OUR PHILOSOPHY
On the surface, the word "acceptance" may mean only getting in. To the discerning parent and prospective student, however, the term "acceptance" also means fitting in. At Dunbar Educational Consultants, we feel strongly that both are important components of a rewarding educational experience.
Before students face application requirements, they encounter a sea of issues. Often there is the uncertainty about what lies ahead: confronting life away from home, meeting new people, encountering new social and academic pressures--which involve an array of unknown challenges. Applicants and their families are also faced with a multitude of choices from among schools which are public or private, large or small, intellectually intense or more socially and/or athletically oriented. There also exists the choice between liberal arts programs and those that are specialized, and ultimately the choice of a career and possibly graduate school. In total, the process can be overwhelming, but the goal is clear: to find the best academic and social environment for each individual student.
Our program has proven to be successful for many students with widely diverse backgrounds, abilities and interests--from the top scholar to the low tester, from the well-rounded person to the especially talented, from the self-motivated to the underachiever, and many more in between.
The decisions and strategies involved in college and secondary school admissions require time and energy from both parents and students. This is a time of tough questions where idealistic dreams may be confronted by reality, a time which encourages self-awareness, confidence and learning. By working together, communicating openly, sharing ideas, insights and feelings, the admissions process will likely be a positive one--one that encourages students and offers parents peace of mind. To this service we are committed.
College-Bound Students
Given the importance that colleges place on academic interest and achievement, we offer our services early in the high school experience to discuss curriculum choices and to design a four-year academic program.
Subsequently, we evaluate academic and extracurricular achievements, provide an overview of the college admissions process, set out a plan for standardized testing, and develop an appropriate and dynamic list of colleges. We also prepare each student for admissions interviews and advise them on the effective completion of applications and personal essays. Throughout the process, we remain available to respond to questions and concerns and continuously refine the college list, ultimately giving each student our collective analysis of the degree of difficulty of individual colleges to maximize optimum choices.
While most families use our ongoing Comprehensive Advisory Service, one or two consultation sessions that address selected aspects of the college admissions process may be sufficient for some families.
Graduate School Candidates
Our work with clients applying to graduate school emphasizes how they present themselves. Since competition for entrance into graduate school is often against older candidates with graduate degrees in other fields and/or substantial professional experience, we stress the importance of a broad intellectual perspective that goes beyond any one field. Thus, we emphasize thinking that is mature, intellectual, humanistic and global. We also teach our clients how to assert themselves in interviews and how to write effective essays.
While the majority of our clients have been candidates for business, law, and medical schools, for any program, including Ph.D. programs, the difference in gaining admission is often how well individuals can articulate who they are and how they reason. This is where Dunbar Educational Consultants can be of invaluable help.
