Our three-meeting structure is carefully designed to help families with the college preparedness process. We address what is, and is not working. And we use your unique situation and goals to craft solutions to help you achieve those goals. 

1. Find your Fit Diagnostic: A conversation to evaluate, assess, and identify options for the best academic, social, and financial college matches for your student. 
2. The Financial Fit and Funding Blueprint: An in-depth discovery session to understand and align your college goals with your financial reality. This lays the foundation for making smart, cost-aware decisions.
3. The Smart Start Funding Solution: Based on your Blueprint, we’ll deliver a custom-crafted strategy that ensures you can afford the right college without overpaying or compromising your financial future.

Smart Start stands apart through our holistic approach that equally weighs academic fit, financial considerations, and admissions strategies. Unlike services that focus solely on applications or scholarships, we provide data-driven insights on college selection while helping families understand and minimize the true cost of attendance. Our expert guidance is tailored to each family’s unique circumstances and goals.

The Smart Start Program is an investment in your student’s future and your family’s financial well-being. Our one-time program fee of $995 is designed to be accessible while delivering exceptional value through potential college cost savings. To discuss how this investment compares to the thousands you could save in unnecessary college expenses, please email us.

For optimal results, we recommend beginning the Smart Start Program before your student’s sophomore year of high school. This timing allows families to implement money saving strategies before the financial aid “look back” and the college application process begins in earnest. However, rest assured we can provide valuable guidance at any stage of the college planning journey, including for families with high school seniors who need immediate assistance.

Families who have completed our Smart Start program report significant benefits, including reduced stress around college decisions, clearer understanding of financial aid options, and substantial savings on college costs. Many parents share that the program helped them discover excellent college matches they hadn’t previously considered, while avoiding excessive student loan debt and finding ways to maximize merit-based aid and scholarships.

There is no such thing as a family who makes too much money. As a matter of fact, middle and high income families are more likely to overpay for college because of how the system works. We specialize in college planning for high-income families to help them get financial aid they didn’t know they could get. Many schools use merit aid, tuition discounts, and strategic positioning beyond need-based aid. We guide you toward schools that reward strong students regardless of income and build tax-smart funding strategies so you don’t overpay.

Getting started is simple. Email us at letstalk@elitcollegiateplanning.com. A college planning specialist will reach out to schedule your first Smart Start meeting and answer any additional questions you may have about the program.