Meet Our Founder: Monica E. Randall, Ph.D.
Equity Advocate | College Admissions Consultant | Food-Allergy Awareness Consultant | Educator
For over 25 years, I sat on the 'other side of the college gate,' admitting college students, overseeing financial aid policies, and working with international students. I founded Bridge2College Consulting to share my insider's knowledge about higher education and personal experience managing the day-to-day realities of a teen with food allergies to help students and their families experience a smooth college application process. My commitment to improving college success for students from first-generation immigrant families and students with special dietary needs are unique features of this practice. With each student, I help them find colleges and universities that match their individual needs. I've expanded my commitment to equity by co-founding College Equity First, Inc., a nonprofit organization established to enhance the conversation and transparency about campus climate and culture for women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color attending colleges and universities in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
My teen is in the 10th grade, are we too early?
Not at all. In fact, starting now gives your teen an advantage over others who wait until their junior or senior year of high school. Why? Because they are in the middle of creating the 'body of work' that an admissions officer will review and judge in a few years.
My teen is a high school junior, are we too late?
Not at all. In fact, getting started now (this spring) will give your teen the opportunity
to work with me over the summer on key parts of their admissions portfolio. Just remember that the earlier you start, the more choices you have.
What do you do anyway?
We coach teens through the college selection, application, essays, major and careers, financial aid and scholarship process. Our services are for private, one-to-one consulting.
How Long Does Each Session Last?
If you're scheduling individual sessions, then your session will last approximately 50 minutes. This 50 minute session is referred to as a "therapeutic hour" and it is standard practice first used by Sigmond Freud. We stick with the 50 minutes and "block off" 60 minutes for each of your sessions. The rationale behind the timing is that we need time to collect our thoughts, jot some notes (if we haven't been taking them during the session), and 'reset' before our next student comes into our virtual office. Your consultant also probably needs to take a bio break at some point. We are human, after all. In some situations, we may recommend a shorter session (25 minutes) or a lengthier session (such as 90 minutes) especially during the essay brainstorming process
Why do I need a private college consultant if my teen already has a high school guidance counselor?
Most parents may not realize that the average caseload of public high school guidance counselors in the United States is 500 (students) to 1 (guidance counselor) and students receive only 38 minutes of personal advising on college admissions and financial aid planning! Unlike your high school guidance counselor, we provide individually tailored and customized services; hours of one-on-one consultations; flexible scheduling and access on weekends and in the evenings; and peace of mind and relief to busy families.
So, how much do you charge?
Our goal is to provide college advising to families at a reasonable price. We provide a broad range of services to fit a variety of family budgets. We also offer different payment options.