Arts & Humanities
The arts are about creative expression – through visual art, music, theater, dance, and design – while the humanities focus more on ideas: history,…
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Our Core Services
College Counseling & Essay Coaching
- Traditional Students
- Students with Learning Differences
- Students in Therapeutic Programs
From traditional college-bound students to students with learning differences or specific circumstances, we specialize in finding each student’s best-fit college, school, or program. We love getting to know each student as a unique individual, listening to their excitement, apprehension, needs, and desires. From a place of empathy and trust, we partner with them to submit the strongest application possible that showcases their character, strengths, and potential. Learn more about our services.
Applying to college is a multi-step process that involves many decisions, both emotional and logistical.
With backgrounds in journalism, publishing, teaching, and more, Plan the Path experts help your application to tell your story as strongly as possible.
College Admissions Insights
As educational consultants, we have a unique perspective on the college admissions landscape and how the field continues to evolve. Read on for important news, insights, and opinions on topics central to the application process.
What Should I Study In College?
Our Finding Your Fit essay series explores popular and perennial fields of study, as well as emerging areas of research. Read on for our…
Read moreSTEM Majors
These days, STEM is all around us. From new, high-profile projects within universities to cutting-edge breakthroughs in medicine and technology, we increasingly see the…
Read moreContact Us
At Plan the Path, our educational consultants provide strategic advice for your college admissions and postsecondary search. When considering schools, we are concerned with “best fit” rather than the notion of “the best.”
Through our work, we teach students self-advocacy, autonomy, and responsibility. In turn, they rely on our depth of knowledge and experience to guide them through this difficult but exciting process.
“Marcia provided truly excellent counsel of our son and us through the college application process. From the start, Marcia’s understanding of the situation and clarity of thought were paramount. Her guidance through discovering potential colleges that would be a good fit and her writing team’s patient and constructive writing advice were stellar. Marcia and her team turned what could have been a challenging process into a journey of self discovery and definition for our son!”
– L.S.
“It really has been such a pleasure working with Plan the Path. We appreciate all of Marcia’s efforts encouraging, supporting, and understanding our son – and her very wise advice each step of the way. We were so happy with the process and, of course, the results! Working with Plan the Path made this a much less stressful experience than it absolutely would have been. Thank you, thank you! ”
– G.K.
“As I get ready to head up to Boston University for our daughter’s graduation, my thoughts go back four years… “1% chance of getting accepted!” Now she is graduating with a very high GPA in Communications and Fine Arts. I thank Marcia with all my heart because this would not have happened without her guidance at that time in our lives.”
– B.L.
“We’re so grateful we found you and for the support you provided our son. He took ownership of his transfer applications, and we’re sure your guidance played a big role. It’s unbelievable to think about where he was two years ago, and to see that he’s heading to USC in the Fall. As you know, he had several great options, but the East Coast schools couldn’t really compete with Southern California.”
– K.R.
“Marcia’s patience and knowledge of the application process has been invaluable to our family and saved us from late-night stress and many squabbles. She cares about your child’s best interests and takes the work seriously. Marcia is a godsend and we are looking forward to working with her again with our son.”
– J.D.
“Although our son is opinionated and strong-willed, Marcia found a way to guide him positively in revising his colleges list, application strategy, and timelines. She provided excellent review and guidance on the Common App, supplemental essays, and each college application. Our son got accepted to his first-choice college and even some reach schools. We can’t say enough great things about the tremendous personalized assistance Plan the Path provided to our son.”
– Y.E.
“Marcia has that special something that enables her to really get to know your child. She maximized our son’s admission chances with her advice on which schools to visit given the limited time we had, and about how to present his “mixed” record in his application. Marcia went far above and beyond what we expected. She is one of a kind. Truly exceptional!!”
– C.F.
“A true advocate for her clients, Marcia brings her smarts, vast knowledge of educational programs, intuitive sense about students, down-to-earth approach, generous nature, and strong work ethic to her work with families. She’s a strong communicator with a quick wit and disarming way that makes her accessible to both students and adults. If I needed to hire an educational consultant for my own child, Marcia would be the first person I would call. I recommend her without reservation.”
– Jane Hoffman, College Advice 101
“Marcia is an expert in the educational consulting field. Her wealth of knowledge regarding hundreds of colleges across the country is invaluable and makes the entire college application process less daunting. Using a holistic approach in assessing each student individually, she is able to successfully recommend the best-fit college for each and every student. I can wholeheartedly say I trust her 100%. Her very first suggestion turned out to be the college our daughter will be attending in the fall… and she was right!”
– S.G.
“Our son is graduating from college this year. He turned a corner after a fraught, touch-and-go first year at his school, opened himself up to the experience, made good friends and built cherished relationships with teachers and staff. We wanted to thank you for guiding us and helping him get there.”
– G.B.