A Personal Approach
For the past seven years, Morgan has helped students from all over the country realize their college dreams. She enjoys working with both students and their parents to thoughtfully create a college list and execute each component of the college application.
By managing goals and timelines with each family, Morgan helps minimize any stress associated with the college admissions process while keeping students on track, highly organized, and well prepared.
A Framework for Success
Within Reach provides a three-step framework for students to fulfill the essential requirement of the college application process: to present their academic and extracurricular accomplishments, work experience, and unique personality attributes in a captivating fashion.
Evaluate
Assess The Student’s Record
- Academic strengths and weaknesses
- Core classes GPA
- Relationships with teachers/coaches
- Extracurricular activities
- Awards, penalties
- Leadership positions
- Community service
- Work experience
- Other
Get To Know The Student To Facilitate Best College Match
- Students' expectations of college (geography, size, rural vs. urban, layout, student body diversity,
study abroad programs, college vs. university, cost of tuition, internship opportunities) - Social comforts/discomforts (party life, Greek life, dating/sexuality, ratio of men to women,
restaurants on/off campus, political stance) - Academic interests and extracurricular activities
Create College List
- Match student’s wish list with personality attributes and Within Reach’s evaluation,
and provide list of 10-12 schools - Create time-table to meet application deadlines
- Create schedule for Common Application completion
- Communicate effective ways for student and parents to contact colleges and set up
timely visits to campus
Execute
The Common Application
- Break down the process into small, organized components
and facilitate completion according to schedule
Essay
- Clarify purpose to student and parents
- Brainstorm topics and choose most compelling
- Help with first sentence (“grabber”)
- Help edit and polish
Recommendations
- Help choose teachers/coaches of best rapport
- Help student organize recommendation forms
- Encourage student to write thank you notes to all recommenders
Financial Aid
- Educate parents and students about financial aid, the FAFSA and other pertinent forms
- Research and recommend scholarship opportunities, if applicable
Prepare
The Interview
- Coach good interview techniques and practice interviewing student
- Help student choose appropriate attire for interviews
- Come up with creative twist or element of surprise to bring to interview


