Lakeside College Advisers

 

Contact us:  312-805-0511

 

Let us help you navigate the college search.

Which path will you choose?

#1 College Counseling

North Shore Magazine

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Lakeside College Advisers provides individual, comprehensive guidance throughout the college preparation, selection and application process. We believe that applying to college should be an exciting time for students and parents, not a stressful rite of passage. We know that the college admissions process is complex and can at times be overwhelming, so our aim is to assist families through every phase. We recognize that no two students are identical. Therefore we strive to develop a custom plan for each student based on his or her personal needs and aspirations. Our personalized attention ensures the right match is made between student and school, and our insight and in-depth knowledge of the process and of a wide array of colleges and universities across the country are certain to relieve your stress.

comprehensive guidance

Our Process

Every year, we work with a small number of students, creating customized plans and setting deadlines to ensure that students complete their applications and essays thoughtfully, effectively, early, and without mom and dad having to step in to take the reins.

Self Exploration

What kind of student are you? Who do you dream of becoming? How can I help you set goals as you move through high school and begin to contemplate your future? High school students go through tremendous physical and mental change from the ages of 14 to 18, and I believe beginning the conversation about educational aims and personal passions sets you on a more confident, organized path to success.

Building a College List

Searching for the right college fit, and creating a balanced list of choices that both nurtures a student’s vision and ensures successful outcomes takes time and a thoughtful approach. We work to achieve this through face-to-face meetings, assessments, analysis of data, preparation for college visits, and listening to families’ needs.

Selection Process

Applying to College

The application process need not be stressful. Lakeside offers proper guidance and planning to support students through the steps needed to complete all college essays, applications, and additional materials. From brainstorming through completed essays to crafting resumes, activity lists, and choosing the correct strategy for each school, Julie helps each student with an individualized, custom plan, and sees them through the school year until the final college choice is made.

Our Expertise

Julie has visited more than 200 colleges, many multiple times, across the United States and in the UK. With extensive knowledge of the programs and opportunities offered at leading colleges and universities, Julie provides unique expertise when making suggestions and recommendations to families.
College Placements

Our Mission

I started my business because I love working with young people and want to see them move into the next phase of their lives with a sense of excitement and accomplishment. The process is always fraught with stress; my job is to make it less stressful, more transparent, and rewarding. I don’t promise admissions to certain schools as a guarantee; in fact, my contract states that I can’t guarantee admission into any school. What I can guarantee is a genuine working relationship with student and family, one where I provide positive reinforcement yet realistic goal-setting; listen to your needs and provide an individualized plan, and let the student take ownership of the process and feel good about the results. As a member of HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association) and IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association), I adhere to a set of ethics guidelines.

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What our Clients are Saying

{Julie was a blessing in the college application process with my youngest. My daughter didn’t want direction from me (go figure?) but was extremely open to working with Julie. They immediately hit it off and established a fantastic rapport. Julie’s advice and counsel went above and beyond what either of us expected. Perhaps most importantly having Julie in the mix gave my daughter a measure of control and a sounding board during what would have otherwise have been a very stressful process. I can t thank her enough.
0
{Julie, you were such a huge part of getting (our son) to the right school. The time, effort and genuine passion to want to help guide and direct him was apparent and appreciated.
5
{I felt Julie understood my daughter’s strengths, respected her point of view, and helped her to expand the direction of her essays and supplements. In the end, she was able to build an application which reflected her interests and aspirations. Thank you again.
5
{Julie broke down the college process with insightful campus observations and clarifying feedback. Talking to her gave me a much better understanding both of what colleges were looking for and what I was looking for in colleges.
5
{Julie made the college application process less stressful for me. She always replied quickly to the multitude of emails I sent her and kept me on track with my essays. I couldn’t thank her enough for the help she gave me and I highly recommend her to any incoming high school senior.
5
{Our daughter was helped immeasurably by Julie’s services. She has a unique rapport with teenagers and her admissions expertise is invaluable. Her guidance through the writing process was exceptional. Her value was finding the best approach and concepts for the essays and the guidance was such that our daughter’s writing was still her own but without the rough edges.
5
{I am a Senior at North Shore Country Day School and I’m interested in pursuing a degree in Theatrical Design and Technology. North Shore has great college counselors, but I felt that I needed someone with an arts expertise especially with helping me create my portfolio. Julie was an amazing help to me. She helped me create a list of eight perfect Theatre Design colleges for me. She worked with me for many hours creating a portfolio that I am very proud of, Julie helped me plan my approach to writing and edited the common app essay and it’s supplements, and she was very helpful with keeping me on track with the application deadlines. As of today, I have been accepted to seven of the eight schools that I applied to. I have received three scholarships which were portfolio-based. I really enjoyed working with Julie and I highly recommend her services.
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{Thank you so much for helping me with my essays. I felt confident sending my final version out to colleges and I could not have done this without you. As you know, I’ll be attending DePaul University, which is my first choice.
5
{Julie was able to make great recommendations that we had not considered, and give additional advice we were not always able to get from the high school college counselor. I think that is because she has visited so many colleges and personally talked to admissions people at each school. She also understands a parent’s perspective, having raised two children who graduated from New Trier.
5
{Ms Hanna truly made the college application and selection process incredibly smooth. Her endless resources with regards to editing essays and organization led me to have more confidence in my application. I would recommend Ms Hanna to anyone.
5

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