Let's Build Your Future

Our Bright Futures College & Career Consulting Services are designed with student success in mind. We intentionally package our services to provide the best outcomes for students based on their unique needs and goals. 

Our Services

Our goal is to help students first discover who they are and develop a path towards a financially responsible and personally rewarding career. We guide students along their customized path and into a bright future.

Bright Futures Consulting

Know Yourself

Bright Futures Consulting

Make a Plan

Bright Futures Consulting

Follow the Plan

Bright Futures Consulting

Know Yourself: The Birkman Assessment as Self Discovery Tool

No two individuals are alike. That’s why we start with self-discovery and affirmation through the Birkman Assessment. 

This comprehensive assessment identifies a person’s strengths, needs, interests, stress, and best-fit career options. Together, with their Bright Futures counselor, your teenager will understand what industries, environments, educational programs, and situations they’ll thrive in. 

Bright Futures counselors are trained to interpret and assess your student’s Birkman to maximize their potential.

Bright Futures Consulting

Make a Plan: Work with Our Team of Experts

Students work with their Bright Futures counselor to design a post-secondary plan and specific goals tailored to their unique strengths, interests, and needs. We work alongside families to empower, guide, and motivate.   

We help students make smart decisions throughout high school, identify best-fit colleges and programs, then guide them through the college application and decision process from start to finish. Families who work with us are informed and prepared to take the next steps confidently – offering peace of mind. 

The average US high school counselor has a caseload of 480 students. Each of our counselors intentionally work with a small caseload, so we are available and focused on your student’s individual success. 

Beyond the advising your student will receive from their Bright Futures counselor, they also benefit from guidance, feedback, and knowledge from our whole team of experts at our Essay Boot Camps, Application Workshops, Paying for College Seminar, and Seasonal Updates.

Bright Futures Consulting

Follow the Plan: What It's Like Working With Us

Students put their plan into action with the guidance of their Bright Futures counselor in person and virtually over platforms like Zoom. The student-counselor relationship is like sitting down for coffee with a knowledgeable mentor. 

Students walk away from each meeting with progress and just a little “homework” to keep momentum going. We use Cialfo – our client portal – to monitor student progress, provide families with updates, and share important information. 

Our goal is to make progress each meeting. The frequency of meetings depends on the chosen service or package. There is no limit to the number of meetings or guidance for those who are enrolled in the All-Inclusive Package.

We Help Students Prepare For and Apply To College

Designed with your student’s success in mind, every package starts with a Complimentary Consultation to ensure we’re the right fit for your family.

Our packages are intentionally designed to ensure students are

High School Transition Package

Families enjoy all-inclusive access to Bright Futures services during the 8th and 9th grade years. Meetings are customized to the needs of the student and typically cover… 

    • 4-Year Planning to map out the most advantageous curriculum paths that cultivates opportunities for success during high school and beyond
    • Goal Setting tailored to your student’s interests in and outside the classroom to help guide focus and drive momentum
    • Summer Planning to thoughtfully curate activities that ignite curiosity and encourage personal and intellectual development
    • Extracurricular Guidance to strategically select activities and projects suited to your student’s interests and goals
    • Other student success topics (study habits, time management, etc.)
      $1060

Enrollment in the High School Transition Package qualifies families for discounts for our Essentials or All-Inclusive Packages. 

Essentials Package

Created for students who want guidance and planning to develop their college application strategy and action plan, this package is best for students who can produce and submit the majority of their applications requirements independently. The Essentials Package helps students gain perspective of their interest, strengths, and needs and develop an action plan. It includes…

    • Annual Course Selection to choose the most advantageous courses that cultivate opportunities for success during high school and beyond
    • Annual Goal Setting tailored to your student’s intentions, strengths, and needs to guide their focus and drive their momentum
    • SAT/ACT Timeline & Advising so you can be sure your student is prepared to achieve peak performance
    • Extracurricular Guidance to strategically select activities suited to your student and their goals
    • Expanded Resume to include with your college application, that showcases your student’s skills, strengths, and experiences
    • Choosing a Major that will energize and excite your student
    • Customized College List encompassing multiple factors including: academic and cultural fit, financial and merit positioning, and is targeted to the student’s goals and interests
    • Application Strategy & Checklist to empower students to successfully manage their goals and track their college application progress
    • Interview Preparation giving your student the confidence and tools they need to make a genuine and positive impression

Students in the Essentials Package receive a one-time entry into our Essay Boot Camp (a $699 value), and our Application Workshop (a $449 value). This package sets up students for success so they can begin senior year with the confidence and knowledge needed to complete and submit supplemental application requirements independently.

      $4770

If your student would benefit from structured guidance and accountability to complete all application requirements, please consider the All-Inclusive Package. 

All-Inclusive Package

Are you looking to hand over the entire college planning and application process to an expert? Our most popular package, the All-Inclusive Package includes everything in the Essentials Package PLUS…

    • Unlimited entry into our Essay Boot Camps and Application Workshops
    • Scholarship Application Support to increase your chances of receiving grants and scholarships 
    • Summer Activity Planning to thoughtfully curate activities that ignite curiosity and encourage personal and intellectual development
    • Campus Visit Advice & Resources to make the most of your visit as you consider colleges and programs
    • Financial Aid Guidance so you can navigate the process smoothly and increase your chances to receive funding
    • College Decision Advice as you narrow down your choices
    • College Transition Counseling to help your student understand the environments and situations in which they thrive and the resources available to help them succeed
    • One-on-One Application & Essay Support guiding your student to write strong, competitive, personalized, and compelling essays and supplements
    • Project Management to ensure your student fulfills all application requirements in a timely manner

When your student becomes an All-Inclusive student, they get complete project management start to finish. 

      $6360

College Planning Package Comparison

High School Transition Package

8th & 9th Grade Students

4-Year Course Planning 

Goal Setting  

Summer Planning 

Extracurricular Guidance

Other Student-Success Topics

Future Discount:

Enrollment into this package qualifies families for a discount on our High School Packages!

$1060

Essentials Package

9-12th Grade Students

Birkman Strengths, Needs, & Career Assessment

Individualized Guidance

4-Year Planning & Course Selection

Annual Goal Setting

SAT/ACT Timeline & Advising

Extracurricular Guidance

Expanded Resume

Choosing a Major

Customized College List

Application Strategy

Interview Preparation

Financial Positioning

One Time Entry:

Essay Boot Camp

Application Workshop

$4,770

All-Inclusive Package

9-12th Grade Students

Everything in the Essentials Package

PLUS

Unlimited Entry Into Our: 

    • Essay Boot Camps
    • Application Workshops

PLUS

Scholarship Application Support

Summer Activity Planning 

Campus Visit Advice & Resources 

Financial Aid Guidance

College Decision Advice 

College Transition Counseling 

Unlimited:

One-on-One Application & Essay Support

$6360

Still have questions about which option is right for your family?

Every student is different and each family has unique circumstances. We’d love to hear more about you and what you’re looking for. Let’s connect and discuss which of our services or packages might be right for your family.

Separate Services

Seeking specific guidance right now? The Bright Futures team is ready to give you the support you need through our customizable service options. 

Birkman Assessment and Feedback

Using the Birkman Strengths, Needs, and Career Assessment, our experts highlight and affirm your student’s interests, identify potential careers and majors, and foster self-awareness for decision making going forward. This assessment followed by 90-minute feedback session helps pinpoint strengths and opportunities to capitalize on them when approaching major decisions and life transitions. 

Who: Anyone above 9th grade

What: Birkman Assessment + 90-Minute Feedback Session

Price: $848

Customized College List*

Cut through the noise as your teenager embarks on the college application process with a customized college list. Your consultant will develop a list that assesses the colleges that are the best fit – socially, emotionally, academically, and financially – for your student. We explore a variety of factors with them, from location and campus size, to major options and extracurriculars, to selectivity and acceptance rates. 

Your student will have the information they need to narrow down their options and focus their energy. 

Save countless hours sorting through all the information available on “the best college for this” or the “right college for that” college websites and turn to us.  Focus your direction as your teenager embarks on the college application process with a customized college list. Our counselor’s extensive college knowledge (we’ve visited over 300 campuses collectively!) and affinity for research helps your student develop a thoughtful and strategic college list. 

Who: 10-12th Grade Students

What: 5 Sessions To Create, Review, and Narrow Down Customized College List

Price: $2,120

* Birkman Assessment is strongly recommended as a prerequisite to the Customized College Listr

Financial Advising Services

College is a big investment that requires a combination of financing through savings, loans, scholarships, grants, and need-based aid. It’s a patchwork quilt! 

If you’re wondering where to start and how to minimize the cost of college, then Paying for College services are for you.

Paying for College

How might your financial position and assets impact to your student’s ability to receive college funding? Raymond Van Buskirk, personal finance expert, consults with families to discover what they can realistically contribute to their child’s education and helps them develop a strategy to cover the cost. 

Families receive customized financial strategies based on their circumstances, a written report of savings recommendations, and an hour in-person consultation. The six-hour package includes intensive help with FAFSA and CSS Profile, financial aid evaluation, appeal letters, and money saving strategies.

Who: Families Planning for College Financing

What: Consultation + Customized Financial Recommendations + Savings Strategies 

Price: $371 for 2 hours

Who: Families Applying for College Financing

What: Consultation + Customized Recommendations + Savings Strategies + Help With FAFSA and CSS Profile + Financial Aid Evaluation + Appeal Letters 

Price: $954 for 6 hours

Summer Workshops

Seize the summer and get a jump on college applications and essays in our targeted workshops.

Summer Essay Bootcamp

Avoid last-minute scrambling to piece together essays by getting them done ahead of time. Your student will come out of this expertly guided camp with a thoughtful and competitive admissions essay, ready to submit for fall deadlines. 

Who: Rising Seniors

What: 3 Days x 7 hours of Essay Consultation

Price: $740 per camp

Summer College Application Workshop

Acceptance rates at many colleges are falling, making admission increasingly competitive. To be offered admission, an application must shine! In this workshop, your student will receive step-by-step guidance on their applications from Bright Futures experts to learn how to capitalize on their strengths and stand out from the competition.

Who: Rising Seniors

What: 7 Hours of Application Consultation

Price: $475 per camp

Educational Advising

Our knowledgeable educational consultants are ready to provide your student with a focused educational advice on a host of topics. If your student is seeking guidance in several areas, or on a more time-intensive subject, we suggest opting for the three-hour block to allow your student to receive the fullest support possible.   

Families who enroll into a package within 3 months of an hourly educational advising appointment may apply the payment towards the total package price.

Hourly Educational Advising

Work with a Bright Futures Educational Consultant on various topics, including 4 year course planning, goal setting, summer planning, essay writing, and extracurricular guidance. 

Who: Students Preparing for Undergraduate or Graduate School

What: Varies by your needs

Price: $295

3-Hour Package for Educational Advising

Work with a Bright Futures Educational Consultant on various topics, including 4 year course planning, goal setting, summer planning, extracurricular guidance, with additional options of discussing: application strategy, essay writing support, transfer guidance, graduate school applications, gap year planning, resume development, and more.

Who: Students Preparing for Undergraduate or Graduate School

What: 3 Hours of Advising

Price: $900