Devon Blog

Tag: counselor

  • Why We Built Pathways Consulting: College Admissions Has a Broken Advice System

    1. Why We Built Pathways Consulting: College Admissions Has a Broken Advice System
    2. Peer Guidance Isn’t a Shortcut to College decisions — It’s the Missing Piece
    3. You May or May Not Need a $10,000 Counselor—You Do Need the Right Insight at the Right Time
    4. What Peer Advisors Can Do That Counselors Can’t
    5. The Five Moments When a Peer Consult Can Change Your Application
    6. Is Peer Advising for Everyone? (Yes, And Here’s Why)
    7. Why the Pathways Model Is Redefining Student Advising
    8. Rethinking College Counseling: Why Families Deserve Affordable, Flexible, and Personalized Guidance

    Why We Built Pathways: College Admissions Has a Broken Advice System

    When we set out to build Pathways, we weren’t trying to disrupt college counseling just for the sake of it. We were trying to solve a very real, very personal problem: the college advice system is fundamentally broken—for the vast majority of students.

    If you’re a high schooler applying to college today, here’s the reality: you’re expected to make the most important decision of your academic life with limited, outdated, or contradictory information. You’re supposed to figure out what schools to apply to, how to stand out, how to write, how to plan your time, how to showcase your personality, and what ‘strategy’ even means—largely on your own.

    The guidance gap isn’t just frustrating. It’s unfair.

    The Flawed System We Found

    In building Pathways, we talked to hundreds of students—some in the U.S., some abroad. What we heard, over and over, was this:

    “I had a counselor, but they barely had time to know me.”

    “Reddit is a mess. Everyone sounds confident, but I have no idea what applies to me.”

    “My parents wanted to help, but they didn’t know how.”

    “I paid thousands for a counselor, but they didn’t get my background—or what I wanted.”

    None of these stories are outliers. They’re the norm.

    Let’s look at some numbers. According to NACAC, the average student-to-counselor ratio in U.S. public high schools is 424:1. That’s not a typo. In California, it’s 572:1. That means the average student gets fewer than 40 minutes per year of one-on-one guidance.

    Now add in international students, first-generation students, children of immigrants, low-income families, students in rural or under-resourced schools—people for whom context matters. The traditional model doesn’t just underserve them. It often ignores them entirely.

    So We Built a New Model—Pathways

    Pathways is not a replacement for school counselors or essay editors. It’s a correction to the gap that exists between what students need and what they get.

    We asked a simple question:
    What if every student could talk to someone who’s actually been through this process—and won?

    Pathways is a system where students can browse profiles of peer advisors—real college students who’ve recently been through the admissions process—and book 1:1 conversations. It’s flexible, modular, and highly contextual.

    • You tell us what kind of advisor you’re looking for—schools they applied to, schools they attend, cultural background, languages they speak, scores, career path.
    • We show you matches. You pick. You pay per consult. No bloated packages, no annual retainers.
    • You have a real conversation—ask your questions, understand the game.
    • Like them? Book another. Want to switch? Browse new profiles.
    • It’s a living, breathing network—not a one-size-fits-all spreadsheet.

    We designed it to be accessible. Consults can be as low as $30–$40. Students don’t need to commit to a multi-thousand-dollar contract to talk to someone who gets it.

    Peer Advisors Are the Missing Link

    Why peers? Because the most useful advice doesn’t come from a distant expert—it comes from someone who just beat the boss level you’re trying to beat. Someone who applied test-optional, who chose between Brown and UChicago, who got off the Stanford waitlist, who built a spike in esports, who overcame a weak GPA with incredible essays.

    They don’t just tell you what worked. They show you how it worked for them.

    And because these are paid engagements, students show up prepared. Advisors show up committed. It’s mutual respect, at scale.

    This Isn’t a Shortcut. It’s the System That Should Exist.

    Pathways doesn’t promise miracles. It doesn’t guarantee Ivy League admits. What it guarantees is access to relevant insight, strategic direction, and real clarity—delivered in a way that scales, adapts, and respects each student’s context.

    We built Pathways because we believe:

    • Great advice shouldn’t be a luxury good.
    • Cultural and academic context matter.
    • Every student deserves to be more than a number on a waitlist.

    And if we can help just one student feel a little less lost, a little more focused, and a lot more empowered—we’re on the right path.

  • I Didn’t Know the Rules, But My Peer Coach Knew the Game

    By Aditi R. (not her real name), International Student from India

    Before I even began applying to colleges in the United States, I knew I was already behind. Not academically—I had top grades, extracurriculars, and awards—but behind in understanding how the system actually worked. In India, we take entrance exams for specific fields and institutions. You study, take a test, and that score determines your admission. The U.S. system, with its essays, recommendations, financial aid forms, and holistic review, felt like an entirely different game—with rules no one around me could explain.

    I didn’t have older siblings or family members who had gone through the U.S. application process. My school counselor was well-meaning, but she had dozens of students and limited time. So I did what many students do: I started Googling. I found college admissions YouTube videos, blogs, and forums, but they often gave contradictory advice. Should I apply Early Decision? How many extracurriculars were enough? Should I submit SAT scores or not? I didn’t even know what questions I was supposed to ask.

    Then I found Pathways, a peer coaching program, and I was matched with Maya (not her real name), a college student from India who had been through the U.S. admissions process two years earlier. She became my coach—and my translator for the unwritten rules of the game.

    Maya didn’t just know how the U.S. admissions system worked—she knew why it worked that way. When I asked her why colleges cared so much about essays, she explained that in a system without standardized national entrance exams, essays help admissions officers understand who you are beyond your grades. When I worried about whether being a “generalist” instead of a “specialist” would hurt my chances, she helped me frame my broad interests—debate, science Olympiads, community work—into a coherent narrative.

    Most importantly, Maya taught me strategy. She showed me how to build a college list that balanced reach, match, and safety schools while still aligning with my academic and personal goals. She explained that some colleges are more generous with financial aid for international students than others, and that applying Early Decision could be risky if you needed aid. She even gave me a spreadsheet template to track deadlines, supplemental essay requirements, and scholarship opportunities.

    One of the most confusing aspects for me was recommendation letters. In India, it’s not common for teachers to write detailed, personalized letters. Maya helped me approach the right teachers early and even coached me on how to give them information about my achievements and goals to help them write stronger letters. Her advice was both practical and empathetic—she had been through the same awkward conversations and reassured me that it was okay to advocate for myself.

    When I struggled with my Common App personal statement, Maya didn’t tell me what to write—she asked the right questions to help me uncover a story that felt real and meaningful. I wrote about growing up in a multilingual household, how navigating three languages shaped the way I think and communicate. Without her encouragement, I might have written a generic essay about academics or volunteer work. Instead, I wrote something personal, something that sounded like me.

    Even with all this help, I had moments of doubt—especially when friends around me received admissions decisions earlier, or got offers from universities I hadn’t even considered. Maya reminded me that the U.S. system values fit over rank. Just because a school is ranked lower globally doesn’t mean it’s a poor choice for your goals. Her calm, informed perspective helped me stay focused on my path rather than constantly comparing myself to others.

    Eventually, I was admitted to multiple U.S. colleges, including two with generous scholarships. But what I gained went beyond admissions letters. Through peer coaching, I learned to see myself the way admissions officers might see me: not just as a number or a resume, but as a whole person with a story, potential, and agency.

    The U.S. college application process may seem chaotic from the outside—but there is a system underneath it, a structure of priorities and signals. I didn’t know those rules when I started. But Maya did. And because she did, she helped me play the game on equal footing.

    Now, I’m planning to become a peer coach myself. Not because I want to give advice, but because I know how powerful it is to feel seen, heard, and guided—by someone who’s been there before.

  • Finding My Edge When No One at Home Spoke English

    By Sofia R. (not her real name), First-Gen Student

    When I tell people I’m the first in my family to go to college, they nod politely, like they’ve heard that story before. But it’s different when your parents can’t read the emails you’re getting from your school counselor. When FAFSA is not just a confusing form, but an unfamiliar acronym in a language that’s not spoken in your home. When college isn’t just far—it feels like another country.

    My parents immigrated from El Salvador when I was six. My dad paints houses. My mom cleans offices at night. Both of them are brilliant in ways that don’t get degrees. But when I started thinking about college, I knew I was stepping into something none of us understood.

    That was scary. And lonely. Until I found someone who had lived it—and was just a few years ahead of me.

    “You Don’t Have to Do This Alone”

    I met Jasmine (not her real name), a peer advisor, at a college prep session my school hosted. She was a senior at a local university and the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. The first time we talked, I asked if her parents spoke English.

    She smiled and said, “Nope. And they still think FAFSA is a type of soup.”

    That’s when I knew I could trust her.

    Jasmine didn’t talk to me like a counselor. She talked to me like an older sister who’d already walked through the fog and could point out where the potholes were. She didn’t just help me with the “how” of college apps. She helped me understand that my story wasn’t a weakness. It was an edge.

    My Story Wasn’t a Liability. It Was My Strength.

    For a long time, I thought I had nothing to say in my personal statement. I hadn’t started a nonprofit or traveled the world. I just helped my little brother with homework while my mom slept after the night shift. I translated hospital bills. I filled out job applications for my dad. None of that felt “college essay” worthy.

    But Jasmine saw it differently.

    She asked me questions no one else had. “What have you had to figure out that most other kids haven’t?” “What kind of strength does that take?”

    She helped me realize I’d been problem-solving since I was nine. That I’d learned patience, precision, and grit—not from a textbook, but from life. And she showed me how to write that down without sounding like I was trying to make anyone feel sorry for me.

    She helped me sound like me—only more confident.

    The Questions I Didn’t Know I Could Ask

    There were so many things I was embarrassed to admit I didn’t know. What’s a liberal arts college? Do I need to take the SAT again? What’s the difference between early action and early decision?

    I didn’t want to waste my counselor’s time. But Jasmine kept reminding me, “Your questions are valid. Ask them all.”

    That made a huge difference. When I got my first acceptance letter, I didn’t cry because of the school’s name. I cried because I finally felt like I belonged somewhere.

    Paying It Forward

    I’m a sophomore in college now. I still call my parents every day and explain what midterms are. They still think dorm food is fancy. But they’re proud of me—and that means everything.

    I’ve started mentoring other first-gen students at my school. I tell them what Jasmine told me: You’re not behind. You’re not alone. And you’re not less capable just because no one in your house went to college before you.

    In fact, that might be exactly what makes you stand out.

  • Helping Students From Underrepresented Backgrounds Means Listening First

    By Carla J. (not her real name), College Coach

    I’ve worked with students from all walks of life, but the ones who stay with me the longest are the ones who didn’t think they belonged in the college admissions process at all.

    I remember one of my earliest students, Marcus (not his real name), a soft-spoken high school senior from rural Georgia who had a GPA most counselors would cheer for. But every time we talked about colleges, he looked away. When I finally asked him why he seemed so hesitant, he shrugged and said, “People like me don’t go to schools like that.”

    That’s when I knew my job wasn’t just to coach applications. It was to help students rewrite the narrative they’d been handed.

    The Weight of Being “First”

    Many of the students I support are the first in their family to apply to college. Some are first-generation Americans, navigating two cultures. Others come from communities where education hasn’t always been a visible path to opportunity. For all of them, the weight of being “first” can feel more like pressure than pride.

    I’ve learned that the first few sessions aren’t about essays or Common App strategies. They’re about trust. About learning how a student sees themselves. What they’ve been told they can—or can’t—achieve. The gap between ambition and belief is where most of the work happens.

    Coaching Is Not Correcting

    I once worked with a student named Aaliyah (not her real name), whose personal statement draft was a raw, honest story about growing up in public housing and caring for her younger siblings while her mom worked night shifts. She told me she wasn’t sure if it was “too much” or if colleges would think she was just trying to get pity points.

    I told her what I tell every student: Your story is your strength.

    Too often, students from underrepresented backgrounds try to erase the very things that make them compelling. They’re told to “polish” their narratives—to sound more like someone else. But my job isn’t to help them sound more like a college student. It’s to help them see that they already are one.

    Seeing What’s Possible

    It’s not enough to say “you belong.” I show students examples of others who walked similar paths. A DACA recipient now thriving at a top public university. A Somali-American girl who turned her love for coding into a summer internship and later a full ride. A trans student who wrote about building a safe space at their high school and now studies gender studies and political science.

    Representation isn’t a buzzword—it’s a blueprint.

    Small Wins, Big Shifts

    Sometimes, the breakthrough isn’t getting into a top-tier school. Sometimes it’s just getting a student to believe they deserve to apply. To ask for a letter of recommendation without apology. To talk about their achievements without minimizing them.

    I had a student last year, a Pacific Islander girl named Lina (not her real name), who used to preface every idea with “I don’t know if this is good, but…” By the end of our time together, she sent her final essay with a single sentence: “I’m proud of this.”

    That’s the win I live for.

    What I’ve Learned

    If there’s one thing I wish every parent, counselor, and admissions officer could see, it’s this: the students we think of as “underserved” are often the most resourceful, insightful, and emotionally intelligent young people in the room.

    They’ve had to be.

    And when they have someone who listens first, who affirms their stories instead of editing them out, they step into their power. Not just in their applications—but in their lives.

  • How We Used Peer Advising to Reduce the Stress of College Apps

    By Ricardo M. (not his real name), Parent of a High School Senior

    If you had told me two years ago that a college student would be the person to bring calm into our home during application season, I would’ve laughed. Not because I doubted their ability, but because the entire college process felt too big, too intense, and too unpredictable for anyone to simplify—let alone someone still in college themselves.

    But that’s exactly what happened. And I’m here to tell you it worked better than anything else we tried.

    The Stress Was Real—For All of Us

    My daughter, Paloma (not her real name), is our oldest. Neither my wife nor I went to college in the U.S., and we both work long hours. Between school, volunteering, a part-time job, and college applications, Paloma was carrying an invisible weight every day. We tried to help—reading essay drafts after dinner, looking up scholarships on weekends—but more often than not, our efforts just seemed to raise the tension.

    What we didn’t understand back then is that we weren’t just trying to manage logistics. We were trying to manage emotions—hers and ours.

    Enter a Peer Advisor

    It started with a casual online info session. A friend of Paloma’s had met with a student advisor and said it really helped, so we gave it a shot. We scheduled a meeting with a peer advisor named Alexis (not her real name), a junior studying Sociology and African American Studies at a college in the Midwest.

    I expected a typical “here’s what you need to do” checklist. Instead, Alexis began with one question: “How are you feeling about all of this?”

    Paloma froze for a second. I don’t think anyone had asked her that yet.

    What followed was a conversation—not a lecture, not a session with a counselor, but a conversation between two people who had something in common: they’d both felt the pressure, the uncertainty, and the stakes of trying to get into college.

    What Changed

    Over the next few months, Alexis became a steady presence. They didn’t meet every week, but they checked in at key moments—when Paloma was brainstorming essay topics, when she got her first rejection, and when she was weighing which extracurriculars to highlight.

    What stood out wasn’t just Alexis’s knowledge, though she clearly knew the process inside and out. It was her empathy. She helped Paloma find her authentic voice, validate her experiences, and see her background—not just her test scores—as part of what made her application powerful.

    That reframing was huge. It helped Paloma stop trying to sound like someone else and instead tell her own story—with pride.

    The Ripple Effect at Home

    Once Paloma had someone she could talk to who truly understood the process from a student’s perspective, things changed at home too. She was more relaxed, more open with us, and even laughed again while writing an essay (that was a first). Our conversations became less about deadlines and more about her dreams.

    I started to realize that one of the best things I could do as a parent wasn’t to try and have all the answers—but to help her build the right support system.

    Looking Back

    College applications will never be stress-free. But they don’t have to be overwhelming. What peer advising gave our family was perspective, empathy, and a reminder that this isn’t just a process—it’s a transition. And transitions are easier when you have someone walking beside you, not just ahead of you.

    If you’re a parent wondering whether peer advising is worth exploring, I’ll say this: watching my daughter grow in confidence and calm over those few months was all the proof I needed.

  • The Missing Link in Our College Prep Plan: A Peer Perspective

    By Marcus H. (not his real name), Parent of a High School Senior

    I thought we had everything covered.

    My daughter, Laila (not her real name), had been preparing for college since middle school. We had the grades, the SAT prep books, the volunteer hours, and a spreadsheet mapping deadlines for everything from FAFSA to supplemental essays. As a father, especially one who didn’t go through this system myself—my own education was pieced together in night classes while I worked—I wanted to make sure she had more than I did. I thought if we planned hard enough, we’d be ready.

    But about two months into senior year, I saw something I hadn’t planned for: Laila was stuck. Not just on logistics, but emotionally—creatively. She didn’t know how to tell her story. She didn’t feel like she had one worth telling.

    She’d write three lines and erase them. “Everything sounds fake,” she told me one night, defeated. “Like I’m just writing what they want to hear.”

    I didn’t know how to help. And that’s when we discovered something we hadn’t factored into our plan: the peer perspective.

    Why Peer Coaching Changed Everything

    Laila was paired with a college sophomore named Diego (not his real name), a first-gen student from El Paso who had once been exactly where she was. Diego wasn’t a counselor. He wasn’t some adult giving lofty advice about finding your “authentic voice.” He was just a guy who had recently written essays, filled out forms, and lived through the stress of decision letters and second-guessing.

    From their first conversation, something shifted. Diego asked questions that didn’t sound like school:
    “What made you choose the environmental club over all the others?”
    “When you talk about your brother, what’s something you’ve never put in writing before?”
    “Is there something you stopped doing that you miss?”

    He didn’t critique her. He listened. And she responded. For the first time, Laila didn’t feel like she was being interviewed. She felt seen.

    More Than Just Essay Help

    Diego helped Laila unpack her story—how growing up in a mixed-heritage home (Black and Filipina), how translating at parent-teacher conferences for her mom, how her curiosity about climate change started with picking up plastic bottles in the neighborhood park as a kid—wasn’t just background noise. It was the story.

    I listened outside the room during one of their sessions and heard something I hadn’t heard in weeks: laughter. Real laughter. They were talking about her part-time job at the aquarium and how her manager always made her feed the stingrays because no one else wanted to do it. That moment became the opening line of her Common App essay.

    “Before I ever spoke at a climate rally, I was hand-feeding stingrays in a tank behind a mall.”

    Who knew?

    What We Had Been Missing

    Looking back, we had counselors and teachers and a family support system. But what we didn’t have was someone close enough to the experience to make it feel possible. That’s what Diego brought.

    He didn’t just help her write. He gave her permission to be proud of who she was without translating it into bullet points. He reminded her that rejection happens even to the most qualified students—and it’s not a reflection of worth. He made her feel less alone.

    For a student like Laila—ambitious, unsure, deeply self-aware—the difference between generic advice and peer insight was like night and day.

    A Lesson for Other Parents

    Now that we’re on the other side of it—essays submitted, interviews done, acceptances arriving—I can say with confidence that the missing link in our college prep plan wasn’t more test prep or another club. It was empathy, relatability, and insight from someone who’d just walked that path.

    I wish we’d found peer coaching sooner. Not because it would’ve changed the outcome (though maybe it would have), but because it changed how my daughter saw herself in the process. She felt understood. She felt like her story mattered.

    In a process that too often feels transactional, peer mentorship brought the humanity back.

    If you’re a parent going through this journey with your teen, ask yourself: who’s helping your child not just prepare for college—but prepare to be heard?

    That’s the piece we almost missed. And now I can’t imagine this process without it.

  • From a Small Town to a Big Name School: The Peer Advice That Got Me There

    By Isabella Hernandez, College Freshman

    I’ve always been proud of my small-town roots. Growing up in a community where everyone knew everyone else’s business, I learned early on the importance of relationships, hard work, and staying grounded. But when it came to applying to college, I felt out of my depth. I had big dreams — dreams of attending a top university where I could pursue a career in law — but I wasn’t sure how to get there. How do you go from a town where the most exciting thing is the annual fair to a school with a global reputation?

    The answer came from an unexpected place: a peer advisor.

    The Struggle of Not Knowing Where to Start

    When I first started thinking about college applications, I was completely overwhelmed. I had good grades, a solid academic record, and I was involved in extracurricular activities like the debate team and volunteering at the local shelter. But I didn’t have the right connections, and I certainly didn’t know how to navigate the complex world of college admissions.

    I would scroll through university websites, unsure of which school would be the best fit. The whole process felt like a foreign language. Essays, SAT scores, recommendations… where did I even start?

    I needed guidance, but I didn’t have the resources I needed. My high school counselor was helpful but had many students to manage, and honestly, I felt like just another face in the crowd. I knew I needed someone who could help me think strategically, someone who understood the ins and outs of college admissions — someone who had been there before.

    The Peer Advisor Who Changed Everything

    Then, I met Sarah, a senior at my school who had been through the admissions process the year before. She was known for her success in getting into one of the top universities in the country, and I was lucky enough to be paired with her as part of a peer advising program at our school.

    Sarah’s advice was a game-changer. The first thing she told me was, “Don’t just apply to schools because they look good on paper. Apply to places where you’ll thrive, where you’ll fit in with both the academic and social environment.” This might sound simple, but at the time, it completely shifted how I thought about college applications. Instead of just aiming for a big name school, I started thinking about what kind of environment I wanted to be in.

    She taught me that the essay isn’t just a chance to tell your story — it’s a chance to showcase who you are beyond the grades and activities. We worked together to refine my personal statement, highlighting not just my achievements but also the personal experiences that shaped me: how growing up in a small town taught me resilience and community, and how my passion for law was inspired by the injustices I’d seen in my own town.

    The Importance of Authenticity in Your Application

    One of the best pieces of advice Sarah gave me was to remain authentic in my application. “Colleges want to see who you are as a person,” she said. “They don’t just want a robot who’s perfect on paper. They want someone who has depth, someone who can bring a unique perspective to their campus.”

    That stuck with me. So many applicants focus on presenting a “perfect” image, but I realized that my authenticity — my small-town background, my love for my community, and my ambition to make a difference — could be my strength. I stopped trying to fit into a mold I thought colleges wanted and started being myself.

    Learning to Prioritize Time and Stress Management

    The other thing Sarah helped me with was time management. The college application process can be incredibly stressful, and I was quickly falling behind on deadlines. She told me about how she managed the stress of applications and helped me create a calendar to break down each part of the process into manageable steps.

    She also introduced me to meditation and mindfulness techniques that helped calm my nerves and stay focused during crunch time. These small tips had a huge impact, and I didn’t feel as overwhelmed as I might have otherwise.

    Building Confidence Through Peer Advice

    Another piece of advice that Sarah gave me was about confidence. “You have to believe in yourself, especially when the process feels tough,” she said. “You’ve already done the hard work — now trust that you belong.” This advice stuck with me through every essay draft, every interview, and every late-night study session. I began to realize that I wasn’t just a small-town girl with big dreams — I was someone with real potential, and I had earned the right to apply to top-tier schools.

    Her encouragement helped me to see my own worth. When it came time to submit my applications, I didn’t just send in a set of forms and essays. I sent in a piece of myself — my story, my journey, and my future aspirations.

    The Result: From a Small Town to a Big Name School

    When I finally got the acceptance letter from the university I had dreamed of attending, it was an emotional moment. I felt like I had crossed a huge milestone, not just in my academic journey, but in my personal growth. Sarah had helped me not only refine my application but also see the strength I had in my own story.

    Reflecting on my experience, I realize that the peer advising process was the key to unlocking my potential. The advice I received from Sarah went beyond what was in my application. She taught me how to look at challenges with a mindset of growth, how to prioritize my well-being, and how to bring my true self into every part of the process.

    Now, as I prepare to start this new chapter at my dream school, I carry with me the lessons I learned from Sarah — and I’m excited to pay it forward as a peer mentor myself, helping the next generation of students find their own way.

  • What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My College Apps

    By Aanya S., Student and First-Gen US College Applicant

    If I could go back and have one honest conversation with my junior-year self, it would start with this: You’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

    When I began the college application process, I thought it was just about writing essays and submitting scores. I didn’t know that the hardest part wasn’t the paperwork — it was the planning, the second-guessing, and the self-doubt that crept in when I was supposed to be making the biggest decision of my life.

    No one in my family had gone to college in the U.S., and though my parents wanted the best for me, they couldn’t help me figure out FAFSA or the difference between Early Action and Regular Decision. At school, the guidance counselor was juggling over 400 students. It wasn’t her fault, but I felt invisible.

    That changed the day I met Joanna, a peer advisor a year ahead of me. She’d been through it all — late nights with the Common App, FAFSA errors, agonizing over which extracurriculars to highlight — and more importantly, she got me. She spoke my language, literally and figuratively. She wasn’t trying to dazzle me with stats or throw acronyms at me. She asked me simple questions like, “What makes you feel most alive?” and “If a college said yes to you, what kind of place would it be?”

    I didn’t know it then, but what she was doing was coaching — not advising in a formal sense, but helping me uncover what mattered to me, what made me unique. Together, we mapped out a timeline. We talked about how to approach my essays — not with a strategy to impress, but as a way to tell my story. She helped me understand what colleges were actually looking for: authenticity, clarity, and a sense of purpose.

    Looking back, here are five things I wish someone had told me before I started:

    1. Your application is not just a form — it’s your story.
      I treated it like a job application at first, checking boxes and trying to sound impressive. But admissions officers aren’t hiring you — they’re inviting you into a community. They want to know who you are when nobody’s watching.
    2. Deadlines are only the tip of the iceberg.
      There are internal deadlines too: when to ask for rec letters, when to draft your essays, when to take a step back and reevaluate your list. Having a calendar with built-in breathing room saved me.
    3. You will second-guess yourself — that’s normal.
      I rewrote my personal statement three times. I wondered if I should’ve joined one more club or taken one more AP. But I learned that clarity beats quantity. It’s better to go deep than wide.
    4. Help is out there, but you have to reach for it.
      Whether it’s a peer coach, a teacher, or someone who went through the process recently, talking to someone who’s walked the path before can change everything. They know the hidden stressors, the unspoken fears, and the little hacks that make a big difference.
    5. Celebrate the small wins.
      Every finished essay, every submitted app, every time I pressed “save” on a draft — those were victories. Don’t wait until an acceptance letter to feel proud.

    Now that I’m in college, I volunteer as a peer advisor myself. When students come to me panicked about their applications, I tell them what Joanna told me: Start with your voice. That’s what they want to hear.

    The college process isn’t just a rite of passage — it’s an awakening. And while it’s messy and overwhelming, it can also be transformative when you’re not doing it alone.

    If you’re about to begin, remember this: You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be honest — and open to support. You’re building your future, and you deserve all the help you can get.

  • How Peer Advising Helped Me Choose the Right Early Decision School

    I remember staring at a spreadsheet with ten colleges on it—each with different programs, deadlines, and vibes—and thinking, How am I supposed to know which one to choose for Early Decision? My school counselor was helpful with logistics, but the person who actually helped me decide was a peer advisor from Pathways.

    She wasn’t just a name on a website. She had applied to the same schools I was considering. She had wrestled with the same trade-offs. She had lived through the same pressure of making the “right call.” Talking to her felt like a flashlight in a very confusing tunnel.

    Why Early Decision Felt Like a Gamble

    I knew Early Decision (ED) could increase my chances. The acceptance rates are almost always higher for ED applicants. But locking yourself into a binding decision before you even see other offers? That’s nerve-wracking.

    I wasn’t choosing between clear winners and losers. I had to pick between amazing options: a top liberal arts college with an intimate campus vibe, a research-driven Ivy League university, and a rising tech-focused school with a full scholarship possibility. I had good grades, a 1550 SAT, strong extracurriculars, and a couple of statewide awards. But I didn’t have clarity.

    My Peer Advisor Had Been There—Literally

    The peer advisor I booked through Pathways had applied ED to one of the schools on my list and had gotten in. She was a sophomore now, thriving in the program I was interested in. But she wasn’t just pitching her school. She walked me through her decision matrix—how she compared departments, faculty accessibility, financial aid, campus culture, and career placement data. She told me what she got wrong in her own thinking and what she would’ve done differently.

    That hour-long consultation was more valuable than weeks of Googling.

    The Personal Details That Mattered

    She pointed out things I hadn’t found on Reddit or College Confidential:

    • Which departments were stretched thin and which were getting new funding.
    • What “fit” meant beyond buzzwords—like how introverted students felt at different campuses.
    • How her ED acceptance came with specific scholarship stipulations I hadn’t considered.

    She even shared her actual “Why [School]?” essay, which helped me tighten the focus on mine.

    What Really Helped Me Decide

    The breakthrough moment came when she asked:

    “If none of your friends or family ever knew what school you went to, which one would you still be excited to attend?”

    That’s when I realized I was leaning toward the flashier names for the wrong reasons. The school I ultimately chose—my ED school—had the tight-knit community, academic freedom, and project-based learning I really wanted. I just hadn’t given myself permission to see it as my first choice until that conversation.

    SEO Keywords We Hit Along the Way

    If you’re reading this, maybe you’re searching:

    • “How to choose an Early Decision college”
    • “Does Early Decision increase your chances”
    • “Is Early Decision binding”
    • “How to get college advising from students”
    • “Should I apply Early Decision or Regular Decision”

    I typed those same phrases. And while articles helped, nothing compared to hearing it from someone just a couple of years ahead of me.

    The Confidence to Commit

    I hit submit on my Early Decision application two weeks later. I felt nervous, but also oddly calm. I knew I wasn’t choosing based on prestige or pressure. I was choosing based on insight. I got in. And today, I help others through the same process—as a peer advisor myself.

    Final Thought

    Choosing an Early Decision school is one of the most consequential steps in the college application process. Having a peer who’s done it recently, who knows the schools intimately, and who can speak with both honesty and empathy—that’s a game changer.

    If you’re standing at that fork in the road, wondering which path to lock in early, talk to someone who’s walked both. It just might change everything.

  • The Value of Recent Experience in Navigating Today’s Admissions Landscape

    If you had asked me two years ago whether I’d be helping other students apply to college, I probably would’ve laughed. At the time, I was neck-deep in personal statements, debating whether to go test-optional, and losing sleep over what extracurriculars truly “stood out.” Fast forward to today—I’ve gotten into one of the most competitive universities in the country, and now I guide students just like I was not long ago. I’m what Pathways calls a peer advisor, and here’s the thing: when it comes to navigating today’s college admissions landscape, recency matters more than most people realize.

    The College Admissions Game Has Changed—Fast

    Let’s be honest. The rules of college admissions have shifted dramatically even in just the last 2–3 years. Test-optional policies, new FAFSA rollouts, evolving essay prompts, changing holistic review practices—it’s a moving target. And traditional college counselors, even the really good ones, often don’t have a front-row seat to the latest nuances.

    I lived through applying during COVID-era disruptions, the rise of test-blind schools, and trying to decipher how colleges were recalibrating GPA evaluations. I had to make decisions without precedent—do I still take the SAT even though my dream school doesn’t require it? Should I submit an optional video portfolio? How do I make up for a year of canceled volunteering?

    Because I faced these exact dilemmas, I can give real, practical advice that’s grounded in firsthand experience.

    Real Stories > Hypotheticals

    A lot of students I work with tell me their school counselor gave them a checklist or a spreadsheet of deadlines. Helpful? Sure. But when you’re deciding whether to write your Common App personal statement about a deeply personal experience or a quirky passion, you don’t want theoretical frameworks. You want to hear from someone who actually wrote essays that worked—someone who’s been on both sides of the accept/reject line.

    When I share my story about how I structured my “overcoming adversity” essay, or why I cut out two AP classes from my senior year to focus on research, students listen. Because it’s not just advice—it’s lived truth, tested in a real-world admissions gauntlet.

    The Edge of Peer Advising

    Working with a peer advisor means tapping into fresh, tactical insights that most traditional advising models don’t offer. For example:

    • I can show screenshots of my actual Common App and walk a student through what I picked and why.
    • I know which colleges changed their supplemental prompts last cycle and how students interpreted them.
    • I can explain how I balanced mental health with ambition—something that’s part of the student experience but often ignored by formal advisors.

    This isn’t to knock professional counselors—they absolutely bring depth, structure, and years of perspective. But in today’s hyper-competitive, algorithm-driven, test-flexible landscape, you need someone who speaks both the strategy and the reality.

    Keywords I Keep Hearing from Students

    The students I coach keep bringing up terms like:

    • “How to get into competitive colleges”
    • “What makes a good college essay”
    • “Do I need SAT scores in 2025”
    • “College admissions advice from Ivy League students”
    • “What to write in the activities section”

    I know the answers because I asked the same questions myself, not in theory, but in practice—and I figured them out.

    Recent Experience Builds Trust

    One of the most important parts of the college application journey is emotional support. When I tell a student, “Hey, I got deferred too, and here’s how I handled it,” their whole body language shifts. They know I get it. That empathy? It doesn’t come from textbooks or webinars. It comes from walking the path myself.

    Final Thought

    In a world where college admissions change faster than most people can keep up, having a peer advisor with recent experience isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic advantage. I’m proud to be one of those voices for students—someone who’s walked through the fire and came out the other side, ready to guide the next group through it.