Frequently Asked Questions


Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is College Refocus?

Answer: College Refocus is a professional college admissions consulting company based in Greenville, South Carolina. We provide one-on-one support for students and families throughout the entire college admissions process—from course planning and test prep to essays and financial aid.

2. Who do you work with?

Answer: We work with high school students of all grades (freshmen through seniors) and their families. Whether you're just beginning to think about college or in the middle of applications, we tailor our services to meet your needs.

3. What services do you provide?

Answer:

4. How is College Refocus different from a school counselor?

Answer: While school counselors provide valuable support, they often serve hundreds of students. College Refocus offers personalized, one-on-one consulting with detailed strategies tailored to your student’s unique goals, academic profile, and interests.

5. Do you help with college essays?

Answer: Yes! We offer brainstorming sessions, structure and content feedback, and detailed edits for personal statements and supplemental essays—including Ivy League prompts.

6. Can you help us choose the right colleges?

Answer: Absolutely. We create a custom college list based on your academic profile, career goals, location preferences, and financial considerations.

7. Do you offer support for financial aid and scholarships?

Answer: Yes. We help families understand FAFSA, CSS Profile, merit-based scholarships, and South Carolina-specific aid like the LIFE Scholarship and Palmetto Fellows.

8. When should we start working with you?

Answer: Ideally, we recommend starting at any time in the students high school career to plan a strong academic and extracurricular profile. However, we also offer intensive packages for juniors and seniors who need immediate help with applications and deadlines.

9. Are your services available virtually?

Answer: Yes! We work with students virtually via Google Meets, so no matter where you are located, you can benefit from our services.

10. How do we get started?

Answer: Visit our Schedule a Session page to book a free introductory consultation or call us directly at 864-977-1169.

11. Where are you located?

Answer: Our office is at 3519 Pelham Rd #104B, Greenville, SC 29615, but we serve families all across South Carolina and beyond through virtual sessions.

12. What are your pricing and packages?

Answer: Pricing depends on the level of support you need. We offer both hourly rates and package plans. Contact us for a personalized quote based on your goals.

13. I am home schooled. How would your services benefit me?

Answer: Absolutely, we specialize in helping homeschool students build competitive transcripts, plan coursework, and stand out in applications. We also guide families through testing, scholarships, and building a strong extracurricular profile.

14. Do you complete financial aid applications?

Answer: Most sites and apps require you to sign off that you filled in the information yourself. We do walk families through the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and state-specific aid like SC LIFE and Palmetto Fellows. While we don’t file forms for you, we ensure everything is completed accurately and on time.

15. When should a student start the college planning process?

Answer: The earlier the better, ideally by 9th or 10th grade. But we also work with juniors and seniors on timelines, testing, essays, and scholarships.

16. When do you schedule your appointments?

Answer: We offer flexible scheduling, including afternoons, evenings, and weekends, both in-person and virtually, to fit busy student and parent schedules.

17. Is this service only for high-achieving students who desire the most competitive colleges?

Answer: Not at all. We work with students of all academic levels and goals, from technical schools to Ivy League, and tailor plans to each student’s unique path.

18. We don’t live in the Upstate area. Can you provide services to us?

Answer: Yes! We work with families across South Carolina and beyond via Google Meet, email, phone, and shared resources. Distance is never a barrier.

19. What can you do to help me qualify for SC’s Lottery Assistance Scholarships?

Answer: We help you track eligibility requirements, stay on course academically, and understand how to combine state scholarships with other aid opportunities.

20. Do you try to influence decisions of college admissions staff?

Answer: No, we do not contact admissions on behalf of students. Instead, we focus on helping you create a compelling, authentic application that stands on its own merit.21. Can’t we just do this ourselves?

20. Can’t we just do this ourselves?

Answer: Absolutely, But we save families time, reduce stress, and provide expert insight into a constantly changing process. Most of our clients say they wish they’d started sooner.

22. What special services do you offer your clients?

Answer: We offer personalized timelines, essay coaching, scholarship strategies, custom college lists, and application reviews, all tailored to South Carolina students and families.

23. How would an independent educational consultant benefit me if I receive guidance from my school?

Answer: We supplement your school counselor’s efforts with more time, customized attention, and detailed insight into applications, essays, and financial aid.