Who you'd be working with
Jake Beckman. Independent college counselor in New York City, working with students nationwide. A one-person practice: no hand-offs, no junior staff, and you get my number. More about how I work
Comprehensive support from early high school through your final college decision.
Full-cycle counseling is for families who want a steady hand across the entire process, not just a sprint at the end. I typically start working with students in 9th or 10th grade, though juniors are welcome too. If you're starting later than that, the junior-year jumpstart may be the better fit.
This is the deepest way to work together. It is also the version of this work I believe in most, because the strongest applications aren't written in senior fall. They are built over years of honest conversations about who you are and where you're headed.
Choosing classes that challenge you without breaking you, mapped against where you want to apply.
Building depth in the things you actually care about, because admissions officers can spot resume padding a mile away.
A balanced list built around fit, with real reach, match, and likely options you'd be happy to attend.
Whether to take the SAT or ACT, when, how many times, and whether to test at all.
The personal statement, every supplement, the activities list, and the interviews. All of it, together.
When results come back, help weighing offers, aid packages, and waitlist strategy with a clear head.
Not sure whether full-cycle or the jumpstart fits? That's a first-call question.
Book a free callWe meet a few times a year. Course selection, activity check-ins, and building good habits early. Low intensity on purpose.
The pace picks up. Testing plan, college research, campus visits, and a first draft of your list by spring.
The personal statement gets written now, when there's time to do it well. Most students finish it before school starts, and once it's done we roll straight into supplements. The goal is to get as many done as we can before senior year begins.
The remaining supplements, applications, and deadlines, managed week by week so nothing piles up. Then we wait, and then we decide.
Jake Beckman. Independent college counselor in New York City, working with students nationwide. A one-person practice: no hand-offs, no junior staff, and you get my number. More about how I work
Free strategy calls. No pitch, no pressure, just a plan.
Book your free call