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FIND THE RIGHT FIT

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ABOUT MEL

"TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR EDUCATION"

I am a Dallas-based independent educational consultant, which basically means I'm a private tutor who helps with the college application and decision process. I have always been passionate about education, previously working as teacher and a top 100 university admission counselor before pursuing educational consulting. While I am a Dallas native, I received my bachelors in East Asian Languages and Literature (China focus) and Religion from Washington and Lee University in Virginia before moving to Ningbo, China. In China, my focus shifted from teaching to college mentorship, where I helped local students find their perfect fit at universities across the globe. As an admission counselor for a college in Illinois, I learned the ins and outs of the college admissions process and financial aid.

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The sad truth is that it has never been harder to get into selective colleges, and it has never been more expensive to pay for a college education. My generation is feeling the heavy burden of student loan debt, and there is no indication that the current generation of college students will fare much better. College tuition rates are going up each year. School-based college counselors are getting larger and larger case loads. Selective colleges are becoming even more selective. These trends are highly concerning to me. 

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As a result, in 2017, I decided to start my own practice in order to give back to my community by making personalized college and financial aid counseling affordable, digestible, and accessible. 

 

I truly believe applying to college is an opportunity for you to take control of your education and future. Many students and their families can understandably feel lost or hopeless during the college admission and financial aid processes. I am passionate about finding a way to make your college experience as rewarding and affordable as possible, so let me help navigate you toward your perfect financial, academic, and social fit! 

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I am currently a member of the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling and a proud volunteer for ScholarMatch and SHE-CAN.

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About Melissa
SERVICES

"MENTORSHIP THAT WORKS WITH YOUR SCHEDULE"

I offer my consulting services to students all over the world. So no matter where you live, you have access to mentorship that works with your schedule and time-zone. We can either meet at my home office in northern Dallas, or we can work remotely (I'm only a video call away!). Just let me know what is the most convenient option for you and your family. 

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I have experience working with high school students preparing for college, college students preparing to transfer, and working professionals preparing for graduate school. I also have experience working with students who are from outside of the United States, students who are first-generation Americans, students with learning differences, students who need to send in portfolios or auditions, students who identify as LGBTQIA+, students with neurodivergencies, and students who are first-generation college students. So, no matter where you are in the process or whatever your specific needs, I am able to help!

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It is very important to me that my services are available to any family on any budget, so please do not hesitate to contact me with questions about my fees. 

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Services offered include:

  • College search and selection

  • Selecting a college major and/or pre-professional track

  • Maximizing your college visit

  • Essay brainstorming

  • Essay editing and revision

  • Interview prep

  • Resume constructing and editing

  • High school course selection and activity planning

  • Financial aid guidance (need-based and merit-based)

  • Art portfolio guidance 

 

Presentations and workshops for groups covering the above topics are available upon request.

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Services
Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

"Mel provided help we didn’t know we needed, and we are so grateful! We really didn’t know what we didn’t know. My son applied to a very competitive Direct Admit Physician Assistant Programs (7% acceptance rate). He applied to 11 programs. He was admitted to 9, waitlisted to 1 and was offered direct admit nursing to 1.

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We didn’t qualify for any financial aid so we thought we wouldn’t be able to afford private college. The few programs that have Direct Admit PA are private and out of state. Mostly east coast. Mel helped us understand that with his advanced curriculum and test scores he would be eligible for a lot of scholarships that are not available at public universities. Boy was she right!!!  Our son received almost a million dollars in scholarships. Several were over $120K for 4 years."

Denise (parent)

University of Evansville, Direct-Admit Physician Assistant Program

ADMISSION SUCCESSES

  • Agnes Scott College

  • Albion College

  • American University

  • Auburn University

  • Austin College

  • Austin Community College

  • Baylor University

  • Belmont University

  • Beloit College

  • Boston College

  • Boston University

  • Brandeis University

  • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

  • California State University, Chico

  • California State University, Los Angeles

  • California State University, Sacramento 

  • Carnegie Mellon University

  • Clarkson University

  • Clemson University

  • Colby College

  • Colorado College

  • Colorado School of Mines

  • Colorado State University

  • Cornell University

  • Daemen University

  • Dartmouth College

  • DePaul University

  • Drexel University

  • D'Youville University

  • Emory University

  • Florida Atlantic University

  • Florida Institute of Technology

  • Fordham University

  • Franklin and Marshall College

  • George Washington University

  • Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Gonzaga University

  • Grinnell College

  • Hampshire College

  • Hong Kong University

  • Hofstra University

  • Humboldt State University

  • Indiana University

  • Iowa State University

  • Kansas State University

  • King's College

  • Lake Forest College

  • Louisiana State University

  • Loyola Marymount University

  • Loyola University, Chicago

  • Massachusetts College of Art and Design

  • Miami University, Oxford

  • Michigan State University

  • Mills College

  • Minerva Schools at KGI

  • Mount Holyoke College

  • Muhlenberg College

  • North Carolina State University

  • Oakland University 

  • Oberlin College

  • Occidental College

  • The Ohio State University

  • Oklahoma State University

  • Oregon State University

  • Peking University

  • Pennsylvania State University

  • Pepperdine University

  • Purdue University

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  • Rhodes College

  • Richland College

  • Ringling College of Art and Design

  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

  • Rutgers University

  • Saint Joseph's University

  • Samford University

  • San Diego State University

  • San Jose State University 

  • Savannah College of Art and Design

  • Seton Hall University

  • Smith College

  • Southern Methodist University

  • Southwestern University

  • St. John's University

  • St. Lawrence University

  • Stephen F. Austin State University

  • Temple University

  • Texas A&M University, College Station

  • Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi

  • Texas Christian University

  • Texas State University

  • Texas Tech University

  • Texas Wesleyan University

  • Thomas Jefferson University

  • Trinity University

  • Tsinghua University

  • Tulane Universality

  • University of Arizona

  • University of Alabama

  • University of Arkansas

  • University of California, Berkeley

  • University of California, Davis

  • University of California, Irvine

  • University of California, Riverside

  • University of California, San Diego

  • University of California, Santa Cruz

  • University of Colorado, Boulder

  • University of Connecticut

  • University of Delaware 

  • University of Denver

  • University of Evansville

  • University of Georgia

  • University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  • University of Kansas

  • University of Maine

  • University of Maryland

  • University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  • University of Miami

  • University of Michigan

  • University of Minnesota

  • University of Mississippi

  • University of New Hampshire

  • University of New Haven

  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  • University of North Texas

  • University of Northern Arizona

  • University of Notre Dame

  • University of Oklahoma

  • University of Oregon

  • University of Pittsburgh

  • University of Portland

  • University of Rhode Island

  • University of Richmond

  • University of Rochester

  • University of San Francisco

  • University of South Carolina

  • University of South Florida

  • University of Tampa

  • University of Tennessee

  • University of Texas, Arlington

  • University of Texas, Austin

  • University of Texas, Dallas

  • University of Texas, San Antonio

  • University of Tulsa

  • University of Vermont

  • University of Washington

  • University of Waterloo

  • Vassar College

  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute

  • Waseda University

  • Wayne State University

  • Wellesley College

  • Wentworth Institute of Technology

  • Whitman College

  • Whittier College

  • Willamette University 

  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Schools
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