of senior year.
If you are not in high school, that’s perfectly okay. If you are planning on applying to a four-year college, count backwards by 12-15 months to know when to start working on your applications. As an example, if you want to go to college in the fall of 2026, you would start working on applications in the summer or fall of 2025, with deadlines happening between Oct. of 2025 and March of 2026.
I know this is confusing so feel free to reach out if you are not sure when to apply (hello@cafephd.com). Community colleges often have later deadlines than traditional four-year colleges.
Students with health conditions, including mental health and autism:
Once applications and financial aid applications are submitted (between December and March, depending on where you are applying), I will evaluate your disability needs, explain how to apply at your college, and provide a written list of disability accommodations relevant to your health conditions.
Meeting Frequency:
Students who start in the summer will meet with me twice a month until August 31st. After that, we will increase meetings to help get work done. Meetings will occur once a week from Sept. 1st until college applications are submitted (this is between Dec. and late March depending on which schools your student is applying to). We will occasionally skip or reschedule meetings to accommodate major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and your student’s birthday. Non-Christian holidays such as Rosh Hashanah can be accommodated as well.
Students who start in fall will meet with me once a week until their college applications are done (this is between Dec. and late March depending on which schools your student is applying to).
Rush work:
I am not able to work with students on an extreme rush basis. It is simply not possible to get this kind of work done in a few weeks. Your student deserves time to process their decisions about what they want to study and where they want to apply. It takes time for me to get to know your student’s needs and it takes time for teens to make major life decisions and build new skills.
Please allow a few months at a minimum for your student to work with me. It’s okay if you are not familiar with the college application process timeline – not everyone has access to a public or private school that offers this kind of information. If you are too late to apply this year, reach out to me anyway (hello@cafephd.com). We can always get your teen set up to apply for next year with plenty of time, and they won’t have to juggle schoolwork on top of everything else.
To reiterate: please start your package sometime between July 1st and Sept 15th of 2025 for a college start date of fall, 2026. You are welcome to pay earlier to reserve your spot.
Add-on Package: $1200 per additional school
Only available as an add-on to the 12 school package.
It’s difficult for students to submit quality applications if they are applying to too many places. If a student’s school list is too long, it’s often a sign that they have not researched sufficiently and are casting too wide of a net. For these reasons, I usually discourage students from applying to a large number of schools.
However, a longer list may be appropriate if a student is applying to arts programs or competitive academic-oriented schools. I also offer this option in case a family wants a few extra schools. 12-15 schools is a sweet spot for many students. More than 20 is usually excessive.
Working Process:
I work directly with students. I want to ensure that your student’s needs come first. If I encounter a situation where there is a gap between student and parent expectations (i.e. around cost of college, location, major, etc.), I will encourage your student to discuss the issue with you.
First, I will speak directly with the student about their needs, goals, hopes, and worries for their college applications. We will then translate their concerns into a “wish list” that will help guide school selection. I can help suggest schools and provide feedback on the school list regarding financial and academic fit, but the student will also need to do some research on their own time as well. Once we have a list, I work with the student to organize deadlines. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to submit applications on time. However, I can definitely assist in setting up a planner system that can track elements of the application and reduce stress.
For the essays, I start by asking students about their experiences (extra curricular work, volunteering, values and goals, etc.). Once we have collected a list of the student’s most meaningful experiences, I help students organize their ideas into a straightforward outline. Next, the student drafts the essay based on that outline, and then I provide detailed written feedback. Students address feedback between meetings by going through my edits and are also able to ask more questions during our meetings. Essay feedback addresses content, admissions strategy, grammar, and style. Typically the goal is to make sure the student tells their story in language that is clear and easy to understand.
There are some rare exceptions where I work directly with a student’s parent(s) or primary caregivers. Usually these situations are medically related. You do not need to provide documentation of diagnosis; I am happy to work with you if your teen has specific needs. Example: if your teen has autism or a trauma history (or both) and needs an advocacy letter to his/her/their high school or college, I can work with the parent to get this done. Even though it’s good for teens to practice these skills, there are times when a teen is going through too much and it’s beneficial for me and the parent to work together.
I am also happy to work with you if you are an adult student or if you are a parent who wants to return to school.
Please note that all students should have a “balance” of schools (include less competitive schools and automatic admission schools where possible and appropriate). It is generally not an effective application strategy to only apply to 3 or 4 schools, but this approach can be considered for specific situations (older married students who need to apply locally due to a spouse’s job, students who only want to apply locally due to certain types of disabilities, etc.). I won’t ever tell you to restrict your school list to three or four schools, but I can work with you if there’s a reason you or your student cannot relocate.
Regular College Application Package Details
Up to 12 schools, meetings every other week: $12,500]
This package is nearly the same as the Full College Application Package, but we meet every other week. Scroll UP to read about the full application package, just know that meetings for the Regular Application Package will happen every two weeks instead of every week.
Like the Full College Application Package, this package offers:
- Comprehensive help navigating schools, finances, and organization
- More quality time with your family. I love to help parents who are busy, chronically ill, or both.
- Help for kids who struggle with health issues and/or disorganization
- Free access to the Disability Advocacy Package ($2500) (great for neurodiverse kids)
- Helps your child build life skills such as document organization and planner use. This can help your child prepare for college and the workplace.
Meeting Frequency:
Meetings will occur twice a week from Sept. 1st until college applications are submitted (this is between Dec. and late March depending on which schools your student is applying to). We will occasionally skip or reschedule meetings to accommodate major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and your student’s birthday. Non-Christian holidays such as Rosh Hashanah can be accommodated as well.
Early Perk: If your student has more time in the summer, they can begin working with me on July 1st. You will NOT be charged for the additional meetings.
Add-on Package: $1200 per additional school
Only available as an add-on to the 12 school package.
This works exactly the same as the add-on package for the Full College Application Package, so please read that section too. As I have noted in the Full College Application details above, we need to be strategic with your student’s time and energy. It’s difficult for students to submit quality applications if they are applying to too many places. However, if your student is applying to competitive art and music programs, they may wish to add a few more. This package is also an option for families who simply feel more comfortable submitting more applications.
If you have signed up for the Full College Application Package or the Regular College Application package and want to apply for additional schools, but don’t want to pay for the add-on package, I will not bar you from applying to extra schools. It just means that I will not be able to give additional feedback on school selection, financial aid, or essay edits for those schools. In most cases, student writing tends to improve in a short period of time when working with me (a few weeks or months compared to years in public school or college) and will probably not need additional assistance at that stage anyway.
Essays Only Package – $6,500 for up to 12 schools
This package includes high end essay support and celebrates your student’s unique voice and experiences. I do NOT write essays for students. We will do this the honest way.
Here’s what this package includes:
- help generating ideas using my unique “info-dumping” method
- help structuring those ideas into usable essays
- extensive, detailed feedback on grammar, style, and content
- comments on three drafts of their common app essay
- comments on three drafts of state school essays (e.g., University of California)
- comments two drafts of short supplement essays
I write feedback myself and never use AI. My comments on your child’s writing are informed by my extensive writing training at Northwestern University and Duke University, my teaching experience at universities, high schools, and advocacy centers, and my experience writing for the media in the USA, Canada, and the UK.
My style of edits involves tons of tiny edits that feel easy to do one-by-one. I use the Google Drive comments feature because I believe it’s easier for students to work their way down a list of miniature tasks. I don’t believe in giving vague, overarching advice that leaves students struggling to generate content. I know I’m not the cheapest out there, but I have proven experience in this area. I’m the choice when your teen is stuck and you need someone really trained, not just someone who just says they are.
The package details might seem confusing if you haven’t been through applications yet, so here’s an example of how this would work.
Example 1: Your student wants to apply for UCLA, UCSD, and UC Davis. They also wish to apply for several Cal States as well as some private or out-of-state schools.
If you sign up for this package, your student will have:
- help generating the ideas using my efficient and anxiety-friendly “info-dumping” method,
- help creating “plug-and-play” outlines (they need to write the actual sentences, but they will literally plug them into a structure we create together)
- 3 drafts of edits on their common app essay
- 3 drafts of edits on their PIQS (essays for University of California)
- Cal State doesn’t normally require essays, but some departments do. For that reason, your child would receive 2 drafts of essays IF they are applying to Cal State departments that require supplemental essays
- 2 drafts of supplemental essays for up to 10 out-of-state schools and private schools they are applying to that require them. For example, if they are applying to University of Michigan and Duke, they would get two drafts of the supplemental essays for U of M and two drafts of the supplemental essays for Duke. Many schools require 4-5 short, supplemental essays, and you get two drafts of each, so know that your student will be getting a TON of feedback
Please contact me BEFORE your child drafts their essay. This covers essays and supplements for up to 12 schools or state school systems. I cannot provide discounts on this package if some of your child’s schools do not require essays.
Executive Functioning Package – $14,500 for the academic year
This package is for students who would benefit from additional help with time management and organization. This package takes place during the academic year. I will work with your student to collect important due dates, track them in a paper planner or in Google Calendar, and set up phone alerts for important tasks. This package is likely to be particularly helpful for students with depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, chronic pain, or other conditions that can affect organization and focus.
I believe in destigmatizing academic difficulties and teaching concrete skills that can be used in college and the workplace.
The goal of this package is to help students develop organizational skills that they can use independently in high school, college, or in the workplace. I also encourage students who report difficulties with focus, mood or behavior to pursue appropriate medical care.
Disability Advocacy Package – $2500
- help applying for disability accommodations
- help navigating privacy vs. disability disclosure
- help explaining drops in grades on the Common App or other state application systems
- if necessary, an advocacy letter to your child’s school
This package helps families evaluate which disability accommodations are helpful for your student as well as practical support as your student applies for disability accommodations. It includes guidance regarding the disability accommodation application process, help deciding whether to disclose a disability to colleges, and when to disclose if you choose to do so.
It also includes help explaining drops in grades or other academic changes on your or your student’s application. This content should be placed in the “Additional Information” section on the Common App when applying to schools. If the grade changes occur later (after submitting or once admitted), we can submit this information as an advocacy letter to the college’s admissions office.
Please note that you can always apply for disability accommodations for free, directly from your child’s college. To do this, search the name of your child’s school and “disability office.” I offer this service because I find that even disability offices tend to overlook access needs for students with invisible disabilities. Unfortunately we are not yet at a point where invisible disabilities are taken seriously and I want to help.
If you sign up for the 12 school application package, the full Disability Advocacy Package is included for free. The Full Disability Advocacy Package is intended for students who are applying without a college consultant or who have already applied using another company that doesn’t specialize in disability advocacy. If you just need one letter or note, check out my “Disability Advocacy Letter” package above. It costs less because it’s less extensive. It’s a better fit for families with more basic needs.
If you have questions about whether this package is right for you, feel free to reach out. I’m very anti-sales. If I feel I can help you, I’ll say so, but if it doesn’t sound like you need this service, I won’t try to sell it to you anyway.
Mini Disability Advocacy Package: $1250
This mini-package is ideal for students facing complex disability situations that need to be explained to college admissions.
If your student has faced a variety of disability or harassment related difficulties that have affected grades, attendance, or extra-curriculars, I can write a note or letter on their behalf. Normally these are ghost-written: I help you phrase your student’s difficulties in a way that protects their privacy, and you can sign your name.
This package is also appropriate for situations where a student has received inappropriate academic punishment for a disability related issue.
This advocacy package includes;:
- A choice of either a) one disability advocacy letter or b) help explaining your child’s disability in the Common App and other application portals. I will recommend a strategy that will help the university take your child’s situation seriously while still protecting your child’s privacy. In other words, I’ll help you figure out how much of your child’s medical information to share to get the results you want. I lean towards protecting your child’s privacy whenever possible.
You do not need to figure out whether you need 1a (advocacy letter) or 1b (note in the Common App). Once I know more about your child’s situation, I will advise on the most strategic way to communicate with the university.
Generally, any issues occurring before admissions should be addressed in the Common App. If we use this approach, you will receive a written out note for the “Additional Information” section of the Common App.
- It also includes one meeting so that I can gather the information I need to write your letter or note.
For disability harassment, please note that I may recommend that you contact a lawyer if I feel they can better meet your needs. A lawyer is usually more appropriate than working with me if the harassment is extensive or severe (multiple instances where the school has refused to treat your student legally and respectfully). In situations with ongoing harassment, it would be strategic to work with a lawyer to protect your student’s rights, and reach out to me if/when you want some help explaining the situation to your child’s colleges.
Financial Assistance
I care about financial accessibility. As a small business, I am not able to absorb costs the way a large corporation can. Below, you can find a variety of financial aid options to help families and individuals afford my services. Please be in touch if you have questions.
North Carolina Disability Financial Assistance:
I am currently an approved NCSEAA service provider for K-12 students (kindergarten to the end of high school). This means that disabled North Carolina students with access to ESA+ scholarship funds can use these funds to help pay for my services. If you would like to apply for an ESA+ scholarship, please go to https://k12.ncseaa.edu/ to apply.
If you would like to work together but there is a gap between your ESA+ scholarship amount and one of my packages, you may apply for additional income-based financial assistance to help cover the difference. To do so, please read through the income-based financial assistance information on this page. Next, email me at hello@cafephd.com with the requested information (family income, cost of your residence if you own it, value of investments, and any extenuating circumstances). If you intend to use ESA+ scholarship funds to work with me, please also let me know how much of this funding you have available.
If reading through the income-based financial assistance information is not accessible for you, or if you need additional help, feel free to contact me by email (hello@cafephd.com).
Disability Financial Assistance Outside of North Carolina:
If you live outside of North Carolina and your state has a program to help disabled people pay for educational services, please let me know. As long as the program is ethical and a good fit for me, I’m happy to apply so that you have access to these funds for us to work together. Please also check out my “income-based financial assistance” below.
Income-Based Financial Assistance:
I have a limited number of spots for reduced fee clients per year. These spots are usually offered to families who make $100,000 or less per year. If you would like to apply, reach out to me with your family income, the cost of your primary residence if you own it, and the value of investment properties you own.
You may also include any extenuating circumstances affecting your ability to pay. For example, if you have extensive medical costs that are not covered by insurance, loss of your house due to flood or fire, etc.).
If you have lost your home due to natural disaster, you will also need to submit proof that flood or fire insurance is not typical in your area, and therefore you could not have known you would need it. For example: people did not have flood insurance in Asheville, NC because it’s an inland area that normally doesn’t flood, so people affected by this disaster cannot be expected to be enrolled in flood insurance. If you live in a region that is prone to natural disasters and there is another valid reason you were not insured, you may share that as well. This information is intended to ensure that financial assistance goes to people who need it most.
This information can be submitted to hello@cafephd.com. For your financial safety, please do not submit sensitive information such as bank account numbers or credit card information. I’m certainly not going to misuse your financial information, but sometimes email can get hacked and I want to make sure your information is safe.
Luxury costs such as a vacation home, personal chef, house cleaning (unless you cannot clean due to mobility problems and lack of family support), vacation costs, luxury vehicles, and additional vehicles beyond what is necessary to access work and medical care are not considered extenuating circumstances.
I am not able to incorporate cost-of-living at this time as it is too complex. Areas that cost more typically offer jobs that pay more, and I have not found a fair way to navigate this issue. However, if you are close to the $100,000 cut-off and live in a more expensive area or have more extensive medical costs, please reach out and I’ll see what I can do.
I do not sell personal information under any circumstances. Any information you send me will be used strictly for the purposes of evaluating whether you are eligible for financial assistance.
Pro Bono:
I accept a limited number of pro-bono clients per year based on space and budget. I have more spots for disability advocacy letters than for full services. These spots generally go to people in difficult circumstances that can include disability, unstable housing, family rejection due to LGBTQIA+ status (including family or community discrimination for trans identity), etc.
Academic Honesty
I take academic honesty very seriously. If your child cheats on application essays, your child can have their college acceptance revoked. They could also lose their college degree if the academic dishonesty is discovered after graduation.
I do not write essays or personal statements for students. I can provide extensive help with choosing what to write about, organizing content, and editing the draft, and my students have historically been very happy with their final result. I also find that my students’ writing skills improve significantly after working with me. You can have a very high quality result without cheating.
I am comfortable ghost-writing disability advocacy letters because it doesn’t really matter who writes them; what matters is that your child’s disability is adequately explained to admissions. In this situation, we’re just trying to get the information across.
Refunds
Many people are used to frequent returns, exchanges, and refunds offered by major corporations such as Amazon and Walmart. While I would like to be able to provide financial flexibility, it is difficult or impossible for small businesses to absorb these kinds of losses the way large corporations do. For that reason, please wait to sign up for your package until you are completely sure you would like to work with me, and consider your payment to be final.
If your child has a serious or life-threatening emergency during the course of our application package, I will do my best to work with you. In many cases, we can work around your child’s recovery timeline by moving meetings a bit later in the year. If they are too ill to continue, I can hold your spot until the following academic year.
Provider Illness
In the unlikely event that I have a health emergency and am temporarily unable to work, I will find an experienced, capable educator in my professional network to cover me until I am able to return. I will ensure that the professional educator who covers for me is someone who embraces the same inclusive values that I do (anti-racism, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, trans rights, feminism, etc.). I take your student’s progress and safety seriously, and consider it an honor to support your family.
Inappropriate Behavior
I wish I didn’t need to say this, but I reserve the right to end our contract without a refund should a parent or child engage in verbal, psychological, or physical abuse, including the use of slurs.
If you are generally a kind person doing your best, please know that I won’t end a contract over a minor issue. I am more than happy to discuss any difficulties your student is having and to work through them together. Additionally, I know how important it is to be available when families need me. I just need to include a basic clause for my safety.
Illegal Behavior
I reserve the right to end our contract without a refund should a parent or child engage in illegal activity including but not limited to bribing admissions officers. Let’s do this the honest way. Your kid is already great – we don’t need to break the law to get them into school.
I won’t end a contract if your child is found guilty of substance use, speeding, or other common teen behaviors. In this circumstance, I would discuss the possible consequences of their actions (health risks, grade issues in school, etc.) and have a kind but honest discussion about why they made that decision. I would also have a chat with them about whether there might be any health conditions contributing to impulsivity or behavioral difficulties, and might refer to a psychologist or psychiatrist for further evaluation. I’m not here to be harsh and punishing. I just want students to understand how to keep themselves safe. For that reason, I do my best to approach these conversations in a constructive way.
This illegal behavior clause is not meant to target kids who are making common teen mistakes. I get it: it happens sometimes. This clause is meant to give me an out if a parent or teen is participating in admissions scams, bribery, or other egregious behavior that could present a legal risk to me and my business.
Deadline Responsibility
I am happy to help your student set up a list of deadlines and assist them in setting up a system of reminders through their planner and/or Google Calendar, and cell phone alarms. However, it is your student’s responsibility to check all school deadlines (directly from the schools’ websites, not just our spreadsheets). It is also your student’s responsibility to submit their work on time. I can help create a system of support, but I cannot actually force anyone to sit down and click “submit.”
Health and Neurodiversity
I love working with disabled and neurodiverse students. Sometimes, it becomes clear that a student is living with an untreated health condition that is affecting their ability to focus and complete work. If a student is reporting difficulty with focus, mood, energy, and behavior, I recommend prompt evaluation by a psychologist and psychiatrist. Proper medical care can improve mental health, grades, and self-esteem. Students with untreated ADHD and other mood or behavioral disorders are also much more likely to have a successful outcome to their college consulting packages if they have prompt access to therapy and medication.
Working with me is not a substitute for medical care. Parents and other primary caregivers (for those raised by aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.) and students are responsible for managing health conditions that may affect progress.
Alternative treatments and supplements are not a substitute for traditional therapy and medication. Therapy alone is not a sufficient, evidence-based treatment for ADHD. Be careful about functional medical providers and health “coaches” offering treatments that lack sufficient research. If a treatment is safe and likely to work, your child’s doctor should already be aware.
Additionally, please be aware that missed ADHD diagnoses are particularly in common in women and people of color due to systemic inequalities. For this reason, if your student already has access to a psychiatrist, I may recommend they pursue a second opinion if they are having ongoing difficulties with focus, especially if the provider is not willing to entertain the idea of a primary focus disorder. In some cases, your child may benefit from evaluation by a specialist who specializes in autism, adhd, or trauma, since these diagnoses are often overlooked by general specialists.
For transparency, my doctorate is not a medical degree and I am not a medical provider. I cannot diagnose your student legally or ethically. However, I have extensive educational experience and can often recognize when a student’s medical needs are not being met. My role is to advocate for your student in these cases.
I am not able to refund packages if your student is not able to complete their work due to unmanaged or undermanaged ADHD or other mental health conditions. If you suspect your child is not getting the care they need, feel free to let me know. I may be able to write an advocacy letter to their doctor, explain the steps to find a new medical provider if you or your student would like to pursue this route, identify local specialty centers, or help you develop another plan for getting them the care they need.
Values
Inclusivity and safety are the core of my personal and business values. I am passionate about anti-racism, feminism, LGBTQ inclusivity, trans rights, trauma-sensitivity, and disability access. I also love working with immigrants and immigrant families. You may see a full list of my values here.
Who I help
I work with high school students, college students, and their families. I am a particularly good fit for people who are looking for high end essay help and/or who are living with health conditions. I aim to provide services that are as inclusive as possible (feel free to send your pronouns if you’d like). You are always welcome to request disability accommodations for our work together.
I’m very good at what I do, but I do not provide college admissions guarantees – no one can legally promise you a spot at a competitive school. I can offer you actionable advice based on over a decade working in higher education, customized advice, and professional information about college success.
I feel strongly about respecting my clients, and I like to work with kind people.
If this sounds like it might be a good fit, you can reach out at hello@cafephd.com or through the contact button. Looking forward to speaking with you!
– Sarah
What People Are Saying
I have had the pleasure of working with Sarah in a PhD music program since 2015. Sarah is professional, skillful, smart, and is the most generous person I’ve ever met. She loves to help others, and is able to offer effective and constructive solutions. People around her trust her advice, and always feel comfortable asking for her suggestions. I highly recommend Sarah to anyone who needs advice in their studies!
Dr. Yuxin Ouyang, Founder of Passionato Music
Sarah’s kindness makes her approachable, and overall she is an amazing person to work with!
Treniyyah, Duke University graduate
Sarah Curzi is a wonderful person to work with. She sincerely cares about all the people she comes into contact with, personally and professionally. Sarah is the first person I would think of to ask for any educational advice, as she also takes into consideration the personal and emotional aspect of education. If you are looking for any educational consultant who will put you in the right direction, while taking care for your mental stability, then Sarah Curzi is the perfect match.
Caleb Y. Moon
How to get in touch:
Please email me directly at hello@cafephd.com to enroll or to apply for financial aid. You may also feel free to reach out if you have questions. Looking forward to hearing from you!