"The College Authority exists to help a family find the right college for their child and in such a way that the family is not broken financially. When we got the packet of papers after the college planning class, I stalled for months, from fall to spring. I should have just gotten started because once the papers were completed, the process was smooth and very helpful. The College Authority teaches you the process to explore and select the most appropriate colleges with your student. Then they are there to help you evaluate the financial packages awarded by the individual colleges.
Besides the college counseling part, The College Authority helps a family address their finances and how to pay for the college. Both parts are invaluable. Our son is now a very happy and successful junior at Hiram College in Ohio. When our daughter came along two years later, now that we were trained in the process, we followed the method we learned earlier. Our daughter is very happy with her selection of Bennington College in Vermont. One more child to go and The College Authority will have been with us every step of the way in our 10 year college cycle! We were and continue to be very happy with the services The College Authority provided us."
Debra W. and Charles G.
Austin, Texas
"Sophomore year of high school, I thought I was a Harvard-bound girl. Maybe it was because I wanted (and still want) to be a lawyer and thought that was the place to be; or maybe Legally Blonde swayed my choice of college. I had a list of six or so “big name” schools and knew basically nothing about them other than their prestigious nature. After College Authority intervened during my junior year though, my list got a lot longer. My eyes were opened to more than Harvard, Columbia, and others. More than anything, College Authority made me excited about the college search process. I learned, through counseling provided by the College Authority, what I was looking for in a university. I was also prepared for visiting college campuses – what to look for, questions to ask, etc.
Most of all though, College Authority helped me feel less intimidated by the college search. I always knew I could pick up the phone and talk to Bryan, a College Authority associate in Austin, about the most miniscule details of the college process. Well over a year after the College Authority became involved, I am enjoying myself at Southern Methodist University. A resident in the honors dorm and member of more than a couple student organizations, I have submerged myself in the SMU experience. And it’s all thanks to the College Authority – I hadn’t even heard of SMU prior to Bryan mentioning it during a consultation one time. Now I’m here, enjoying my classes tremendously and loving college."
-Olivia,
attending Southern Methodist University
“We were first introduced to The College Authority by attending one of their free seminars. The seminar provided a very thorough overview of all aspects involved in preparing for and making a college selection. The seminar was a real eye-opener with regards to the many complexities and challenges faced by today’s students and parents seeking a successful college solution.
We chose to pursue a relationship with The College Authority and were provided with significant guidance by resources very adept at understanding all the personal, scholastic and financial variations that occur with each family's (Student and parents) pursuit of attending college.
The College Authority provided a detailed roadmap outlining all the activities and timelines.
They provided much counseling on finances and suggested many solutions, always without
pressure to take a particular path. Their goal was always for us to make an informed
decision that we could live with. They also filled out all the paperwork (FAFSA & CSS/Profile)
to assure it was done correctly and then submitted it for us. In addition, our daughter received
much attention with a focus on understanding her goals and capabilities and helping to match them
with universities which would provide an environment in which she would likely be successful.
We were also offered and took advantage of SAT and ACT test preparation training.
When our daughter received her college acceptance letters with varying awards, The College
Authority provided beneficial analysis of the awards, as well as coaching us through discussions
with certain universities and successfully negotiating increased awards from them.
As a result of our involvement with The College Authority, we arrived at a successful conclusion to a rather ominous task. Could we have done it without them? Possibly, but unlikely. There where simply too many instances where we received advice or guidance on items we wouldn’t have even thought of. Was it worth the money? Absolutely. Today, we find ourselves significantly more educated than other families who chose to go it alone. College planning represents a very challenging path. It makes good sense to team up with a navigator who’s been down that path many, many times before.”
Bob & Donna
Austin, Texas
Here's what everyone is saying about our workshops:
Wes, parent – Round Rock, TX
“I was referred to this presentation by a friend. The presenters were easy to understand. The information was vital and pertinent to the College Application process.”
Hannah, student – Round Rock, TX
“The presentation was honest and “real world” versus what we originally thought was a relatively simple process.”
Todd, parent – Pflugerville, TX
“Tons of good information! Wish the presentation was longer!”
Patty, parent – Cedar Park, TX
“Eye opening presentation. Public versus Private University information encouraging.”
Kelly, parent – Cedar Park, TX
“Helped me get a more organized idea of what is involved in picking and applying to college.”
Kara, student – Austin, TX
“Emphasis on the importance of financial planning and student positioning when selecting the ‘right’ college.”
Prasanta, parent – Austin, TX
“The enlightenment that we can bargain and deal with college costs based on the right student fit.”
Teresa,parent – Leander, TX
“My daughter finally heard how important her role is in all this!”
Kristin, parent – Leander, TX
“Learned the importance of the ‘marriage’ between college picks, student fit & finances.”
Marty, parent – Cedar Park, TX
“The case studies were very informative and encouraging!”
Linda, parent – Cedar Park, TX
“Very informative. Kudos to the presenters!”
David,parent – Austin,TX
“The timeline for the student (jr) and parent expections for the next year. Honest answers to audience inquiries.”
Gloria,parent – Killeen, TX
“Good general overview of the college planning process. The specifics provided in the case studies were very helpful.”
Jack, parent – Round Rock, TX
“The importance of “student fit” in the college selection process.”
Alfred, parent
