#1 Help students find and apply to colleges where they will fit socially, academically, and where they will receive the most scholarships and grant opportunities. Most importantly, they will graduate on time.
#2 Help our parents create a plan to pay for college with a focus on the best strategies for gift aid.
Parents benefit from our extensive experience in financial aid analysis, asset management, financial aid forms, expected family contributions, and best outcomes. We regularly offer free online workshops to educate families on today’s college planning process and also on how to save tens of thousands of dollars.
#3 Help families understand the three costs of college.
Small scholarships are not going to pay for a college education. Today an undergraduate college degree costs anywhere from $100,000 to $380,000. An investment in our process saves an average of over $72,000 off of a four-year degree.
Students need to know that college planning is their process. If they feel that autonomy has been hijacked from them, they will lose something important. The whole point of college is helping your student find their voice. Don’t start by taking it from them. We don’t believe the college makes a student. It’s the other way around. A student should not try to change who they are to please a college. Our goal is to help empower students that are powerful, independent adults. We do college planning with them, not for them.
TESTIMONIALS
“My family has used James McKinney, now with Capitol College Planning, on two occasions. First, James helped our daughter select a private college that ended up being a perfect fit as evidenced by our daughter’s very successful college experience and recent graduation. During and after the college selection process, James gave us strategies to maximize our daughter’s merit aid. Ultimately, our daughter (really my wife and I) paid less than a Texas public school education even though she attended a prestigious private university. The total savings exceeded $100,000. We attribute these savings to James’ strategic advice. Next (four years later), James helped our son select his university. Our son was less sure of his post-college career goals. James’ team had our son use a variety of online tools and questionnaires which were followed up with in-person (zoom) counseling. James then gave advice (such as reviewing application answers) to help our son get into the Texas public university of his choice. (Our son is having a very successful experience at Texas A&M). James’ tips on automatic scholarships (i.e. Eagle Scout) covered the fees James charged. And, of course, James helped our son get into a less expensive college which indirectly saved our family on college expenses. In summary, I can’t say enough positive things about James’ help in the selection process, in the application process, and in reducing the financial burden. I have recommended James to dozens of friends over the prior few years. When I reconnect with these friends and ask about their kids’ college, I consistently get kudos from these friends for my James McKinney recommendations. We all agree that James is one of the best investments we have ever made. ”
“My family has used James for both of our children. He first worked with my son who really wanted to attend an Ivy League School. James worked with him on the little detailed things that are necessary to be seriously considered by these types of colleges. They worked closely on his resume which James helped him to enhance his marketability. They also worked together on his social media presence, which my son did not even realize would be part of the admissions process. The end result was an offer of admission to MIT, which was my son’s first choice school. Two years later, James worked with my daughter. She did not have the same class rank or test scores that her brother had possessed, but was still a very strong student academically. She and James worked closely on her college selection and which major would be most beneficial for her. They built a resume together that showcased her talents and strong community service credentials. She applied Early Decision to Dartmouth, and to our surprise, she was accepted. I have recommended James to many of my colleagues and friends as his experience and knowledge of the admissions and financial aid processes is excellent. The investment in his services is one of the wisest decisions that I have ever made. ”
“We had the easiest yet most productive time working with James and his team as my son’s college planning counselor. He was very knowledgeable, yet always responsive and respectful. He emphasized finding the right school for our son, not just the best school. He was always willing to listen to our feedback and never pushed us in a direction that we were not comfortable with. My son received extra scholarship money because of the appeal strategy that James taught us. More importantly, our son is thriving at college because it was such a great fit (and at the right price). We couldn’t recommend James more for your student’s college planning process. ”
“Miss Danielle made me feel so much better about going to college. I had a few schools in mind when I started with her. However, she opened my eyes to several other options and I got more scholarships than I ever thought was possible. I couldn’t have done this without her.”
“The great thing about Danielle is that she is very direct with her approach. Danielle’s expertise brought the reassurance that my son needed to focus on his academics. I’ve definitely seen a change in his demeanor. I could literally see the weight “lifted” off of his shoulders. She is a wealth of knowledge!”
“We had already paid several hundred dollars for an evaluation and aptitude testing on my son. We still didn’t know what direction to go in so we contacted Danielle. Within 10 minutes she was so engaged with my son, seeing him for who he truly is, that we felt compelled to hire her for our college planning journey. She has far exceeded our expectations!”
“Working with Danielle during the college process was an absolute blessing. Our daughter was dead set on her top school and by the time we got to application season, she was excited about 3 colleges and was interested in 5 in total. Danielle managed expectations consistently and, at the end of the day, we saved more money than we expected. What a blessing.”
“Working with James was the best investment I made in our son’s future. Unlike other planners who charge a premium for only college admittance help, Jim provided comprehensive support for both college selection and financial aid at a very fair price. He helped my son find an Engineering program that perfectly aligns with his interests and career goals. His deep understanding of school programs ensured my son applied to the right schools, not just the most obvious ones. What truly set James apart from the other planners I considered was his help with financial aid and appeals. With his guidance, we successfully appealed our initial offers, securing thousands more in aid and scholarships. He made a stressful process manageable and much more affordable. We are so grateful for his dual-focus approach and highly recommend him to any family starting this journey.”