FAQ's

• 24-7 access to a college planning tool and organizational tools. Students can explore colleges, register for tests, track applications, email their advisor and keep organized all from one place.
• No travel time for meetings: While the majority of our students come from North and South Carolina, I have worked with students in almost all 50 states via telephone, Skype, and Zoom. Many of my clients that live down the street from my office prefer to meet virtually, and we have designed our business to give us the flexibility to work with you without leaving your home.
• Personal coaching by a top college advisor. I help guide students and parents efficiently through the college planning process.
• Organized and Stress-Free: Calendars, reports, and emails are used to help keep students on top of deadlines. I help students pace the process to ease the stress of the college application process. Students receive my book, "College Entrance Game Plan" for organizing their college process.
• Distinguished Expertise: As an Amazon best-selling author of two college planning books and with over fourteen years of experience, I am committed to staying on the cutting edge of college counseling trends by visiting colleges and attending conferences. I am also a member of several professional organizations.

An educational consultant facilitates and clarifies the college application process for students and their families. Consultants utilize their years of experience, extensive training, and substantial research to help their clients find colleges & universities that will best fit them socially, academically, and financially.  They will also consider the student's personality, needs, and learning style. The personalized attention and TLC that I give to my students is unrivaled.  With the cost of college increasing over 440% over the last 20 years, I also aid in the strategies to help reduce the cost of college and pay for college without taking on student loans. College consultants assist students in transitioning from high school to the post secondary opportunity of their choosing.

Few decisions in your child's life will have as great of an impact as their college choice and how much you spend on their college education.  With four-year graduation rates close to 23% and transfer rates close to 60%, a poor match can literally cost you tens of thousands of dollars.  College planning and college admissions can be a complex, competitive, and complicated process with over 3500 colleges and universities in the United States.  Just getting admitted to many of these institutions has grown increasingly selective.  Moreover, the cost of higher education has skyrocketed, rising more than five times the rate of inflation during the last ten years. I help with all facets of the application process, including essays, recommendations, school selection, and financial aid.

With the constant talk about college, financial aid, and with conflicting ideas on proper college planning, it can be a stressful time for students and their families. At Clark College Consulting, we strive to alleviate this stress by providing you with a proven plan that guides you through this complicated and competitive process. The most important aspect of the college selection and application process is finding the right fit.

The "right fit" means identifying colleges and universities that are a good fit socially, academically, and financially for each particular family.

Many students do not have experience in making a $100,000 to $300,000 decision. As a college consultant and a parent, it is imperative we teach our students how to make this monumental decision the right way! Our student-centered process shows our young men and women how to take ownership of the decisions they make about college and how to use this same technique when making other important decisions later in life.

I offer one-to-one private sessions with students and their parents for college planning and financial aid services with the purchase of a College Admissions Club membership. I offer four levels of membership to suit the needs of every college-bound family with students in grades 8 through 12. Please review my "Coaching" page to see which membership level you are interested in starting. When you purchase these services online, I will be notified.  I will contact you to begin working together immediately. If you have any additional questions or concerns, you can reach me by calling 704-944-3543 or by emailing me at [email protected].

I look forward to working with you! 

We are ready and prepared to help you! I have personally worked with over a thousand families over the last decade, and I have worked with a variety of students with exceptional circumstances. I have created specific tools to help these students. If you are interested in personal coaching, my team and I will determine if we can help you succeed. If we believe we are not qualified, we will not hesitate to refer you to a better-fit colleague.

Selecting a college will be the second largest investment you will make in your lifetime (maybe the biggest), other than purchasing a house. Would you consider buying a home without the assistance of a real estate agent to make sure you don't make a mistake or take on unnecessary risk? Would you consider going to court without consulting a lawyer beforehand? A good college counselor can provide valuable insights into the college planning process that can save you time and money.

With the recent school budget cuts, constant turnover, and increased responsibilities, high school guidance counselors have minimal time for college planning. With the large number of students they work with each year, in addition to the non-college planning responsibilities they are saddled with daily, it is a tough job. It is almost impossible for them to give each student the attention that is needed for this very crucial and expensive decision.

Also, many counselors are not trained or do not help with making sure the college your child selects is a sound financial fit for your family. They will not help you with determining the best way to pay for college or show you ways to reduce the cost of college. They place that burden on each household.

Many parents turn to colleges for help. Would you ask a barber if you need a haircut? Why would you ask a college for ways to reduce the cost of college?

Many families may feel the need for a more personalized approach to their college search, the application process, financial aid, paying for college, etc. My team has the gratification of working with a small number of families each year, so we can get to know each student. We provide individualized and customized college advice to each student.

Moreover, my team and I are also able to regularly visit colleges, attend college-specific seminars, keep abreast of government regulations, and participate in professional development activities.

We are not a replacement for your high school counselor, rather a personalized enhancement of the college planning assistance that you will receive.

I offer some lower-cost alternatives that are more cost-effective than my personal consulting on my College Admission DIYer's page.  You will find video training and books that will guide you through the entire college planning process.  You will also find an online learning series that will guide you through every step of the college applications and admissions process at a very affordable cost.

While the majority of our students come from North and South Carolina, we have worked with students in almost all 50 states via telephone and Zoom video conferencing.  Many of my clients that live down the street from my office prefer to meet virtually. I have designed my business to give us the flexibility to work with families throughout the U.S.

While we cannot guarantee that scholarships and merit aid will be awarded, I will teach you the different forms of financial aid. I will also identify which types of financial aid you might qualify for to help reduce the cost of college. I will give you specific, actionable solutions for you to follow so you can make college an affordable reality. My proven system works for any student from any financial background. We will consider grants and scholarships, federal, state, and local government aid, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations, corporations, the colleges' own money, and other sources when we develop your plan.

We have found that the majority of scholarship money a student receives will be awarded by the college or university in which the student enrolls. I will develop a personalized, targeted college list that maximizes the chances of receiving the various forms of financial aid. Last year, our students were offered nearly fifteen million dollars in scholarships and grants.

However, we are NOT a "scholarship search" company. But we do give you proven strategies that are unique to your family on how to identify, select, and maximize various forms of aid to reduce the cost of college.

No. Clark College Consulting was founded on the idea of helping all students who demonstrate the desire and motivation to attend college. Not all colleges are looking to recruit the same type of student, and there is a broad range of college options that are available to families. We can identify the right educational opportunities that best match the needs and goals of any student.

It is possible, but not likely. Financial advisors and CPAs typically do not have the expertise and insights that are needed for a comprehensive college plan. They do not have the training on specific government regulations, financial aid, various financial aid forms, scholarships, grants, and the many college "tax scholarships." This specialization means we have a very specific skill set. Would you want your general practitioner doctor to perform knee surgery?

We work in conjunction with your financial advisors and your CPA. Many financial advisors and CPAs recommend and refer their clients to us because the value added by our specialized skills is immense.

No. We are not a bank, lending institution, or a scholarship search company. However, depending on your needs, we will identify and recommend the best college financial tools for your situation. We can help you evaluate the different loan options available to you, and we can give you recommendations based on your specific financial goals.

I do give out the "Bob & Darlene Clark Scholarship," in which I provide pro-bono work for at-risk or needy students each year. If you think you might qualify, please call me at 704-944-3543 or email me at [email protected].

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Absolutely, and we often work with families that have a high income or high assets that might disqualify them for need-based aid. We take a multifaceted approach that begins with determining the best strategy for your family to reduce the cost of college. There are many forms of assistance to help you lessen the cost of college. While you might not qualify for need-based aid at an in-state public school, you might be eligible for financial assistance at a private school. Even if you do not qualify for need-based aid, you still have the opportunity to be eligible for merit aid and the college's endowment money. We will determine the best strategy for your family and help you implement this strategy to reduce the cost of college. We routinely assist families who believe they would not qualify for financial aid based on their income or assets, and we achieve incredible results.

You can spend countless hours searching websites and reviewing college guidebooks only to come away more confused. It is easy to waste precious time on these sites and still make a poor college match. A poor college selection can result in higher dropout rates and transfers after the first year. Most websites only provide a limited amount of information about colleges and universities, with most of the data being general and statistical.

While working with my team, you will experience less stress and enjoy participating in your child's college search. We can personalize the process by helping students understand the most critical elements in the college selection process. I give them a step-by-step system to follow, resulting in a college list that best matches their individual needs. We provide personalized information, proven strategies, and objective insights to eliminate stress and gain the competitive edge needed to navigate your way through every aspect of the college planning process.

When it comes to college planning, earlier is always better! Whether you are late in the college process or just starting your eighth-grade year in middle school, you will find we have a plan for you!