Xceed Students Benefit From Customized, Personal College and Career Counseling
As many states and schools across the country struggle to support high schoolers with career- and college-planning, Xceed Preparatory Academy has taken a different approach by providing all students with free services from Your College Concierge.
Founded in 2007, Your College Concierge has been working with Xceed students since 2017, ensuring every student is properly prepared for life after high school. Your College Concierge provides a grade-specific, blended college planning curriculum that consists of live, individual meetings; mobile task tracking and communication; live, facilitated parent/student workshops and student-specific college admissions and application support.
“I’ve loved getting to know Xceed students over the years,” shared Carla Holness, advisor for Your College Concierge. “We develop personal relationships with them and get to know their interests, passions and strengths. Parents think this is the Holy Grail because it gives them the peace of mind to know we’re there every month, working with students and families consistently throughout the journey.”
And that journey looks different for every student.
“We help students find the right school for them,” said Peter Ratzan, co-founder of Your College Concierge. “Xceed has a unique environment with a wide variety of students including accelerated learners, world-class athletes and students who want the flexibility to pursue their passions outside of school. With that in mind, the resources and services we provide Xceed families is customized for each student.”
College Counseling Services
Your College Concierge advisors visit with Xceed students monthly and also host virtual sessions, meetings and even courses on a regular basis. During on-campus events, all Xceed students participate in a short workshop or presentation on topics such as public speaking and different aspects of the college admissions process. This enables students to get to know the advisors, even if they are years away from needing college counseling services.
Once Xceed students reach 9th grade (or whenever they enter high school), they are put into an individualized college readiness program where they learn about developing solid, college-bound skills while getting to know their personal advisor who will help them make choices about extracurricular activities, community services projects, summer planning and course selection.
Once students reach 11th grade, Your College Concierge counselors meets regularly with students and their parents to review their personalized admissions strategy, college lists, admissions testing strategies and schedules, scholarship opportunities and campus visits. Counselors also discuss finance strategies with families, helping them calculate potential costs and fees.
In 12th grade, regular meetings continue, but students also receive hands-on college application and essay assistance.
“It’s important that families understand not just what they should expect to pay for one year of college, but also the scholarship and financial aid options available to them,” explained Peter. “In addition, we use SCOIR, a college application system, that allows students and their families to search its extensive database of colleges and campus videos. Finally, we set students up in You Science, a 90-minute assessment that gives us personal descriptors that can be used in college applications and resumes. We’re really providing the entire scope of services, saving families time and a lot of money.”
“Personalization and flexibility are two of the most important parts of our model, so it makes perfect sense to partner with Your College Concierge,” explained Dr. Brent Goldman, Xceed co- founder and CEO. “Our students and families absolutely love the resources Your College Concierge provides and we are thrilled being able to offer this incredible service to them.”
Learn more about Xceed and YCC here.