Early High School

While most families wait until junior year to engage Blue Moon, it is possible to meet earlier in the process. At this stage, the emphasis is on making the most of high school and maximizing all that wonderful potential you have. Are you taking courses at the appropriate level of challenge? Are you getting all the support you need? What activities inspire you? Do you want to have a job? What will you do over the summers? Which standardized test(s) will you take? What sort of preparation will you do? Blue Moon will meet with you on an hourly basis to discuss these issues and more.

college search

This phase begins in Junior year as we begin to explore all that college has to offer. We will go through a process to clarify your values, your hopes, and your aspirations. What types of learning experiences are of greatest benefit to you? What do you hope to study? Where would you like to be? What type of community do you want to be part of? Is diversity important? Is an urban environment compelling? Do you love the outdoors? Do you want an internship? Study abroad? We will delve into all these questions and more in order to build a college list that is tailored just for you.

Preparing Applications

It’s time. Applications. Which application to use? The Common Application? The Coalition Application? The college’s own online application? How can you best demonstrate your whole self? What will you write about in your essays? Who will you ask for recommendations? How do you request transcripts? Send test scores? If you are applying to any test-optional schools, should you send the scores or not? In the end, preparing your college applications is all about presenting your best self through all the components of the application, as well as staying organized and relaxed as you meet deadlines. Blue Moon will help you with each step of the process--never doing any work for you, but providing the scaffolding for your success.

Decisions

We have celebrated each acceptance with you. Now, you have choices to make. You’ve attended Accepted Students Day and made a few overnight visits. But you still have questions. Which school will be the best fit for you? Where will you thrive academically? Where will you achieve the work/life balance you are looking for? Where will you fit in socially and emotionally? Which school will afford you the most opportunity? What makes the most sense financially? We will work closely with you to help you lay out the pros and cons of each possibility until your decision is clear.

Academic Success Coaching

To support executive functioning

One of the ironies of schooling is that they don’t teach you how to “do school.” While many kids intuit the skills they need to succeed, for others, those skills are more elusive. Academic success coaching helps to teach students the “skills of school,” which include:

• Staying on top of assignments

• Breaking down assignments into smaller pieces

• Planning longer-term assignments

• Prioritizing

• Setting goals

• Time management

• Working with learning difference diagnoses 

• Understanding your strengths and values 

• Sleeping enough

• Being in control of your phone usage

• Navigating friendships

• Building strong relationships with teachers

• Building strong relationships with parents

• Trying new things that may be initially uncomfortable for you

• Cultivating a sense of curiosity, wonder, and purpose