College Coach

College Coach Registration

New to the benefit? Visit: https://passport.getintocollege.com and create your unique user name and password.

Get Expert Guidance:

• Schedule a free one-on-one session with an expert to discuss your family’s unique situation. 
• Receive up to five phone counseling sessions and five essay reviews per student per school year.
• Questions? Call (888) 527-3550 or email [email protected].

The Fall 2026 Webinar Series runs from September to December.

You must register for the College Coach program to have access to the webinar. Previous webinar recordings can be found on the College Coach homepage.

Topics include:

Preparing College Applications

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | 12 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

In the confusing and competitive college admission process, preparation and timing are key to your student's success. Juggling the many components of each application and making sure your student is maximizing all of them can be overwhelming. This webinar will go over the application process, strategy, and logistics to help your student submit their best application. You'll learn to:

• Understand the application components and how to tackle each one with less stress
• Write an impactful essay while avoiding common mistakes, pitfalls and tricky topics
• Be proactive and strategic with deadlines

This topic is suggested for families with 12^th grade students.

Navigating the FAFSA and Other Financial Aid Applications

Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 12 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

The college application process can be overwhelming, and one of the more stressful aspects can be accessing the financial aid needed to make college affordable. This program reviews how to apply for financial aid and provides a comprehensive, yet accessible, breakdown of the major financial aid applications, the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. The workshop covers:

• What forms of income and assets are reported—and not reported—on aid applications
• Under what circumstances are students considered financially independent of their parents
• Whose information is considered when parents are divorced
• How to report special financial circumstances to the financial aid offices
• Reasons to complete aid applications even if you don’t expect to qualify for need-based aid

This topic is suggested for families with 12^th graders and college students. 

Saving for College

Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 3 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Stressed about saving for college... and intimidated by this incredibly important investment in your child's future? There isn't a one-size-fits-all savings plan; instead, this workshop will give you the tools you need to set (or readjust) course so that your savings plan aligns with your family's educational and financial priorities. You'll get an overview of the college savings landscape and learn how to:

• Chose a college savings plan that meets your needs
• Save in a tax-efficient manner
• Reduce the financial aid impact of college savings
• Set appropriate savings goals
• Identify untapped resources for college savings

This topic is suggested for families with newborn – 12^th grade students.

PSAT – What a Score Means, Why It Matters

Thursday, December 10, 2026 | 3 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Understanding the PSAT and how to interpret and use those scores are important first steps in the standardized testing process. Students can set themselves up for maximum success on the SAT or ACT by preparing for and taking this standardized practice test, which in turn will help them fare better in the college admissions process. This webinar will offer your employees insight into the PSAT and why it is important to their children. It will share information about the following:

• How to convert PSAT scores to predict a student's score on the SAT or ACT
• Making sense of the SAT and ACT and choosing based on the PSAT
• Comparing your child's PSAT score to other students in their state
• National Merit Scholarship opportunities for high-percentile students

This topic is suggested for families with 8^th – 11^th grade students. 

The Spring and Summer 2027 Webinar Series runs from January to August.

You must register for the College Coach program to have access to the webinar. Previous webinar recordings can be found on the College Coach homepage.

Topics include:

Understanding Your Bright Horizons College Coach Benefit

Thursday, January 21, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar 

From your child's first college savings contribution to their first job offer, Bright Horizons College Coach is here to support your family’s education journey. This benefit connects you with former college admissions, financial aid, and career counselors who can help you navigate every stage of planning. From preparing for college costs and choosing high school courses to completing admissions applications and exploring career options. In this webinar you will learn:

• Key steps to take at each stage of your child’s college and career planning journey
• Answers to your burning college admissions and finance questions
• How to make the most of the resources and services included in your College Coach benefit

This topic is suggested for: Families with newborns to college students.

Developing a High School Plan

Thursday, February 11, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

High school is a critical time in your student's education journey, and it's important to find ways to maximize their potential for success in college and their future career. This workshop will show you how to help them effectively plan for high school academics and extracurricular activities, as well as post-high school goals. You'll get strategies for:

• Selecting the appropriate type and level of courses across the curriculum
• Choosing extracurricular and summer activities (including jobs) to support growth and wellbeing
• Setting actionable goals, talking about interests and strengths, and aligning them with post-high school plans

This topic is suggested for: Families with 7^th – 10^th grade students.

Paying for College

Wednesday, February 17, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Overwhelmed by the thought of paying for college? Taking control of the college finance  process is possible and Bright Horizons College Coach® can help. With our support, you'll learn how to determine what you’re willing and able to pay for college and strategically select schools that are the best financial fit for your family. We'll share strategies to help:

• Make the most of family savings and cash flow
• Establish reasonable borrowing expectations
• Maximize need-based financial aid eligibility
• Identify colleges most likely to offer scholarships
• Effectively negotiate for deeper college discounts
• Distinguish winnable scholarships from time-wasters 

This topic is suggested for: Families with 9^th graders – college students.

College to Career: Networking and the Job Search

Wednesday, February 24, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Is your college student wondering how to build their network and begin the post-graduation job search? In an ever-changing job market, it can be difficult for students to feel confident in their next steps. In this workshop, our career planning team will help college students to:

• Identify networking opportunities in formal, informal, and online settings
• Develop strategies for locating positions of interest
• Prepare for the multiple stages of an interview process, including salary negotiation
• Identify campus resources that support students’ networking and the job search efforts

This topic is suggested for: College students and their parents.

Selecting Best Fit Colleges

Thursday, March 4, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Wondering how to help your student through the college selection process? With close to 4,000 schools in the U.S., where should you even begin? The goal of this workshop is to help you and your student understand how to narrow the options and select their best fit colleges. In this workshop you'll learn how to:

• Identify your student’s strength and interests
• Put together the strongest possible college list
• Match your student with a college that meets their needs and will help them reach their goals

This topic is suggested for: Families with 11^th grade students.

SAT & ACT: Which is Right for My Child?

Thursday, March 11, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Every school that's test-required or test-optional will accept both the SAT and ACT interchangeably. So how do parents know which one their student should take? You will learn about the tests, understand the differences and how to use your student's learning style to make the most informed decision for the best possible result. You will learn:

• Steps you can take to determine the right test
• Key identifiers to help choose
• Test dates and timeline options

This topic is suggested for: Families with 9^th – 12^th grade students.

Understanding the SAT, ACT, and Today's College Admissions Landscape

Tuesday, April 6, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

College admissions testing has changed significantly over the past few years. Between the digital SAT, updates to the ACT, and evolving college admissions policies, it can be difficult to know what's changes, and what actually matters for your student. In this webinar we will walk through today's testing landscape and help you make informed decisions about when to test and how these changes could impact your student's college admissions strategy. You'll learn:

• The latest changes to the SAT and ACT
• How colleges are approaching standardized testing today
• How to decide which test is a better fit
• Common misconceptions about testing and admissions

This topic is suggested for: Families with 9^th – 12^th grade students.

Finding the Right Path: Majors, Careers and Alternatives to College

Tuesday, April 20, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Is your high school student unsure about what career to pursue or what to study in college? Do you want to better understand their options, such as choosing a major for college, exploring alternatives to a 4-year degree, or directly entering the workforce? With so many paths available in a time of rapid technological change, it's important to determine a good fit for your student. In this webinar, you'll learn:

• What academic and career pathways exist for high school graduates ranging from apprenticeships and technical training to specialized bachelor's degrees
• What a major involves, how it fits into a bachelor's degree, and how it may impact a student's career and graduate school opportunities
• How students can begin to assess their interests, explore fitting options, and determine next steps
• The potential impact of AI on your student's careers and industries of interest

This topic is suggested for: Families with 9^th – 12^th grade students.

What’s New (and What Matters) in College Admissions and Finance: A Live Q&A

Tuesday, May 4, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

If it feels like the college planning process has changed dramatically since you were a student, you're right. The worlds of college admissions and finance have been rapidly shifting, challenging families to keep up with changing policies, application trends, and college costs. Join Bright Horizons College Coach for a live Q&A session where former admissions and financial aid officers will break down the latest headlines and address your most pressing college planning concerns. Bring your questions and join the conversation to learn what's new, what matters most, and what your family can do to prepare for an evolving higher education landscape

This topic is suggested for: Families with newborns – 12^th grade students.

Successful Scholarship Strategies

Wednesday, May 19, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

You might be counting on scholarships to reduce your child’s college costs. But with so many options (a basic web search for the word "scholarship" yields nearly 200 million results!), it can be hard to figure out which ones to target—and which ones your child is likely to win. This program will streamline the scholarship search process, teach you how to make best use of your time, capitalize on your child’s strengths, and increase your chances of scholarship success. Join our coaches to learn how to:

• Prioritize scholarship applications
• Strategically develop a college list to maximize merit scholarship funding
• Negotiate for increased funding
• Avoid scholarship scams and pitfalls

This topic is suggested for: Families with 9^th – 12^th grade students.

College to Career: Building a Resume: Applying for and Gaining Experience in College

Thursday, June 17, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Is your college student ready to take on new experiences and strengthen their resume? There are many ways that college students can build the skills that employers are looking for—internships, jobs, leadership opportunities, and volunteering—all of which have different application requirements. Understanding the best next step can feel overwhelming. In this workshop, our career planning team will help college students to:

• Narrow down and locate experiences based on career goals
• Begin a structured internship search
• Create a clear and impactful resume, highlighting their qualifications
• Craft an effective cover letter, demonstrating the student’s fit with a position
• Identify campus resources that support their search and application efforts

This topic is suggested for: College students and their parents.

Writing Your Best College Essay

Thursday, July 22, 2027 | 7 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

The college application essay plays a critical role in admissions success. And with the competitive admissions process looming ahead, you and your student might be wondering what it takes to craft a stand-out essay. Join us for a live, interactive session to get expert advice on:

• What makes a strong, appropriate, and engaging essay topic
• Strategies to brainstorm, methods for writing, and tips for editing
• How to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls
• Insight into our former admissions officers' favorite essays
• How to get the most out of your free essay review benefit

This topic is suggested for: Families with rising 12^th grade students.

College Admission Tests: When and How to Start

Tuesday, July 27, 2027  |  2 p.m. ET  |  Live Webinar

Planning for college admissions testing can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to balance the SAT®, ACT®, AP®, and IB® exams alongside your student's busy high school schedule. Knowing when to begin and how to create a testing plan that supports meeting your student's goals can make the process much more manageable. In this webinar, we'll walk through the key milestones of admissions testing and help you build a personalized testing plan with confidence You'll learn:

• When students should take a diagnostic test
• How to decide whether the SAT® or ACT® is the better fit
• The ideal timeline for test preparation
• How to schedule the PSAT®, SAT®, ACT®, AP®, and IB® exams
• Important deadlines for students requesting testing accommodations

This topic is suggested for: Families with 9th - 12th grade students.

College to Career: Exploring Careers in College: Finding the Right Fit

Wednesday, August 11, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

Is your college student trying to decide on a career or reconsidering their path? With so many options and limited time, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this workshop, our career planning team will help college students to:

• Determine core interests, values, and skills as they relate to potential careers
• Utilize informational and interpersonal resources to research careers of interest
• Narrow down options and evaluate careers for personal fit
• Understand campus resources that support career exploration and planning

This topic is suggested for: College students and their parents.

The Common Application: What You Need to Know

Thursday, August 12, 2027 | 2 p.m. ET | Live Webinar

The Common App makes the college application process easier—as long as you and your student know how to best approach it. By understanding how to maximize each piece of the application, students can fully showcase their strengths and potential. This webinar will go over:

• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Strategies your student can use to make their application stand out

This topic is suggested for: Families with 11^th – 12^th grade students.

The Columbia University – College Coach Annual Report summarizes utilization metrics, including user registrations, webinar registrations and personalized assistance services.

Consult with College Coach admissions and college finance experts in private phone sessions tailored to your needs. You can discuss your family and student’s application questions, discuss strategies for saving and paying for college, create plans for high school and more.

You can schedule up to five phone counseling sessions per student per school year. It is recommended to utilize the Quick Questions feature for answers to more general questions and to consolidate your inquiries into fewer scheduled appointments. Changes or cancellations to your phone counseling session must be made 24 hours prior or it will count as one of your sessions.

Register for Phone Counseling

^{Note: you must register for College Coach before registering for phone counseling.}

Simplify the college search process with a custom list of colleges and universities based on your student’s preferences, interests and academic record. The list is created by a College Coach admissions expert based on a detailed student questionnaire and features a brief informational profile and estimated chance of admission for each school.

Help your student craft their best application essays with exclusive written feedback from College Coach experts on college application writing supplements and activity resumes. Each eligible student can receive up to five essay reviews per school year.

College Coach will provide written answers to your specific questions through the Quick Questions tool within two business days. This tool is ideal for questions that clarify facts rather than require strategic responses or a lot of individual context.

Send Quick Questions

*You must register for College Coach before you can send questions.

Hear what your Columbia University colleagues have to say about College Coach:

• “This benefit is such a stress relief. I feel the college search and application process is a full time job and it is so hard to learn everything necessary. This benefit saves so much time and allows me to feel more confident in decision making and how to most efficiently continue college planning.”
• “Not only was my college expert knowledgeable, but she also had a lot of empathy for seniors and families going through the stressful process of college admissions and navigating waitlists. I appreciated not only the information and helpful tips, but also her understanding of the feelings that arise and how to gain perspective.”
• “We have saved thousands of dollars thanks to this benefit. Having access to various experts has been incredibly helpful in identifying trends that will give my child more options. It’s been a fantastic experience!”
• “The Paying for College webinar gave me the guidance that I needed. I feel much more prepared than I did before the webinar. This is a great benefit given by Columbia University!”
• “This benefit practically eliminates the time consuming effort to help my children prepare for college.”

At some schools, a financial aid application may negatively the student’s chances for admission, while at others, it will not. Many schools are “need blind” and do not review the financial aid application, if there is one, during the admissions decision process. Others are “need aware,” and, in one way or another, may favor the admission of non-aid applicants, or students from high-income families.

In general, needing financial aid is a much smaller factor in the admissions process than the other data from the admissions application. Many need-aware colleges admit almost all of their classes on a need-blind basis, and reserve a small fraction of admissions, perhaps 10%, for students who do not need financial aid. Others allow finances to play a minor role in the evaluation of all candidates.

In any case, if you need financial aid to afford a college, you should apply for it by the college's deadline. There is no use getting into a college you cannot afford to attend. If you have questions about whether a financial aid application may benefit your family, schedule a personalized counseling session with a Bright Horizons College Coach finance educator.

There is no specific number of colleges to which a student should apply. We recommend applying to a balanced list of schools representing varying levels of selectivity and predictability in the admission process. An evenly-balanced list would consist of around two “probable” schools, where the applicant’s academic performance is stronger than that of the typical admitted student; three “possible” schools, where the average admitted student’s academic performance is equivalent to the applicant’s record; and two “reach schools,” institutions where the average accepted applicant's profile is stronger than the applicant’s record. Applicants might choose to balance their lists differently based on their values or priorities; one student might apply to five “probable” schools to try and maximize scholarship awards, plus three “possible” schools, and two “reach” schools.  Another student might apply to two “probable” schools, three “possible” schools, and five “reach” schools because they want to try for a few highly selective colleges with unpredictable admission processes. As such, this is a great topic to discuss in a personal counseling session.

The essay can be very important because students have the opportunity to share details about their personality, interests, and achievements not reflected on the transcript or in standardized testing. The essay is an opportunity for the student to add a third dimension to the application. Generally speaking, the more selective the college, the more important the essay will be. At all colleges requiring an essay, it is usually very important for borderline students and scholarship consideration, therefore, significant time should be spent brainstorming, drafting, and editing.

One way to motivate students to focus on school now is to expose them to the doors their high school education will open later. Visit a college campus to see what life there is like; arrange a job shadowing opportunity in a career of interest; set up an informational interview with an adult your child respects or a professional whose job aligns with your child’s skill set. During and after each experience, discuss what will be required to pursue a similar path. The ability to attend the college of their choice or pursue a career of interest is one very important reason to take school seriously. Many students are also not aware that, even if college is not an immediate option after high school, a strong academic performance will still make them more attractive to potential employers.