"Thank you very much for all the help you've given us over the past two years. It has been quite a learning experience. My son got into a college that he likes and that likes him. I appreciate your expertise, direction, and guidance. It certainly has made a big difference." -Maryse Edwards, Parent

STEVEN ROY GOODMAN, MS, JD
Educational Consultant and Admissions Strategist
(202) 986-9431
steve@topcolleges.com

Thank you for visiting www.topcolleges.com. As one of the leading college and graduate school admissions consultants in the United States, I am available to guide you and your family through the admissions process. I help you use the intricacies of college admissions to your advantage, enabling you to present yourself successfully to admissions committees.

My goal is to place you in a college, university, or graduate program that is right for you. Through practical and self-reflective education planning, we explore your best college and graduate school options—while efficiently moving ahead through the admissions process.

Over the past 20 years, I have worked with more than 1,700 students and families. I provide assistance in all aspects of admissions. Together, we work to achieve these goals:

• Find the right academic programs and campus environments for you
• Maximize your odds of being accepted by your top-choice schools
• Use the early decision and early action processes strategically
• Develop admissions themes that make the strongest possible case for your application
• Write powerful essays and personal statements, avoiding topics that are red flags to admissions readers
• Present extracurricular and academic activities in ways that favor your candidacy
• Train professionally for on-campus and alumni interviews

I counsel in a caring way that will help you grow emotionally, intellectually, and professionally. I am always sensitive to the pressures and time demands of the admissions process. I advise applicants of all abilities, on both undergraduate and graduate admissions. I develop strategies that maximize opportunities for each individual.

"Steve analyzed various public policy programs and recommended the perfect one for me. He helped me understand all the issues facing international students—admissions, finances, housing, immigration, and social issues. His international outlook and his background in admissions and law were invaluable to me." -Samuel Soberano, Cardenas, Mexico, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Q. When did getting into college become so competitive?

A. Getting into good colleges and graduate schools is more competitive and complicated than ever.

Twenty-five years ago, approximately 50 percent of high school graduates in the U.S. went to college. Now, 65 percent do so. To this increase, add population growth, the skyrocketing popularity of name-brand schools, and universities' yearly obsession with "yield management." The competition for the limited spaces at America's top colleges and graduate schools has never been keener.

Q. My child is bright and has done well in high school. Why should he or she need any help to get into a good university?

A. There are over 25,000 high schools in the United States. Each one has a math superstar, a soccer stand-out, and a computer whiz.

In applying to selective schools, your child is now competing against an applicant pool of equally gifted children—most of whom have equally good or better class ranks, high test scores, and a long list of impressive extracurricular activities.

I will help your child stand out from the crowd by showing you how to develop a personal admissions portfolio uniquely designed to enhance his or her potential for admission. The expert coaching my clients receive gives them a winning edge.

"The essays we worked on really paid off—I got in!" -Michelle Park, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

Q. What makes you, Steve, the person who can best help me?

A. I help families navigate this very personal process by serving as a combined admissions market analyst, researcher, strategist, coach, and neutral family resource. Through my extensive experience, I understand how adolescent development and the college search intersect—which I address in my book, College Admissions Together: It Takes a Family. As a consultant, I discuss with you the expected stress points in the admissions process early on. I provide you with a trusted advisor who can listen to and objectively analyze your hopes, plans, and dreams from a fresh and objective perspective.

I help you pinpoint which schools to research and which campuses to tour (and which to bypass), saving you and your family precious time and resources. Through our work together, I will point out the most important aspects of the admissions process, so you can focus your energies on what really matters to admissions committees.

"Steve helped alleviate a lot of pressure. My husband and I are very busy, and Steve was able to provide needed structure for our daughter. She completed her applications on time—no small miracle, I may add." -Karen Sallen, Parent

Every year, I extensively research the ever-changing aspects of college admissions and its impact on my students and others. My unparalleled insights into the admissions process are the result of my work with the College Board's Enrollment Planning Service Model, membership on the University of Pennsylvania's Advisory Committee on Admissions, and meetings with leading administrators, admissions personnel, and university boards. I am regularly interviewed by leading news outlets for my insights.

My inside understanding of the subtleties of the academic world can help you navigate the admissions process to your advantage—and maximize your chances of finding and being accepted by the right schools for you.