How will you help to keep my student on track?
Yvonne Espinoza, CEP, meets personally and one-on-one with each of her clients through hourly meetings to assign weekly tasks, discuss previous tasks completed, and address any questions or concerns as they arise. Breaking the process down into smaller tasks helps students to regularly invest the time needed to advance in the college planning and admissions process without leaving things until the last minute.
How many times do you meet with each student?
Meeting frequency varies by grade level and by student. Yvonne does not limit meetings and will meet with a student (or parents) as many times as needed while under contract. However, on average, she meets with Freshmen and Sophomores at least once per month, Juniors at least twice per month, and Seniors weekly or biweekly (depending on their schedules).
Will my student be meeting with multiple people through your company?
Since Yvonne Espinoza is the professional with all of the expertise, your student and family will have the luxury of working exclusively with her throughout the duration of the contract. Yvonne doesn't pass her students to other (less experienced) professionals for different parts of the process, which allows for a more streamlined and personal feel to services. Yvonne's clients have direct access to her personal cell phone and all services are delivered by her personally. She only accepts 10 clients per cohort year, a much smaller number in comparison to other consultants, in order to remain highly accessible and deliver personalized services to every one of her clients.
Will you assist my student with the college essay(s)?
YES! Essays are a very critical component of the college admissions process. Yvonne assists her clients with brainstorming topics and reviewing essays to encourage them to write as many drafts as needed in order to submit their best work to each college. She does not write essays on behalf of the student, nor do she insert her voice into the essay. Each essay should be a reflection of the strengths, talents, and interests of the individual students that she works with. This approach is not only the most ethical, but also will produce the highest chance of success for each student, as it aligns with the expectations of colleges and universities. Throughout her career, including as an Outside Admissions Reader for the University of San Francisco, Yvonne has reviewed thousands of college essays from students nationally and is very experienced in college essay evaluation.
What qualifications do you have to be a college counselor?
Unfortunately, there is not a required licensing to become a college counselor, which means that anyone can create a website and call themselves a college counselor. Yvonne Espinoza recommends that all parents seeking to hire a college consultant review background information and qualifications in order to ensure that they are hiring someone familiar with the college process and experienced in working with students.
Yvonne's professional resume can be found on her LinkedIn page. There you will find a diverse range of college counseling and admissions experience, including working directly with students while employed full-time by a high school for 19 years as a college counselor, and working for a private university's admissions office (the University of San Francisco) for 2 years evaluating incoming freshman applications across the country. Yvonne also volunteers her time working for the national organization, ScholarMatch, both advising students from underrepresented populations and serving as a mentor and coach to other college counselors. She is one of 6 Austin counselors who is a Certified Educational Planner, a certification that requires high levels of experience and knowledge in advising students.
Yvonne pursues national leadership in the college admissions profession by serving on national committees and boards that she was elected to join, such as the Colleges That Change Lives Board of Directors, the Common Application Counselor Advisory Board, the Women in Admissions Board of Directors, the NACAC Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Health and Equity in the Transition to Postsecondary Education, and the IECA LatinX Affinity Group Chair. Yvonne has received awards specific to the quality of the counseling and achievements of her students (as opposed to receiving awards based on business outcomes) from national entities such as the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, the Colleges That Change Lives organization, Texas A&M University, the City of Austin, and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Yvonne Espinoza prides herself on being a college consultant who has an extensive background in education and a student-centered approach. This is not just a business to her, it is her calling.
What services are not included in your contract?
Although Yvonne will assist students with any college-related task, there are certain items she will not assist with.
Do you offer in-person services?
Since the start of the pandemic, Yvonne Espinoza's students and families have contracted COVID and have had COVID exposures fairly regularly (not to mention the other typical virus-related illnesses such as the flu, etc.). Although her students may have to cancel when they are ill, delivering services virtually allows Yvonne to stay accessible and available to deliver the highest quality services possible to her clientele. Students have become more accustomed to a virtual world, and even when class instruction is preferred in-person, she has found that students love being able to log in to college counseling meetings from the comfort of their own home. During the school year, Yvonne meets with clients in the evenings (her last appointment is at 8pm) and on weekends. Especially for students with hectic schedules (which describes most of her clients), Zoom allows them to more conveniently fit college counseling into their calendars on a regular basis. In order to best serve her clients, all of Yvonne's services are delivered on a virtual basis.
Yvonne Espinoza, CEP, meets personally and one-on-one with each of her clients through hourly meetings to assign weekly tasks, discuss previous tasks completed, and address any questions or concerns as they arise. Breaking the process down into smaller tasks helps students to regularly invest the time needed to advance in the college planning and admissions process without leaving things until the last minute.
How many times do you meet with each student?
Meeting frequency varies by grade level and by student. Yvonne does not limit meetings and will meet with a student (or parents) as many times as needed while under contract. However, on average, she meets with Freshmen and Sophomores at least once per month, Juniors at least twice per month, and Seniors weekly or biweekly (depending on their schedules).
Will my student be meeting with multiple people through your company?
Since Yvonne Espinoza is the professional with all of the expertise, your student and family will have the luxury of working exclusively with her throughout the duration of the contract. Yvonne doesn't pass her students to other (less experienced) professionals for different parts of the process, which allows for a more streamlined and personal feel to services. Yvonne's clients have direct access to her personal cell phone and all services are delivered by her personally. She only accepts 10 clients per cohort year, a much smaller number in comparison to other consultants, in order to remain highly accessible and deliver personalized services to every one of her clients.
Will you assist my student with the college essay(s)?
YES! Essays are a very critical component of the college admissions process. Yvonne assists her clients with brainstorming topics and reviewing essays to encourage them to write as many drafts as needed in order to submit their best work to each college. She does not write essays on behalf of the student, nor do she insert her voice into the essay. Each essay should be a reflection of the strengths, talents, and interests of the individual students that she works with. This approach is not only the most ethical, but also will produce the highest chance of success for each student, as it aligns with the expectations of colleges and universities. Throughout her career, including as an Outside Admissions Reader for the University of San Francisco, Yvonne has reviewed thousands of college essays from students nationally and is very experienced in college essay evaluation.
What qualifications do you have to be a college counselor?
Unfortunately, there is not a required licensing to become a college counselor, which means that anyone can create a website and call themselves a college counselor. Yvonne Espinoza recommends that all parents seeking to hire a college consultant review background information and qualifications in order to ensure that they are hiring someone familiar with the college process and experienced in working with students.
Yvonne's professional resume can be found on her LinkedIn page. There you will find a diverse range of college counseling and admissions experience, including working directly with students while employed full-time by a high school for 19 years as a college counselor, and working for a private university's admissions office (the University of San Francisco) for 2 years evaluating incoming freshman applications across the country. Yvonne also volunteers her time working for the national organization, ScholarMatch, both advising students from underrepresented populations and serving as a mentor and coach to other college counselors. She is one of 6 Austin counselors who is a Certified Educational Planner, a certification that requires high levels of experience and knowledge in advising students.
Yvonne pursues national leadership in the college admissions profession by serving on national committees and boards that she was elected to join, such as the Colleges That Change Lives Board of Directors, the Common Application Counselor Advisory Board, the Women in Admissions Board of Directors, the NACAC Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Health and Equity in the Transition to Postsecondary Education, and the IECA LatinX Affinity Group Chair. Yvonne has received awards specific to the quality of the counseling and achievements of her students (as opposed to receiving awards based on business outcomes) from national entities such as the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, the Colleges That Change Lives organization, Texas A&M University, the City of Austin, and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Yvonne Espinoza prides herself on being a college consultant who has an extensive background in education and a student-centered approach. This is not just a business to her, it is her calling.
What services are not included in your contract?
Although Yvonne will assist students with any college-related task, there are certain items she will not assist with.
- She is not an academic tutor and will not review coursework for academic subjects.
- Although she absolutely provides emotional support to both students and parents as they work together throughout the year, and parents have commented that her services were akin to therapy, Yvonne is not a licensed therapist and does not provide clinical therapy to her clients. If a student is in need of mental health counseling, Yvonne can provide referrals to families.
- She does not provide tutoring for standardized testing. Yvonne does provide referrals to highly specialized tutors and testing companies.
- Yvonne does not personally fill out the students' college applications, write essays, or complete any part of the application on behalf of the student. She empowers her students to complete these steps to the best of their abilities with professional guidance, instilling confidence in them throughout the college planning and admissions journey.
Do you offer in-person services?
Since the start of the pandemic, Yvonne Espinoza's students and families have contracted COVID and have had COVID exposures fairly regularly (not to mention the other typical virus-related illnesses such as the flu, etc.). Although her students may have to cancel when they are ill, delivering services virtually allows Yvonne to stay accessible and available to deliver the highest quality services possible to her clientele. Students have become more accustomed to a virtual world, and even when class instruction is preferred in-person, she has found that students love being able to log in to college counseling meetings from the comfort of their own home. During the school year, Yvonne meets with clients in the evenings (her last appointment is at 8pm) and on weekends. Especially for students with hectic schedules (which describes most of her clients), Zoom allows them to more conveniently fit college counseling into their calendars on a regular basis. In order to best serve her clients, all of Yvonne's services are delivered on a virtual basis.
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