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Doesn’t Anyone Graduate from College in Four Years Anymore?

January 15, 2015 By Jolyn Brand

According to federal statistics on college graduation rates, only 27% of college students who attend public colleges graduate in four years. Private schools have a slightly better track record: 48% of students get their college degree in four years. Private for-profit colleges have even worse graduation rates (don’t get me started on those so-called “schools”). Either way, those are some disappointing figures! Colleges also use their 6 year … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Seniors Tagged With: college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college applications, college consultant, college counselor, college graduation, college help

Financial Aid Secrets and 4 Tips

January 11, 2015 By Jolyn Brand

Something interesting happens every summer before high school graduates head off to college. Most people in the higher education industry refer to it as ‘summer melt’. It’s a yearly occurrence when extra financial aid is unclaimed and returned to the college’s pool of resources. It’s a result of students who had previously accepted admissions to that college deciding not to attend, thus leaving their financial aid package on the table. That aid … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Financial Aid Tagged With: college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college financial aid, college help

Can My College Acceptance Be Revoked?

December 15, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

Can colleges revoke admissions offers? What behaviors can cause this, and how can students protect themselves? It’s the time of year again. No, not tax time. I’m referring to senoritis. The time of year when senior year high school students start getting acceptance letters to college and then, promptly, start slacking off in school. It’s tempting, I know. They already got into college, why bother with maintaining grades or doing homework? One … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Seniors Tagged With: college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college consultant, college counselor, college students, Revocation

Top 25 Colleges for Entrepreneurship

October 22, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

Think you've got what it takes to start a business? Time to get educated. To get your schooling underway, Entrepreneur presents the annual Princeton Review ranking of the top 25 undergraduate and top 25 graduate entrepreneurship programs offered at U.S. institutions. 1. Harvard University About the Program Harvard University currently offers 33 entrepreneurship-related graduate courses. Over the last five years, its graduates have started 182 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Juniors, For Seniors Tagged With: best colleges, college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college applications, college visits, entrepreneurship programs, financial aid, Rice University, University of Texas, University of Texas at Austin, UT Business

The Most Expensive College Dorms

October 22, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

eCollegeFinder is back with another map series, this time looking at which colleges charge the most for on-campus room and board in each state. We all know how expensive college is these days. From massive tuition fees to costly text books, it really burns a hole in the pocket. Aside from tuition, room and board is usually one of the top expenses for each student. This got us thinking, which colleges charge the most for on-campus living? Is it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Juniors, For Seniors Tagged With: college acceptance, college advice, college costs, college students, cost of dorms, scholarships, Southern Methodist University

Avoid Expensive Errors While Saving For College

August 1, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

It’s just about back-to-school time again. If you have young children, you might be hustling them to the store for backpacks and binders. But if you fast-forward a few years, you can envision driving your kids a little farther — to their college dorms. And when that day comes, you’ll want to be financially prepared. So you’ll want to avoid making costly mistakes when preparing for, and paying, those big bills. Here are some of the most common of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Financial Aid Tagged With: college admissions, college advice, college financial aid, scholarships

New College Ranking Lists Published by Money Magazine

July 28, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

For the longest time,  U.S. News & World Report was considered THE college rankings system. Every Fall, a "new" list would be released, which would almost always put Harvard was the best college in America. Every once in a while, it would tie with Princeton. Those rankings were based on many factors, including SAT scores, acceptance rates, and graduation rates. But it did not include many other factors that are becoming increasingly important … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Upcoming Events Tagged With: college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college applications, college consultant, college counselor, college help, college students

SAT Subject Tests and Average Scores

May 21, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

The College Board, the creator of the original SAT, has also created SAT IIs, better known as SAT Subject Tests, to help students showcase their knowledge in certain subject areas.  These Subject Tests are the only national college admissions tests where the students get to choose which subject they want to be tested on. SAT Subject Tests allow students to set themselves apart from other applicants and send a “send a strong message regarding … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ACT and SAT Tagged With: college admissions, college advice, SAT, scholarships

How Brand College Consulting can help you save time and money

May 5, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

 Why Do You Need an Independent College Consultant? 1. “A house may be the most expensive thing most families buy, but college--which is second most expensive--is far more important in the long run. College decisions are actually more crucial because they affect the teenager’s future” College consultants are specialists in helping you make this important investment and decisions. 2.  The college application and admissions process is very … [Read more...]

Filed Under: FAQ's Tagged With: college advice, college consultant, college counselor, college students

How to Save for College and Start a 529 Plan

April 21, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

Parents of college-bound students know that the costs of college has risen dramatically. The College Board, the creator of the SAT, conducts a survey of average college pricing from universities across the country. For the 2013-14 academic year, the average cost for an in-state public college is $22,826, while the average private college is $44,750. These costs include tuition, room and board, fees, books, and an allowance for personal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: FAQ's, Financial Aid Tagged With: college, college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college applications, college counselor, college financial aid, financial aid

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Brand College Consulting
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Joel Delgado
Joel Delgado
16:37 27 Sep 19
Our experience with Jolly Brand was exceptional.
Jacob Gunter
Jacob Gunter
04:27 06 Jul 19
Shannon Robbins
Shannon Robbins
16:26 14 Apr 17
Our experience with Jolyn Brand was exceptional. She was very responsive to us and offered valuable guidance throughout the college preparation and application process. My daughter got in to all of the schools in which she applied, even her stretch school. We credit Jolyn with helping us to make sure her resume, application and essays were top notch.
Marylee Olson
Marylee Olson
00:29 08 Mar 17
Brand College Consulting was GREAT for our son! We met Ms. Brand when my son was in 7th grade! We saw her for an hour consult yearly to help him select his classes, plus a little algebra tutoring in high school. He was ahead of others course-wise and we were able to get 21 hours dual credit in high school, he made the Dean's List, Phi Theta Kappa, and Natl Society of High School Scholars. We are a family of Texas State Bobcats and it's very competitive now to get in but he did and we are thrilled! I recommend Ms. Brand and her services! Marylee Olson, Silverlake, Pearland (Dawson High School)
Chaplain Forever
Chaplain Forever
23:49 05 Oct 16
My youngest daughter attended tutorial services with Ms. Brand. Due to the exemplary, SAT preparation services, my daughter was accepted into several top colleges including the University of Houston, Texas State, Lamar University, and Sam Houston. As a college student, she received scholarships and has been on the Dean's list every semester. Ms. Brand instilled confidence in my daughter. I will be forever grateful.
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Client Testimonials

avatarI was very happy with all aspects of the service, but Anna and I were especially happy with how responsive you were to requests and how quickly you returned emails.  Anna liked that if you were going away or were not going to be available that you sent e mails notifying her and gave dates to complete things before you became unavailable.

(Note: Anna was accepted to Case Western University, Boston University, University of Pittsburgh, Stony Brook, and University of Rochester. She also received scholarships totaling $58,000 a year.)

Maria Swetz
Parent, Class of 2016
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About Jolyn Brand

Jolyn is a certified teacher who holds a Doctorate in Higher Education from Northeastern University. After years of experience teaching high school and college students, she began assisting with the college process. She's the founder of Brand College Consulting and works with families across the country virtually. A note from Jolyn: I started working with low-income high school students in … More...

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