FAQs

While grades and test scores are both important admissions factors, colleges place more emphasis on grades. Not just any grades, but grades in rigorous classes. In fact, colleges tell us that the first thing they look for in a student’s application is strength of curriculum. Admissions officers consider students in the context of their high school environments. For example, if your school’s curriculum includes an array of AP courses and you’re taking advantage of them, you’ll receive their highest consideration. Colleges want students who challenge themselves with the hardest classes in which they can do well. A grade of B in a high-level course is preferable to an A in a standard class. Don’t panic – you’re not locked into taking AP or IB level classes in every subject – most students are more comfortable with either the English/history or math/science area. You can be strategic in choosing your tough classes!

Since every high school’s curriculum and grading system is unique, colleges have long relied on test scores from the SAT and ACT to measure student ability. However, research has raised serious issues. Students with learning differences often have difficulty with standardized assessments, and low-income, first-generation students often lack access to the test prep services that enable more affluent students to raise their scores. The National Center for Fair & Open Testing maintains a database of over 1,000 four-year colleges and universities that do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor-degree applicants. Policies vary among schools: some require scores, some consider scores, and others ignore scores.

The Covid-19 pandemic greatly expanded the number of test-optional schools starting in 2020 when testing centers closed during the early months of the pandemic. Although many colleges continued these test-optional policies well into the pandemic, data provided by some of them suggest that submitting good scores correlates well with college acceptances. Florida’s twelve state universities never embraced the test-optional movement; they all require SAT or ACT scores for admission as do the more selective state universities in Georgia as well as Georgetown and MIT, among others. Our recommendation is for students to take the SAT or ACT and submit scores if they are competitive. We’re happy to schedule a consultation to help determine the best course of action for your SAT/ACT testing.

The astounding amount of personal information available on the web renders social media a powerful force! Don’t ditch it, but make sure yours is squeaky clean and enhances your application by showcasing honors, achievements, and especially any activities that show how you are helping your community.

While colleges like all kinds of extracurricular activities, they prefer “angled” students rather than “well-rounded” students! Don’t think that you have to join a million clubs to be considered. Instead of a “laundry list” of memberships, concentrate on “depth of commitment” in a few areas of your own interest. Colleges appreciate students who have effected positive change in their communities, particularly in situations where the student has identified a need and taken the initiative to address it. Leadership, initiative, and collaboration are particularly valued in any activity.

Applying for college involves a lot of research. Acceptance rates are going down, and the trends are constantly changing. If you have time to do the research, you can find the right school and craft a quality application. However, if you simply don't have the time, we will do the research for you and help your student find the right fit: academically, socially, and financially.

Investment varies based on the student's grade level, scope of services, and package depth. Our Comprehensive College Planning package covers everything from a freshman or sophomore start through final college decision; shorter engagements focus on essays, application strategy, or a single college list build. We're happy to walk you through pricing and recommend the right fit during a complimentary intro call. Call (407) 415-9076 or use our contact form to schedule.

Earlier is better, but it's almost never too late. We see the strongest results when families engage us by 9th grade — that's enough runway to shape course selection, summer planning, standardized test strategy, and extracurricular depth. Most of our families start between 10th and 11th grade. We also work with rising seniors on a focused timeline covering the college list, essays, and applications. The right starting point depends on your student's situation.

A typical high school counselor typically supports 300 to 500 students at once and covers everything from scheduling to mental health to college applications. An independent educational consultant (IEC) works one-on-one with your family and has time to deeply know your student. IECs visit campuses each year, attend admissions conferences, and stay current on shifting policies. The two roles complement each other — we work alongside your school counselor, not in place of them.

Yes. We work with many Central Florida families targeting the State University System of Florida — UCF, UF, FSU, USF, FIU, and the other seven. Florida's twelve state universities all require SAT or ACT scores for admission, and we help students plan a test calendar that maximizes their score. We also guide families through the Bright Futures Scholarship qualification (academic eligibility, service hours, and required tests) and the SUS application process.

Yes. Selective admissions is one of our strongest specialties, and our team has placed students at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, the Ivies, and other highly selective universities. In our most recent in-state applying cohort, 59% of our students were admitted to the University of Florida (vs. UF's 19.8% national admit rate) and 67% to Florida State (vs. 30.0%).

Yes. We work with students with learning differences including ADHD, dyslexia, and twice-exceptional (2e) profiles. The college admissions landscape for these students includes evaluating learning support programs, disability services offices, accommodations transfer from high school, and the documentation colleges require. We help families identify colleges with strong support infrastructure and navigate accommodation requests for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams.

Yes. Visual and performing arts admissions follows a different timeline than academic admissions, with prescreens, supplemental portfolios, auditions, and arts-specific essays often due before the main application. We coordinate the portfolio or audition prep with the academic application so deadlines don't collide, and we know the difference between conservatory-style programs (NYU Tisch, USC Thornton, Berklee) and liberal-arts-with-strong-arts options.

Yes. We support athletes navigating the academic side of NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA recruiting. That includes building a balanced college list that fits both academic profile and athletic level, coordinating official and unofficial visit timelines, managing communication windows, and aligning the application with the coach's recruiting calendar. For families using a sport-specific recruiting service, we work alongside them on the academic application side.

Approximately 95% of our students gain admission to one of their top-choice schools. In our most recent in-state applying cohort, 59% of our students were admitted to the University of Florida (vs. UF's 19.8% national admit rate), 67% to Florida State (vs. 30.0%), and 93% to UCF (vs. 33.0%). We define "top choice" using each student's own list of target, likely, and reach schools. Our emphasis is on fit — academic, social, and financial — rather than on chasing the lowest acceptance rates.

Winter Park College Consultants is the Central Florida brand of JRA Educational Consulting. JRA, founded by Judi Robinovitz, has served families across the country for 30+ years and is headquartered in Boca Raton. WPCC focuses specifically on Winter Park, Orlando, and the surrounding Central Florida region — with consultants who know local high schools, magnet programs, and the State University System of Florida. The two firms share Judi's leadership and standards.

Yes. We work in person with families across Central Florida — Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Windermere, Lake Mary, Heathrow, and the surrounding Orange and Seminole County communities — and virtually with families anywhere in the U.S. or abroad. Our parent firm, JRA Educational Consulting, serves South Florida from Boca Raton. Wherever you are, our team can build the right plan.

Comprehensive College Planning is our multi-session full-cycle service. It can begin at any point in high school and continues through the final college decision. It includes academic and personal-interest review, curricular guidance, summer planning, a standardized test prep calendar, balanced college list building, essay preparation (rising seniors get our Writing Workshop included), application management, college visit and interview prep, scholarship resources, and final decision guidance.