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Intensive College Prep Programs

Two fast-paced workshops to prepare for college admissions

One-Week Intensive College Launchpad

In just one week this summer, the College Launchpad will enable students to complete your entire college application—and essays—in a way that is both personalized and efficient.

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College Runway Webinar Series

An intensive spring webinar series, the College Runway will prepare your family for the entire college selection and application process.

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College Launchpad

A personalized bootcamp to complete your college application!

College Launchpad is a five-day, bootcamp-style, virtual college application workshop the summer before a student’s senior year. Long before the workshop begins, each student spends two hours with their mentor, one of our college admissions experts. During that time, mentors will collect copious information about each student and use it to craft an admissions report detailing a personalized strategy for college admissions, including suggested majors, recommended essay topics, and which extracurriculars and awards to emphasize.

For students who sign up early enough (during sophomore or beginning of junior year), the report can also make recommendations about course selection and additional extracurricular activities to pursue.

With College Launchpad, Complete Your College Application in Five Days

Participants can expect to come away from the five-day workshop with the following:

  • A filled-in Common Application
  • A completed Common Application Personal Statement
  • Four basic supplemental essays that can be easily adapted to submit to a variety of schools
  • Access to our library of application resources, including videos, worksheets, and ebooks
  • Access to our Slack channel and weekly drop-in hours with a college admissions expert throughout August and September
Learn More ››

Meet Your Launchpad Presenters

Mark Montgomery

Former Associate Dean at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies, admissions counselor for Fort Lewis College, and an external evaluator for teaching and learning programs at other universities, including the Yale University and University of Kansas.

Learn More ››

An Award-Winning Educator
College professor at the University of Denver, teaching award from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, instructor at Harvard University, high school teacher at Saint Mary’s Academy in Denver, Fulbright teacher in France, and a leadership award from the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers (CCFLT).

An Empathetic Coach
Director of the Model United Nations program at the University of Denver for many years, guiding students in leadership development, public speaking, academic research, and negotiation skills; volunteer counselor for AFS Intercultural Exchange to help international students adapt to a new culture.

A Global Thinker
Fulbright grantee and high school teacher in Grenoble, France; college professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Masters and PhD degrees in international relations from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; lived in Mexico for a year with his wife and children.

Professional College Admissions Counselor in Denver
Member of the following college admissions counseling professional associations dedicated to guiding students through the transition from high school to higher education: National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Colorado Council on High School/College Relations (CCHS/CR), and the Rocky Mountain Association of College Admissions Counselors (RMACAC).

Education
Dartmouth College: BA Cum Laude
Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy: MA and PhD
University of Northern Colorado: Professional Teaching License in Secondary Education, Coursework in Educational Administration
Independent Educational Consultants Association: Summer Training Institute for College Admissions Counselors

Personal
Mark is married to a wonderful woman named Laura, who directs an after school program for talented–but under-resourced–college-bound youth. They have two sons. The family enjoys skiing and hiking together in the Colorado Rockies, as well as traveling around the country and abroad. Mark and Laura enjoy ballroom dancing together, and they also enjoy hiking, camping, and learning foreign languages. Mark also sings tenor, reads The Economist religiously, and listens to NPR.

To reach Mark Montgomery, please complete our contact form or call (720) 279-7577

Sarah Farbman

Sarah Farbman is a college admissions counselor and the Head of Operations at Great College Advice. Sarah has spent the past seven years playing a wide variety of roles in the college admissions space, including admissions reader, test prep tutor, essay coach, and college counselor. Sarah believes that broadening students’ and families’ understanding of the admissions market and how they fit in to it is key to helping families chart a path to a successful college experience, without necessarily facing the worst of the admissions pressure. 

Learn More ››

A global perspective
Sarah has lived on three continents and in every continental US time zone. She speaks three languages fluently and has worked with students from across the US and several other countries. Sarah uses this broad perspective to help families contextualize their admissions journey.

A relational counselor
Sarah believes that forming an empathetic, trusting relationship with parents and students is the best way to guide families through the admissions process. She understands how student and parent perspectives differ and connects well with both groups to make sure families are moving through the admissions process as a team.

Education
Grinnell College: BA French and Linguistics, Phi Beta Kappa

Northwestern University: MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy

What to Expect from College Launchpad

Before the Workshop

  • Two 1:1 meetings with your admissions expert to get to know your student and craft a winning personalized application strategy
  • A tailored Flight-Path Report mapping out your application strategy, including recommended essay topics, suggested majors, and which activities/awards to emphasize
  • Free access to College Runway, our five-day webinar series for parents and students, covering the most important admissions topics

During the Workshop

  • 5:1 counselor to student ratio Individual meetings to go over essay topics and structuring pieces.
  • Proctored writing time and individual writing conferences with your admissions expert.
  • Learn from real life successful college essays from previous years
  • A complete review of the entire Common App
  • Strategy, completion, and proofreading of the college questions in the Common App for up to 10 colleges of your choice.
  • Writing four supplements about the most common essay topics to be easily adapted across a variety of colleges and universities.
 
 

Workshop Takeaways

  • Completed Common Application Personal Statement, based on the tailored strategy outlined in your report and edited by one of our admissions experts
  • Filled in Common Application, proofread by our admissions experts
  • Four supplemental essays based on the most common supplement prompts and your personalized application strategy, ready to be tailored to other schools
  • One year access to our library of worksheets, videos and eBooks about admissions topics
  • Access to weekly drop-in office hours with a college admissions expert through August and September.

College Launchpad FAQs

  • In order to help create a strategy that is appropriate for your student, we will need their transcript, test scores, school report, and a list of activities they’ve participated in and any honors or awards they’ve received. It would also be helpful for us to know if your child has a learning difference or IEP. We will also use the qualitative data we collect from our intake survey and an initial interview with your family. Finally, in order to facilitate your student actually filling out the Common App with us in early August, we will ask for details such as where the parents attended college/university and what year(s) you graduated.
  • High-level narrative guidance: Based on the history, interests, aptitudes, and desires you have shared with us, we will make some suggestions about how you can package and present yourself as a candidate.
  • Academic standing: Analysis of your academics in the context of your school specifically and the application pool generally.
  • Extracurriculars/honors: An analysis of which items on your extracurriculars/honors list will be considered valuable by colleges and which items will be considered fluff or might detract from your message. For younger students, the Flight-Path report may also contain recommendations for other extracurricular activities the student could pursue to strengthen their application.
  • Guidance for your academic major: Analysis of your chosen major and/or recommendations for how to present yourself academically (including possible majors) to give you a better chance at your chosen schools.
  • Essay topics: Guidance on possible essay topics, both for the Common Application Personal Statement and for the various supplements.
  • No! When you first sign up with us, you will be paired with one of our experienced admissions experts. Before the workshop, your expert will conduct your intake interview, mull over all the information provided to us, and then write your Flight-Path Report and present it to you. During the workshop, your admissions expert will be the one to guide you through the essay writing process.
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  • We are proud to say that our College Launchpad sessions are capped at a 5:1 student to counselor ratio. This small number allows our admissions experts to give each student the attention they need to succeed in this process.
  • The College Launchpad costs $4900, regardless of whether you sign up during sophomore or junior year. That comes out to roughly $135/hour.
  • The College Launchpad is an investment. Not only will your child come away with strategically completed college applications, but The College Launchpad allows your family to save countless hours of effort and stress by consolidating the application work into five short days over the summer, all at about 40% of the cost of one of our comprehensive college guidance packages.
  • But benefits aside, even though it is an investment, The College Launchpad is significantly cheaper than comparable programs around the country, which can reach up to $35,000 for a similar intensive-style workshop.
  • Hour-for-hour, too, The College Launchpad ranges from $100/hour to up to $500/hour less than what our competitors are charging for hourly admissions consulting services.
  • The College Launchpad summer session is open to rising high school seniors who plan to apply for college during their senior year. Students may sign up for The College Launchpad as early as the beginning of their sophomore year. Students who sign up early will receive their Flight-Path admissions report early and will have more time to implement the guidance outlined in the report.
  • This service is open to American and international students. However, due to the synchronous nature of the workshop sessions, it is best suited for people in American time zones or who are able to participate in the session during regular business hours in American time zones.
  • The 2023 College Launchpad summer session will run from Monday, July 31 to Friday, August 4th. All sessions will be virtual. 

Is College Launchpad not quite what you’re looking for? Check out these other great options:

Still have questions about the College Summer Launchpad or College Runway?

We’re happy to walk you through your options. Just complete the form (no obligation!) or give us a call at (720) 279-7577

Join Us for College Runway

An intensive webinar series to prepare your family for the college selection and application process.

By the end of this five-day webinar series, your family will be prepared to approach the college application in a strategic, organized way. Whether you’re shooting for the Ivy League, the top public universities, or small liberal arts colleges, we’ll go over the most pressing (and confusing!) topics in college admissions so that everyone in the family understands what is coming and can work together to get it done. As one parent put it to us: “less fighting, more writing!”

Get Started with this Five-Day Intensive Introduction to the College Application Process

  • Reduce confusion
  • Gain control over the process
  • Understand what colleges are really looking for
  • Develop a plan for the summer
  • Make the process more successful and more fun
Sign Up Today for the March Seminar >>
Sign Up Today for the April Seminar >>

Dates

The College Runway Seminar will be run only twice this spring!

  • From March 27, 2023 to March 31, 2023
  • From April 10, 2023 to April 14, 2023

Cost

The entire 6+ hour seminar costs $250 per family.

College Runway: In five 75-minute sessions over five days, we will cover the following topics:

Getting started and framing your search

  • How to frame your college search to align with your values, needs, aptitudes, and desires
  • How to balance the emotions of the process with the rational decision making
  • Ways to organize your college search (and why you should!)
  • Who in your family should be in charge of which aspects of the college search
  • What kinds of help exists and how to get it

How to research and choose a college

  • Why college criteria are the missing key ingredient to your college search and how to develop them
  • How to think about compatibility
  • How to use your criteria to research colleges
  • What kinds of sources can/should you use to research colleges?
  • How to get the most out of your college visits

Understanding financing and financial aid

  • High level overview of financial aid acronyms (COA, EFC, FAFSA, CSS, etc.)
  • The difference between merit-based scholarships and need-basedscholarships
  • Difference between your money and other people’s money
  • Tips for reducing the cost of college
  • How to read and understand a financial aid letter

Introduction to the Common Application

  • A page-by-page look at the how to navigate the Common App and how to answer the questions asked
  • How to add specific schools to the Common App and how to understand their requirements
  • Most common mistakes people make when writing the Common App activities section and how to avoid them
  • How to request letters of recommendation and when to waive your rights to see the letters

Getting started with the Essays

  • How to use the Common App Personal Statement to support your message
  • How important is the Common App Personal Statement?
  • Common mistakes people make when choosing an essay topic and how to avoid them
  • High-level content and structural guidance for the Common App Personal Statement
  • What are supplemental essays and how will you know if you need to write them?
  • What kinds of topics are usually asked for in supplemental essays?
  • How are supplemental essays different from the Common App Personal Statement?

Is College Runway not quite what you’re looking for? Check out these other great options:

Meet Your College Runway Presenters

Mark Montgomery

Former Associate Dean at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies, admissions counselor for Fort Lewis College, and an external evaluator for teaching and learning programs at other universities, including the Yale University and University of Kansas.

Learn More ››

An Award-Winning Educator
College professor at the University of Denver, teaching award from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, instructor at Harvard University, high school teacher at Saint Mary’s Academy in Denver, Fulbright teacher in France, and a leadership award from the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers (CCFLT).

An Empathetic Coach
Director of the Model United Nations program at the University of Denver for many years, guiding students in leadership development, public speaking, academic research, and negotiation skills; volunteer counselor for AFS Intercultural Exchange to help international students adapt to a new culture.

A Global Thinker
Fulbright grantee and high school teacher in Grenoble, France; college professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Masters and PhD degrees in international relations from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; lived in Mexico for a year with his wife and children.

Professional College Admissions Counselor in Denver
Member of the following college admissions counseling professional associations dedicated to guiding students through the transition from high school to higher education: National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Colorado Council on High School/College Relations (CCHS/CR), and the Rocky Mountain Association of College Admissions Counselors (RMACAC).

Education
Dartmouth College: BA Cum Laude
Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy: MA and PhD
University of Northern Colorado: Professional Teaching License in Secondary Education, Coursework in Educational Administration
Independent Educational Consultants Association: Summer Training Institute for College Admissions Counselors

Personal
Mark is married to a wonderful woman named Laura, who directs an after school program for talented–but under-resourced–college-bound youth. They have two sons. The family enjoys skiing and hiking together in the Colorado Rockies, as well as traveling around the country and abroad. Mark and Laura enjoy ballroom dancing together, and they also enjoy hiking, camping, and learning foreign languages. Mark also sings tenor, reads The Economist religiously, and listens to NPR.

To reach Mark Montgomery, please complete our contact form or call 720.279.7577.

Sarah Farbman

Sarah Farbman is a college admissions counselor and the Head of Operations at Great College Advice. Sarah has spent the past seven years playing a wide variety of roles in the college admissions space, including admissions reader, test prep tutor, essay coach, and college counselor. Sarah believes that broadening students’ and families’ understanding of the admissions market and how they fit in to it is key to helping families chart a path to a successful college experience, without necessarily facing the worst of the admissions pressure. 

Learn More ››

A global perspective
Sarah has lived on three continents and in every continental US time zone. She speaks three languages fluently and has worked with students from across the US and several other countries. Sarah uses this broad perspective to help families contextualize their admissions journey.

A relational counselor
Sarah believes that forming an empathetic, trusting relationship with parents and students is the best way to guide families through the admissions process. She understands how student and parent perspectives differ and connects well with both groups to make sure families are moving through the admissions process as a team.

Education
Grinnell College: BA French and Linguistics, Phi Beta Kappa

Northwestern University: MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy

College Runway FAQs

  • We see it a lot: parents and students both want the student to get a good education and be successful, but they have different ideas of what they might look like or how to think about and navigate the college admissions process. The College Runway will help families get on the same page about what’s important in the admissions process. As a family, you’ll be able to frame the college search to align with your values and desires and clarify who should be in charge of which parts of the process. In short, this is an opportunity for your family to move through the admissions process as a team, rather than as adversaries.
  • All sessions are recorded and available to participants for one month after the workshop.
  • The College Runway Seminar Series will be offered twice this spring: From March 27, 2023 to March 31, 2023, and From April 10, 2023 to April 14, 2023 Seminars take place Monday-Friday of weeks offered, from 8pm-9:30pm ET.
  • Participants can sign up as late as the Thursday of the week in which they would like to participate. So for example, someone signing up for the March session could sign up as late as Thursday, March 30, 2023. Participants will gain access to the recordings of all sessions, including sessions that occurred before they signed up.
  • We’d be happy to chat! Please fill out this form and someone will be in touch soon.
  • The College Runway Seminar Series costs $250 per family. This gets you access to all five live sessions and access for one month to the recordings of all five sessions. College Runway participants also get a free trial to the Great College Roadmap, our private Facebook group.
  • Normally, our expert admissions consultants charge between $250 and $450 an hour for similar information sessions. With The College Runway series, you’re getting fifteen hours of information for the price of just one hour!
  • This information will be most useful for college-bound high school sophomores and juniors and their parents.
  • That’s not a question, but we totally understand! The internet is a scary place and you want to keep your child and your information safe. All sessions will be conducted in a webinar format, which means that participants won’t be able to see each other. Moderators will read out questions anonymously so that no one will know who asked them.

Still have questions? Fill out the form below. Someone will be in touch soon.

Still have questions about the College Runway?

We’re happy to walk you through your options. Just complete the form (no obligation!) or give us a call at (720) 279-7577