FAQs

At Pearl Glassman Education Counseling, every student is welcome- whether you are from a public, private or parochial school; high achieving, or having an IEP or 504 plan. Because our team fully understands the ins and outs of the admissions process, we have successfully launched prospective prep school, college, graduate school, military academy, and transfer students for over thirty years. Want to pursue a liberal arts or career-oriented education, an LGBTQ+ friendly community, athletic recruitment, the arts or accommodations for physical challenges and learning differences? Count on us to give you our best.

Our goal is to make sure you know the rules of the road so that you can be in the driver’s seat. In order to provide the best possible assistance to our clients, we evaluate their progress regularly and often maintain relationships with our students and are familiar with their academic and social profiles. Most importantly, we offer options, resources, and opportunities for our students to explore possibilities and do the work that will enable them to make sound decisions.

We view college planning as a family effort and encourage parents to participate in guided family conversations. Once our students begin working with us one-on-one, we remain accessible and accountable to parents/guardians through email, text, phone, and requested in-person meetings.

With over 30 years of experience in college admissions, secondary school counseling, and higher education, our team has an exceptional track record of highly successful academic placements and merit scholarship awards. Janet has earned the designation of Certified Educational Planner, the highest credential awarded by the American Institute of Certified Educational Planner in the profession. In addition, she holds a master’s degree in business administration, and has taught college courses in marketing and ebusiness. Lastly, Janet Loren Educational Consulting is distinguished by its ongoing commitment to your success. While other consultants end their relationship after the admission season, we maintain ongoing contact, support, and relationships with students in placement for at least one year, and as long as they choose.

Pearl Glassman Education Counseling has had exceptional success with educational placements. However, since our services are advisory in nature, we do not guarantee admission to any high school, college or university. In addition, we do not accept payments or rewards of any kind from colleges for the referral or placement of students.

Pearl Glassman Education Counseling knows that finding the “best fit” can be stressful and confusing. Therefore, taking time to get to know you, introduce our methodology, and answer your questions is the goal of our initial meeting and the foundation of a successful partnership.

Pearl Glassman Education Counseling charges a nominal initial fee for reviewing test data, analyzing the student’s strengths and interests, and suggesting options for programs and colleges. This consultation may take place at our office in North Bergen NJ, by phone or through video-conferencing.

Unfortunately, there are many incompetent and disreputable consultants who take advantage of unsuspecting families. However, our team at Pearl Glassman Education Counseling holds the highest credentials and certifications available in our profession and offers a winning track record of successful placements and satisfied customers. Learn more about us.

We maintain comprehensive knowledge of both public and private institutions’ academic profiles, both nationally and abroad

Pearl Glassman Education Counseling makes it our business to stay abreast of “what’s new” in the admissions and academic world and we follow these trends on a daily basis. In addition to accessing journals, online data, professional list serves, workshops, and conferences, Janet averages in-person visits each year to a wide range of national and international institutions. While on campus, she carefully evaluates and documents academic rigor and course offerings, student culture, institutional setting and safety, special services, career counseling, and financial support. To complement her personal recognizance, Janet has developed an expansive network of colleagues in the fields of education, financial advising, tutoring, standardized test prep, and psychology in order to best serve her clients.

The majority of our students come to us as sophomores and juniors. However, in order to provide a more holistic and comprehensive college counseling experience, we begin working with students as early as the 9^th grade. We find that the sooner students come to us, the better positioned they are to strategize and implement effective goal setting, course selection, testing strategies, and résumé-building.

YES!  In fact, many of our students (including those with GPAs lower than 3.0) have been offered merit scholarships by colleges based on academics, athletics, musical abilities, community service and leadership. We also have helped them earn government and institutional awards to ease their financial needs.

Janet attends National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) conferences annually. She also takes part in ancillary conferences and training workshops, including those offered by Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), College Board, National College Advocacy Group (NCAG), and SAT and ACT.

Janet is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Educational Planners (AICEP), National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), National College Advocacy Group (NCAG), Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). Applicants for these professional memberships are vetted to ensure that they have the appropriate graduate-level academic degrees, educational consulting experience, knowledge of hundreds of colleges, and a professional network of college admissions officers and educational colleagues. As members in good standing, they must adhere to strict requirements for continuing education, touring college campuses, financial aid advising, and professional integrity.

High school guidance counselors are wonderful people who handle a wide range of academic, social, and administrative tasks. However, most of these caring professionals would readily admit that their unwieldy pupil to counselor ratios prevents them from spending as much individualized time as they would like helping students shape their high school experiences and navigate the complexities of the admissions process. Furthermore, because of their time constraints and daily demands of non-college related responsibilities, it is difficult, to accumulate and share the valuable body of knowledge our independent consultants have acquired. At Pearl Glassman Educational Counseling, our team is focused on helping our students present themselves as the unique individuals they are. We make sure they benefit from our extensive and ongoing educational research, visits to hundreds of colleges, and extensive network of admissions counselors, faculty, and other professionals. We are also committed to understanding the ins and outs of college majors and programs, career exploration, standardized testing, athletic recruitment, pursuit of the arts, application completion, financial aid, and how we can better serve our clients.

“My child will be writing the college essay in English class,” is a familiar mantra and reason why some parents don’t seek our help with essay writing…until they realize that the final product sounds more like an English paper than a self-reflection that reveals beliefs, values, life-lessons, and “aha” moments. The second surprise is the reveal that applicants may be asked to write dozens of essays; none of which will be covered in English class. For most teenagers, the task of writing even one essay can be daunting. And while English teachers will review their students’ essays and make suggestions, most are not experts when it comes to understanding what admissions counselors require. In contrast, we know how to interpret and approach a wide range of essay topics, and are trained in how to coach a student through the process of introspection and self-understanding.

Pearl Glassman Education Counseling does not accept fees from schools, programs, or colleges. You are our client and we work solely in your child’s interest.