Author: Daryl Capuano

“Life doesn’t stop.” Alana, a mom from East Lyme noted. Her son had indicated a desire to pause between high school and college. To be clear, I am all for gap years.  But similar to Alana – who was not theoretically against gap years – the pause would have to be affirmative and not just […]

My students in my SAT classes might be cursing me today. But many are doing what I suggested: taking an SAT practice test. The Shock of the SAT: Why Every Student Should Take a Practice Test First In teaching Shoreline, CT students over the years, I have observed what we all know: The challenge with […]

College Admissions Counseling in What’s Changed — and What Still Matters Most I’ve been guiding students through the college admissions process since the turn of the century. When I started working with high school students from Connecticut’s shoreline communities, the admissions formula was relatively clear. Grades and test scores led the way. Activities mattered. Essays […]

Connecticut’s Math Crisis: Why Shoreline Students Are Falling Behind The numbers are troubling — and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Math has never mattered more. From artificial intelligence and data science to finance, engineering, and entrepreneurship, mathematical proficiency is increasingly the gateway to the most in-demand, highest-paying careers of the 21st century. Yet right here […]

“He’s given more thought to mastering Call of Duty than which colleges interest him.” That’s how Terry, a mother from Lyme-Old Lyme High School in Old Lyme, Connecticut, described her son Liam when she first reached out to The Learning Consultants. She’s not alone. As the author of Motivate Your Son, I’ve become a trusted […]

Start the College Process Early: Strategic College Planning for Connecticut Shoreline Families College Counseling in Old Saybrook, Madison, Guilford, Essex, East Lyme & the Connecticut Shoreline In more than twenty years advising families across the Connecticut Shoreline — from Old Saybrook and Madison to Guilford, Essex, and East Lyme — I cannot recall a single […]

From College to Career: Developing Career Themes Before Graduation The Learning Consultants | College-to-Career Counseling in Connecticut Many college students are not confused. They are unfocused. There is a difference. Confusion suggests lack of intelligence or ability.Unfocused students are often capable, high-achieving, and busy. But they lack a coherent career theme — a strategic through-line […]

College Counseling in Connecticut for the AI-Driven Future “Will there be jobs?”  Cindy, a parent from Old Lyme, CT, asked. “Ray was going to major in computer science.  Now what should we do?” Hannah, a mom of a junior from Essex, CT wondered. “Is a business major still as practical?” Jean, a parent of a […]

Dennis, a high school junior from Old Lyme, CT, came in with his parents.  His family had moved from Fairfield County to Shoreline, CT during Covid. “These kids have no idea what they want to do when they grow up.” I laughed.  I didn’t find that to be particularly unusual. But where he had come […]

“We have no idea how to advise these kids…”  This was an incredibly candid admission from a guidance counselor at a local Shoreline, CT high school. I view her as one of the wisest of local guidance counselors and her comment as illustrating her wisdom, not ignorance. We are heading into unprecedented territory. Years ago, […]