College Admissions Consulting

You Deserve To Graduate Debt-free

An important message for parents about your child’s chances of getting accepted into the school of your choice.

“I have made it my mission to offer unparalleled support and help to get your child into the best school for them at the lowest possible cost. In fact, the College Ready service has been called the most unique offering in the college admissions space!” ~ Shellee Howard, Founder & CEO of College Ready

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College Ready Can Help You Get Into The Colleges You Want With The Scholarships You Need

College Ready

Parents and students get big results when working with our college admission counselors.

The numbers prove it. Working one-on-one with your own private college admissions consultant makes all the difference. Both students and parents benefit greatly from our proven college application strategies and personalized strategic plan.

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Higher admission rates

Compared to average college admission rates, our families & their students enjoy 5x higher admission rates!

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Number of private clients served

At College Ready, we’ve faithfully served over 900 wonderful, talented, and deserving students.

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Ivy League School placements

Over 110 of our college placements at College Ready have been at Ivy League universities.

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Millions of dollars in merit aid received

Our students have been awarded $23+ million for academic, athletic, artistic, or special-interest merit.

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% Completion of passion projects

With our guidance, 100% of College Ready students have completed a Passion with a Purpose project.

College Ready Is An Expert College Admissions Consulting Company That Helps Students From All Backgrounds, Ethnicities And Countries Get Into Their Reach, Comfort And Safety Schools.

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Shellee Howard Is An Acknowledged Expert In The Field Of College Admissions Consulting

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Frequently Asked Questions About College Ready Services

Who is Shellee Howard and does she have personal experience as a parent with the college application process?
Hello, my name is Shellee Howard. I am the founder and owner of College Ready. We help students get into college with scholarships and graduate debt-free.

Yes, it can be done. My son went to Harvard for four years on a full scholarship. It helped the family finances for sure, but it also set him up for his future as well. Being a college graduate with no debt from a financial loan allowed him to go on to medical school.

Not to be outdone, my daughter attends a nursing school and they actually pay her money to study there.

The college admissions consultants at College Ready help students from all over the world get into college and graduate debt-free.

Do you have a high school student who would love to learn how to get a good return on investment and get into the best colleges? As long as they have a 3.0 or higher G.P.A., we can get them strategically placed on their college application journey.

If you’re son or daughter is a transfer student that is struggling to make sure all of their credits from their classes taken at the Community College will transfer over, we can help them do that.

Our goal is to educate both parents and students and provide knowledge of the entire college admission process. So if you would like a free strategy session with absolutely no commitment just schedule a Discovery Call and we’ll chat about your situation.

We look forward to our opportunity to provide your family the knowledge you need to make the most of your college journey.

What exactly is College Ready?

Are you concerned about the cost of a college education? Are you feeling a little overwhelmed and do not know where to start on your family’s college application journey?

Yes, college admissions factors have changed drastically in the last 20 years and getting into the college or university of your choice is nothing like it used to be.

At College Ready, we know that it can certainly feel overwhelming for both you and your student.

Do you want your child to get into the best possible school for them? If so, you are in the right place! Your child deserves the best possible school and you deserve a good return on your investment.

My name is Shellee Howard and I’m the Founder and CEO of College Ready, the most unique College Admissions Consulting company in the United States. At College Ready, we believe that you deserve to get accepted into your target college with scholarships and graduate debt-free! We help students and parents find, apply to and get accepted by the best colleges in terms of academic, financial, social, and athletic fit.

A College Ready Plan can get you the scholarship you need! Owner Shellee Howard, a Certified Independent College Strategist and Counselor, is a nationally recognized college admissions expert. Her unique College Ready service offers high-ROI guidance to families during the application process. Book your free Discovery Call to learn the most effective way to get your child into their best academic, social and financial fit college without losing your mind or money!

What do you mean that College Ready can help us get a high-ROI?
We work hard to help you get the scholarships and grants you need. Yes, you can get a high return on investment. Our average student receives over $20,000 in scholarships and over the last two years our students have received over $20.4 million in scholarship money. Great for them because they’ve earned it, right? Now, why shouldn’t that be you?

Imagine sitting at the dinner table and going over the offer that just came in from your child’s dream school, and being thrilled with the scholarship. And that’s in addition to the other offers that came in from your top college choices. This can happen for you when you’re College Ready!

Aren't my child's grades enough to get into college?
At College Ready, we guide you through the entire college application process and make it as stress-free as possible. Today, it’s not just about academics. Your child needs more than high scores and G.P.A. to get into the top colleges. Schedule a call with us and we’ll show you exactly what it takes!
What do you mean by Strategic Positioning during the college application process?

Strategic positioning is basically the answer to the question of “What makes your student unique or valuable to a University?” Putting together a student’s positioning requires time, and considerable thought. We can just come up with something generic but if it isn’t authentic and real for your child, it simply won’t work. Our plan has many facets to it. We work thoroughly with your student and create a custom plan to show how they are unique and would be a valuable asset to the college they ultimately choose.

What kind of plans do you offer? Do you provide individual one-on-one assistance as well as group plans?

No matter what your family’s situation, we have the perfect plan for you. Whether you’re looking for help in a small group setting, or personalized one-on-one custom strategy with your own coach, or help with picking the best major and career for your child’s future success, or getting your financial house in order to receive the big scholarships, College Ready has the right solution for your needs.

Other college application programs focus only on the student and their academic aspects. Our College Ready plan focuses both on helping the students stand out and on helping the parents understand how to optimize their financial details for college applications.

This is why we’ve been so successful over the past 16 years.

Click the button below to get a complimentary Discovery Call. We will discuss your exact situation and recommend the best next steps for you.

We are available to your whole family. Your student is our focus, and your family’s support is important. Managing stress is a key component of developing persuasive applications. We are dedicated to taking away the overwhelm and to making the college journey as stress-free as possible. It will help you to know that we are always available to you and your child. You will have a direct line to us. Call, email, text or Skype us when you have a question or need support. We are here when you need us the most!

Where have you placed your students? Can you provide specific names of colleges?

We have successfully placed our students at the finest colleges and universities, often with the big scholarships that enable our students to graduate debt-free!

Our schools presently number over 166+ and include:

  • American University
  • Arizona State University
  • Auburn University
  • Azusa Pacific U
  • Babson College
  • Baylor U
  • Biola U
  • Bowling Green State U
  • Boston Collage
  • Boston U
  • Brown
  • Cal Baptist
  • Cal Maritime Academy
  • Cal Poly Pomona
  • Cal Ploy SLO
  • CALTECH
  • Carroll College
  • Central Michigan U
  • Chapman U
  • Claremont McKenna
  • Clemson
  • College of William & Mary
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • Colorado State
  • Columbia
  • Concordia
  • Cornell
  • CSU Bakersfield
  • CSU Channel Islands
  • CSU Chico
  • CSU East Bay
  • CSU Fullerton
  • CSU Long Beach
  • CSU Monterey Bay
  • CSU Sacramento
  • CSU San Bernardino
  • CSU San Marcos
  • CSU Sonoma
  • CSU Stanislaus
  • Dartmouth
  • DePaul U
  • Drexel
  • Duquesne U
  • Duke
  • Elon
  • Emerson College
  • Florida Atlantic
  • Florida Tech
  • Fordham U
  • George Fox U
  • Georgetown
  • George Tech
  • Gonzaga U
  • Gordon College
  • Grand Canyon
  • Harvard college
  • Harvey Mudd
  • Houston Baptist
  • Illinois Tech
  • Kansas U
  • Kettering U
  • Lewis & Clark College
  • Louisiana State U
  • Loyola Marymount
  • Loyola University New Orleans
  • Madison University
  • Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
  • McGill U
  • McKendree U
  • Menlo College
  • MIT
  • New Mexico School of Mines
  • New York U
  • Northeastern U
  • Northern Arizona U
  • Ohio State
  • Oklahoma State
  • Oregon State
  • Pepperdine
  • Pitzer
  • Point Loma
  • Portland State
  • Princeton
  • Purdue
  • Reed College
  • Regents University
  • Regents U (London)
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic
  • Rice
  • Rocky Mtn College Of Art
  • Rose Hulman Tech
  • San Diego State
  • San Francisco State
  • San Jose State
  • Santa Clara u
  • Scripps College
  • Seattle U
  • Soka U
  • Sonoma State U
  • Southern Adventist U
  • Southern Methodist U
  • St. John’s U
  • St. Mary’s College
  • Stanford U
  • Swarthmore
  • Texas A&M
  • Texas Christian U
  • The George Washington U
  • Trinity University
  • Tulane
  • U of Alabama
  • U of Arizona
  • U of Cincinnati
  • U of Colorado – Boulder
  • U of Colorado – Denver
  • U of Connecticut
  • U of Hawaii
  • U of Illinois
  • U of Iowa
  • U of Kentucky
  • U of Miami
  • U of Michigan
  • U of Minnesota Twin
  • U of Mississippi
  • U of Nebraska
  • U of NC, Chapel Hill
  • U of Notre Dame
  • U of Oklahoma
  • U of Oregon
  • U of Pacific
  • U of Pittsburg
  • U of Penn
  • U of Portland
  • U of Redlands
  • U of Richmond
  • U of San Diego
  • U of San Francisco
  • U of Tennessee
  • U of Texas Austin
  • U of Texas Dallas
  • U of Tulsa
  • U of Utah
  • U of Virginia
  • UC Berkeley
  • UC Davis
  • UC Irvine
  • UC Los Angeles
  • UC Merced
  • UC Riverside
  • UC San Diego
  • UC Santa Barbara
  • UC Santa Cruz
  • US Coast Guard Academy
  • Us Military Academy Westpoint
  • US Naval Academy
  • USC
  • Vanderbilt
  • Villanova
  • Virginia Tech
  • Washington & Lee
  • Washington College
  • Washington University St. Louis
  • Western Oregon
  • Westminister
  • Westmont
  • Whittier College
  • Williams Woods U
  • Xavier U
  • Yale
  • And more!!

What Admission Factors Do Colleges Really Consider?

Do you know what colleges find important? Some factors are VERY important while others are not even looked at. Find out the importance of 19 different factors to get a better idea of what colleges are looking for! Enter your details below and we’ll email you this special College Ready report.
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Will You Be Accepted, Waitlisted Or Rejected? It’s All About Your Strategic Plan!

What Do Parents And Students Say About College Ready?

Get Great College Admissions Strategies From The College Ready Blog

College Ready Blog Critical Test Scores

The Critical Test Scores That You Must Have

College Ready Blog Video

There are important things the applicant should know regarding test scores and getting into college.

In the past, testing was just a regular part of the college application process. Then the pandemic hit and many schools went optional on testing. Some have pivoted back to “Test required”. On the other hand, some are “test blind”.

So where does that leave you? The good news is that you, the student and the family, get to decide. Do you want to only apply to schools that are “test optional” or do you want to keep your options open?

I highly recommend that you test, prep, test strategize, and know the test score you need to be successful in getting into your dream school. Take a practice test and get that initial score. Once complete, you’re ready to take a real test.

The PSAT is a critical piece to this process…

College Ready Blog Scholarships

The Top 3 Things That Will Get You A Scholarship

College Ready Blog Video

Hello, Shellee Howard back with another video for students and parents. First off, thanks so much for your feedback about this video series. I’m glad you find the content helpful!

In this video, I talk about the “Top 3 Things That Will Get You A Big Scholarship”.The first item to getting the very big scholarships is having a “Balanced College List”. It’s key to understand which colleges are generous with their scholarships.

How will you know? Well, this is not something you can find on the search engines. Google doesn’t know but I know! After 15 years of doing this, I can identify which schools are the most generous with their scholarship money.

Picking the right college is the quickest way to the big scholarship!

And we can certainly help you with that…

Learn College Prep Tips From The College Ready Podcast

College Ready Podcast Kim Girard

Transition Your Student To College With Ease

College Ready Podcast

In this podcast episode titled “Transition Your Student to College With Ease”, Shellee and Kim offer gems such as:

It’s important when you get to college that you do it right so you find your passion and what you really want to do in your life.

You go into college more confident and successful when you work in high school to find our passions and values.

Join a club in college that you are interested in, it really helps find people who have similar interests.

Having a college success coach can help the transition for your student.

Kim is a College Success Coach who helps students get the most out of their college experience and become amazing human beings. The students who work with her discover their passions, stay on track academically, have better relationships, engage socially on campus, get clear on their futures, and graduate doing something they love.

College Ready Podcast Natalie Borrell and Alison Grant

Life Success For Teens & Steps You Can Take

College Ready Podcast

In this episode of the College Ready Podcast, Shellee, Natalie, and Alison discuss:

– Getting rid of the noise
– The importance of values to teenagers
– Choosing the learning modality that works best 
– Setting priorities and practicing self-care

Some key takeaways for college-bound students and parents:

Get rid of the noise – take the time to reflect on who you were before the pandemic and what changed during it, then assess your skill sets.

If you follow your values and know what drives and lights you up, you’ll remain motivated and regain your self-identity. Choosing online schooling is fine, but it’s always about finding what works for your teen. 

“It is worth your time and energy to explore and figure out your skill sets before you jump into a very expensive four to six years, depending on what your path is.”

What Financial Aid Options Can You Take Advantage Of?

What you don’t know about financial aid will cost you. Get this free guide on the things you should know before applying to college. Enter your details below and we’ll email you this special College Ready report.
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Students From College Ready Families Have Been Accepted At These Fine Colleges.

Your Student Can Too, And Often With Big Scholarships And Grants!

College Admission Consultants Bring Great Returns

★★★★★

“College Ready helped our daughter get acceptance letters from 10 schools. 3 of them were full ride offers! It was an investment in our daughter’s future that we will treasure forever.”

Janell M., Proud Parent of a College Student
★★★★★

“Shellee Howard and College Ready has made the college process stress free! Shellee simplified the process with a strategic plan that was so easy to follow. It really put our son at ease. Thank you.”

Lisa Baker, Parent Of A High School Student
★★★★★

“Thanks to the College Admissions Conselors, not only did my daughter get into the University Of Southern California, she also got a scholarship and grant money. College Ready already paid for itself!”

Barry C., Lawyer and College Ready Parent
★★★★★

“It’s priceless! Shellee and her team have been such a great match for our family. They’ve guided us through all the details of college preparation and the application process. We especially enjoy the friendly dynamic, all of the different workshops, and the productive one-on-one meetings that we get.”

Michelle C., A Parent of a Freshman College Student
★★★★★

“The personalized attention is beyond what I had expected. They got to know me and find my perfect college match. They researched colleges and offered me choices I would never have considered. The info wasn’t found in my research & was valuable when applying for grants & scholarships.”

Thomas T., University of Alabama Scholarship Recipient
★★★★★

“College Ready and their team were the ultimate guide for our daughter (and for us) in all aspects of the college selection, application and preparation process. They delivered spot-on advice and guidance the whole way and they were so easy to work with. I can’t recommend them enough.”

Mike D., Proud Father and Client of College Ready

Book Your Free Discovery Call Today With A College Admissions Consultant

We Take Away The College Application Overwhelm And Get You Accepted By Your Target Colleges!

Our strategic plans for the College Application Process work! We are delighted to report that we've placed our students at over 166 colleges, often with big scholarships and grants. Credit, of course, always goes first to the hard-working students and their supportive families! We're proud to guide you through your college admission journey as part of your team.

Want to set yourself apart from other students?

Summer Break is the best time for your teen to work on setting themselves apart from other students! What they do with this time can make them shine on college applications. Here is a free download of 50 Summer Ideas. Enter your details below and we’ll email you this special College Ready report.
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