Why should I consider private advising?
Admission rates to top colleges have reached record lows. At the same time, high school guidance counselors are being asked to do the impossible. In the United States, the average student-counselor ratio is about 500 to 1 (NACAC, 2003). The cost of college continues to climb out of control. Parents and students feel overwhelmed by the college admissions process and many do not make optimal choices for college, including how to pay for it. Families feel confused, misled, and scared of the costs to come.
That's why we created ScholarEdge. ScholarEdge founder, Jason Lum, gained admission to Harvard and Berkeley and won over $250,000 in scholarship money. Since 2000, Jason has helped hundreds of students in the United States and around the world apply, compete, and succeed at their dream college. Our students have been accepted to every college and university in the U.S. News & World Report top 25 schools in the USA, and many of the top-notch regional and state colleges and universities across America. Whether you are in the top one percent of your class or are a great student who gets mostly "B's" we can help you in your college planning.
Why is ScholarEdge better than others?
We coach from experience; we have achieved admission to top schools and won record scholarship money. Jason Lum was admitted to MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and Washington University in St. Louis and graduated with honors. By sheer determination and research, Jason amassed over $250,000 in scholarship winnings. He previously worked in the Harvard University Admissions Office and continues to interview stu dents for two nationally-ranked universities. Recently, Jason completed a professional coaching program at Columbia University. Jason’s academic training and scholarship experience provides you with powerful advice to navigate the college process.
Before you hire an education consultant, ask them where they went to school and how much money they actually won to pay for their education. You may be very surprised by their answers.
You are about to invest your hard-earned money with an Independent Education Consultant, and should be asking tough questions about qualifications and background. Our view is that you should ask: how can someone advise your family about college and grad school if they haven’t achieved academic or financial aid success on their own? It is a legitimate question that you should ask of anyone who works with you in the college planning process.
What makes ScholarEdge different?
ScholarEdge uniquely focuses both on college admis sions and scholarship advising. We’re backed by over a decade of experience, hundreds of satisfied clients, and we proudly stand behind our services and products as a BBB Accredited Business. We want you to be satisfied - there are never any long-term commitments to work with us, and if you have any concerns, we will make things right.
What if I'm not a top student?
ScholarEdge was created to destroy the idea that only 4.0 students with perfect SAT or ACT scores can gain entry to great colleges and win scholarships. In fact, Jason was not even in the top 10% of his class in high school and did not score extremely high on the SAT. He still attended Harvard, Berkeley, and Washington University in St. Louis and paid for virtually all of his post-high school education with scholarship money. We believe in matching students with terrific schools that meet THEIR needs, and with literally thousands of colleges and universities in the United States, we can help you to make that match!
Does ScholarEdge work with schools or individual parents/students?
Both. ScholarEdge originally started by providing seminars to large audiences in colleges, high schools and school districts. Today, Jason provides individualized services, books, DVDs, and workbooks to help students develop strong applications for college admissions and scholarship competitions.
How early can we start?
We work with students as early as the 9th grade and through graduate school assembling a portfolio for college and scholarship committees. ScholarEdge also recognizes that it makes little sense to apply to top schools without a strategy to pay for it, so we coach students on how to compete for grants, scholarships and fellowships.
How do you work with clients?
We are available seven days a week, 52 weeks a year and respond promptly to phone calls, emails and faxes. We have worked with students from across North America, Asia, Europe and South America. If you have a telephone or a computer with a connection to the Internet, we can work with you.
What about confidentiality?
We never identify our clients to anyone, under any circumstances. All communications between ScholarEdge and our clients are kept strictly confidential. The only time we reveal a client is if a client chooses to recommend us, and even then only if the client explicitly grants us permission to publish his/her name.
Do you uphold any professional standards/ethics?
We proudly hold an "A" rating as an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau, and we adhere to the BBB Code of Ethics. We make sure we satisfy the client. We also proudly adhere to the ethical principles and practices of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). Our consultancy is student-centered and we will do what it takes to make you happy with our partnership.
Are you one of those "scholarship search" operations that charges money to find scholarships?
No. ScholarEdge provides advice to students about how they can find scholarships on their own. You receive the search tools you need to locate scholarships all through high school, college and graduate school. Our philosophy is that a student should be able to use the skills we teach them in order to locate suitable scholarship opportunities.