Watch Our Video: How to Prepare and Plan for College at Novella Prep
The Best Colleges Require…
A strong college application reflects years of mindful planning and thousands of little decisions that, when better informed and guided, reflects the most authentic version of your son or daughter. Our in person and online programming balances academic advising (which classes, how to get the best grades, what matters to colleges) with college planning (which tests, requirements for admission, visits, essay, financial aid, and the application). To get the best results, we have found that starting earlier allows for grade appropriate measures that build toward a well-organized and prepared high school senior. Upon completion of the college application process, we continue to provide support through students’ college experience, offering college-specific study skills and career advising.
Choose a Program:
We have six online programs* for grades 10 – 12 and college students that run sequentially:
- Our Novella Navigator is a new program for select students that blends the best of our enrichment work and college planning to provide longer term guidance for students in a healthy way that balances narrative development with academic performance.
- The Novella 10 program runs through the entire academic year of a student’s 10th grade. We focus on providing academic enhancement through personalized study skills preparation, and the integration of early college advising during the second half of the year.
- The Novella 11 program runs through the entire academic year of a student’s 11th grade until May 1. We focus on providing comprehensive college planning, assisting students as they plan visits, develop testing strategies, narrow their focus, and develop their portfolio.
- The College Application Year is a comprehensive program that strategically builds the list based on data, reviewing the resume, guiding toward optimal college essays, providing interview preparation and managing critical decisions from when we start through until your student submits a deposit.
- The Novella 12 program runs after January 1 of a student’s 12th grade year. We aim to provide students not enrolled in our CAY program with college-specific study skills advice and effectively prepare students for their transition to college.
- The Novella College hourly or monthly advising program runs for current college students. We focus on foundational elements to support college success toward improved grades and in some cases, readiness for transferring to another college. In addition, we aim to provide support in the areas of resume and cover letter review, internship and job search, and career path advisement.
- The Novella Athletes Program focuses around maximizing a college student athlete’s resume and academic performance by working with industry experts from around the country.
*Please note that while our services are aimed at helping maximize academic opportunities, we cannot guarantee specific results such as test scores, grades, or admission to a certain college.
Statement of ethics: We believe that the student is the face of the application and therefore stand behind the mindful decision to never contact colleges on behalf of the student. We make no promises about outcomes and are guides through a complex, decentralized process in service of students and families. As members of NACAC and IACAC, professional organizations providing standards of best practices, we believe that through their hard work and our guidance, the student can earn and enjoy their own success!
Benefits of Novella Prep College Planning:
- Increases potential for best-fitting colleges
- Optimal high school course selection for a strong foundation
- Vocation cultivation: Connecting career to college major
- Comprehensive preparation for college application
- Builds relationships with teachers and counselors
- Standardized test selection and preparation
- Knowing essential milestones at the right grade
When to Start College Planning
The sooner students and parents think about how the day to day decisions affect longer term academic outcomes, the better. By starting early, parents and students tend to have more freedom and flexibility to utilize the college planning process as one of growth and empowerment. We take cues from the student and family to identify when to integrate such opportunities into our study skills program with integrated early college advising, and ramp up formal college planning during our Novella 11 program.
Based on external research as well as our own experience, we have achieved great results when we focus on the academic fundamentals through our Study Skills programming and then integrate college planning at key milestones and at a pace that works with a student’s mindset and readiness. Here is how our college planning integrates with Study Skills. As the needs of our students typically grow as they approach college, our programming is tailored to the individual student.Any student in one of our Novella 6-10 study skills programs will receive knowledge and information that will help them when they fully transition to the Novella 11 program and beyond. Start early, stress less.
