The Earlier You Start,
The More Options You Have.
Families come to me at different points. The answer to "is it too late?" is almost always no. But the answer to "would earlier have helped?" is always yes.
"I would tell other parents to meet with her well before they think they need to — it still won't be early enough."— Nerissa W., Parent
What we can build together,
starting from where you are.
Every engagement is 1:1 with Tamara. Monthly in freshman and sophomore year. Bi-monthly in junior year. Weekly in the fall of senior year, then monthly through May 1. Every session ends with specific next steps in writing.
9th Grade Freshman Year — Building the Foundation
Best for families who want to build the right foundation before the pressure builds — so that when junior year arrives, the student is positioned, not scrambling.
Freshman year isn't about applications. It's about building the habits, course history, and activity patterns that every subsequent year rests on. Every session works on two levels — your student gains academic direction and confidence, and you gain the financial and research context to make smart decisions alongside them.
What Your Student Gains
- Academic habits and executive functioning systems
- Course selection strategy — what to take and what to avoid
- Early activity and interest exploration
- Age-appropriate college awareness
With You as a Parent
- How merit aid works and what decisions now affect options later
- Net price calculators, Common Data Sets explained
- Research frameworks for evaluating schools
- Where families routinely overspend — and where to focus
A Discovery Session is where we map out exactly where your family is and what freshman year looks like for your student.
Book a Discovery Session 10th Grade Sophomore Year — Strategy and Direction
Best for families who want a clear multi-year plan, time to think through financial strategy, and significantly less pressure when junior year arrives.
Sophomore year is the sweet spot. Your student has enough high school experience to make real decisions — and enough time to course-correct. Families who start here arrive at junior year in a fundamentally different position than most.
What Your Student Gains
- Prepared for campus tours, college visits, and college fairs — knowing what to look for and what questions to ask
- Junior year course selection mapped out — the right classes in the right sequence
- Executive function skills monitored and refined — staying organized without parental management
- A résumé and activity list taking shape — the foundation for every application they'll write
What You Gain as a Parent
- A stronger handle on how to research the true cost of a specific college — not just sticker price
- Clarity on the specific aspects of a college that matter for your student's goals and your family's situation
- A working college budget and an early sense of what financial gaps may need to be closed
- Shared family expectations around fit — before the pressure of junior year sets in
A Discovery Session is where we look at where your student is and what sophomore year needs to accomplish for your family.
Book a Discovery Session 11th Grade Junior Year — Focus and Execution
Best for families ready to move with intention — finalizing the college list, executing a testing plan, and building a strong application foundation before senior year.
Junior year is when the process gets real. Many families come to Tamara in junior year — and we can build something strong from this point. The key is moving with intention, not reaction. By the end of junior year your student should have a finalized college list, a testing plan they're executing, a financial aid strategy in place, and the early stages of an essay taking shape.
By end of junior year:
- A balanced college list — schools that meet your student academically, socially, and financially
- Testing strategy — when to take it, which test wins, when to stop
- Activity narrative and résumé development
- Financial aid strategy: FAFSA and CSS Profile — deadline tracking and guiding you through what you need to prepare
Before senior year starts:
- Essay direction established — brainstorming done, early drafts reviewed before the fall rush
- Early application strategy decided — ED, EA, or RD and why
A Discovery Session is where we assess where your student stands and what junior year needs to accomplish before applications open.
Book a Discovery Session 12th Grade Senior Year — Application Support
Returning clients finish together — senior year is already part of your plan. Senior Rush families get focused, structured support through December 15th and guidance through the final enrollment decision on May 1.
Fall — through December 15:
- College list review and finalization — every school confirmed before applications go out
- Application strategy — which schools, which rounds, which supplements matter most
- Essay brainstorming, review, and editing — your student's story, in their own voice
- FAFSA and CSS Profile — deadline tracking and preparation
- All applications submitted by the week of December 15th
Spring — January through May 1:
- Financial aid offer comparison — guiding your family through what you're actually being offered and what it means
- Merit aid appeal strategy when the numbers warrant it
- Final enrollment decision — working through it together through May 1
A Discovery Session is where we're direct about what's realistic for your student's timeline and what we can accomplish together.
Book a Discovery Session
Say Yes to College: The Junior Year Game Plan
Tamara's guide to the most critical year of the college planning process — covering college list building, testing strategy, merit aid fundamentals, and the financial conversations families avoid having until it's too late.
Get the BookReady to build the plan?
A complimentary 30-minute Discovery Session with Tamara. You share where your family is. She guides you through what makes sense — so your family can make the right decision together.
Book a Discovery Session Complimentary · 30 minutes · Intake form required to schedule.