In the last few years, I have worked with a couple hundred college counseling clients through Fairfield and Shoreline, Connecticut.  I hear many thoughts that make me cringe.  But perhaps the most challenging is a younger parent quoting a friend whose children are a few years older. “One of my friends told me…” Much like […]

Let me add a few parameters to the question. I will assume most anyone reading this article lives in suburban Connecticut or some similar location.  While there are a lot of really wealthy parents in this area, I’ll further assume I’m addressing an audience that has concerns about how to pay for college. The dilemma […]

A few years back, a young entrepreneur approached me to discuss his fledgling business. I was highly impressed by both him and his new company. I then thought about a recent comment from a 17-year-old boy from Madison, CT. He said, “School doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t teach you anything you need in the real world.” […]

Every spring, I hear from several college counseling students: I want to go to California! I understand.  And, if this is the desire and I have expressed my thoughts, then wonderful. I will help. I immediately confess bias.  As a father of three and as someone with a deep belief that family is the most […]

I wrote this article for Career Counseling Connecticut. “We are still paying for David’s apartment.” Jim and Cindy, two parents from Old Lyme, CT, noted.  “We are now seeing how this hurts our retirement planning.” David had a series of jobs in his twenties but no defined career.  Having not graduated college, he followed the […]

“Jimmy can do whatever he wants.  We’re not one of those parents who pushes their children.” So spoke a mother from a top public school in Shoreline, Connecticut about her 17 year old son who was meeting with me for college counseling.  Jimmy’s mediocre grades, test scores, and activities actually meant that he couldn’t do […]

Years ago, I started The Learning Consultants.  We were focused on tutoring and test prep. When we tutored, it became apparent that many parents also wanted “study skills” imparted. I also realized that motivation was even more important. Making boring school work engaging “School is so boring.”  I hear this all the time from our […]

During our first SAT class, I looked out the window.  I saw a new student, Jeff, pick up a Learning Consultants sign that had fallen on the ground outside our Old Saybrook office.  He put it back in place. He didn’t know anyone was watching. He simply did it because it was the right thing […]