Announcements

New "Tips" Section on Website

To help you stay "in the know" I've added a new "tips" section on this website. Each month I'll post suggestions to help you stay on track during the college search and application process. January's tips are in reference to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Check them out!:

Affordability 101: The Basics of College Financial Aid Seminar on January 9

Join me for this popular semnar on the following dates:

- Monday, January 9 (6-7:30 pm) - Saugerties Public Library (Saugerties, NY)

- Saturday, December 10 (1-2:30 pm) - Hudson Area Public Library (Hudson, NY)

- Thursday, December 1 (7-8:30 pm) Woodstock Day School (Saugerties, NY)

- Thursday, November 3 (6:30-8 pm) Grinnell Library (Wappingers Falls, NY)

Designed for parents of high school seniors, this presentation will introduce financial aid terminology and review the application process, including use of the FAFSA and CSS Profile forms in calculating aid eligibility.

Essay-writing Workshops for Rising Seniors

Don't let the opportunity to stand out pass you by. Learn how to create well-crafted, memorable college essays that help demonstrate what makes you unique.

Sandra Moore will lead three-part, hands-on workshops for rising high school seniors on "How to Write a Winning College Essay" from June through September, 2011, arranged on an individualized basis to coordinate with your busy schedule. The workshops will be held at the Next Step CC, LLC office in Hyde Park, NY. In-home and Skype sessions also available!

These customized, one-on-one workshops include brainstorming topics, reviewing “essays that worked” and constructing a compelling first draft. Sign up now so you can get a head start on the college application process and enjoy a much less stressful senior yea! Cost: $300/student(for three 1.5 hour sessions.

Register by June 1 and receive a 10% discount/per student. Click here for more information about the workshops; click here to download a registration form, or simply e-mail Sandra Moore (smoore@nextstepcollegecounseling.com) or call her: 845-242-8336.

Bucknell, Susquehanna and Penn Videos

Recently I spent two full days at Bucknell and Susquehanna universities as a participant in a special IECA tour as well as a morning at the University of Pennslyvania. View a short video I made at Bucknell; see my Susquehanna video and check out my Penn one.

IECA Conference Update

I just got back from the the spring IECA conference. Wow! Read my recent blog "Straight from the Horse's Mouth" to find out how what I learned will directly benefit my clients.

Kudos to my kids!

Admission decisions are beginning to roll in. Check the Next Step CC, LLC Facebook page to read about my students' good news!

IECA Spring Conference

Spring is just around the corner, and so is the IECA professional conference in Philadelphia. I'll be spending a week in the City of Brotherly Love, participating in a variety of professional development workshops and discussion groups and networking with college admissions representatives from across the country. Keynote speakers include Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, and Amy Chua, author of the controversial best-selling memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

I'll also be venturing to Bucknell University and Susquehanna University as well as visiting the University of Pennsylvania in town as part of specially-designed programs for independent consultants. And I'm looking forward to those Philly cheese steaks!

More Boston Visits in February

 Neither snow nor brutal Beantown winds can keep me away from my annual tour of Boston-area colleges and universites. Last February I spent time at Art Institute of Boston, Boston University, Emerson College, Lesley College, Northeastern University and Suffolk University. This year I plan to become reaquainted with Berklee College of Music, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Simmons College andTufts University. Check out my update on the Next Step CC, LLC Facebook page.

A Little Levity for the Holidays

One of my major goals in working with families is to help reduce the stress that all too often accompanies the college search and application process. For a little laugh, check out this YouTube video, 'Twas the Night before SATs.

Affordability 101 in October and November

I'll be giving encore presentations of my popular "Affordabiity 101: The Basics of College Financial Aid" on November 1 (Kent Public Library, 6 pm) and on Thursday, November 18 (Goshen Public Library, 7 pm). They follow my October 18th talk on the same topic (and second presentation this fall) at the Grinnell Library (6:30 pm). The sessions will introduce participants to financial aid terminology, required forms and timeframe's for applying and types of assistance availalble. Call the libraries to reserve your seat.

"Planning for College" Discussion on Bob Miller Radio Program

Join me on Wednesday, September 22 for a discussion with Mix 97's Bob Miller (WCZX FM/97.7) about how advance planning for college can minimize family stress during the college search and application process.I'll be chatting with Bob at 7:35 and 7:50 am.

Essay Writing Workshops/October Series

 If you missed the summer series, here's your chance to sign up for the October edition of Sandra M. Moore's "How to Write a Winning College Essay." Join us on three consecutive Thursdays (October 14, 21 and 28, 6:30-8 pm) and find out how to create a compelling narrative that describes your stand-out qualities. To enroll, complete the registration form (PDF) and send it by snail mail to Next Step College Counseling, 15 Main Street, Hyde Park, NY 12538, along with a check for $250/per student. Register by October 4 and receive a 10% discount. For more info, click here.

Local Library Presentations Scheduled for Fall

Sandra M. Moore, M.A., will offer the first of several free, public presentations this fall on Monday, September 20 (6:30 p.m.) at the Grinnell Library (2642 East Main Street, Wappingers Falls). "Planning for College: Five Ways to Minimize Senior Year Stress" will describe useful, concrete strategies for making the high school years enjoyable while successfully navigating the college admission and financial aid process. To reserve your space, call the library at 845-297-3428. (See list of all presentations.)

How to Write a Winning College Essay

Get a head start on the college application process this summer by learning how to create a well-crafted, compelling college essay that demonstrates what makes you unique.

Sandra M. Moore, M.A., will offer two, three-part workshops for rising high school seniors that will include brainstorming essay topics; critiquing and discussing "essays that worked;" organizing and structuring ideas; and developing first drafts on the way to producing polished pieces.

Both series will be held on three consecutive Thursday evenings: July 8, 15 and 22, and August 5, 12 and 19. All sessions run from 6:30 to 8 pm at Poughkeepsie Day School's Kenyon House, 260 Boardman Road, Poughkeepsie.

For more information, please call 845-242-8336. Additional workshops will be scheduled for the fall.

Online Goodies

Want to know what goes on in college admissions offices? Click here for an informative podcast, “Inside the Admissions Office,” courtesy of IECA and Unigo.

And don't forget to read my blog on the Poughkeepsie Journal website.

"Planning for College: Five Ways to Minimize Senior-Year Stress"

Want to help your teen find balance during the college search and application process? Maintain family cohesion? Be part of the “solution” rather than part of the “problem?” Independent educational consultant and former college admissions director Sandra M. Moore, M.A., will offer a free session for parents called "Planning for College: Five Ways to Minimize Senior-Year Stress” at the Pawling Free Library on Wednesday, February 24 at 7 p.m. The one-hour session will describe useful, concrete strategies for making the high school years enjoyable and the college search and application process successful.


Sandra Moore Gives Parents Tips on Bob Miller's Morning Mix

Tune in to The Morning Mix with Bob Miller on Mix 97 (97.7 FM) on Tuesday, January 12, to hear Sandra Moore's tips for parents on minimizing family stress during the college application process. She'll be speaking live at 7:35 a.m. and 7:50 a.m.

Poughkeepsie Journal Gives College Aid Blog "3 Cheers"

The Poughkeepsie Journal (Editorial Page/December 21, 2009) gave "3 cheers"...

"To the Poughkeepsie Journal's new blog, "College Aid," by former college admissions director and admissions counselor Sandra Moore, who is offering free advice on choosing a college and getting in. One of her newest posts is about the all-important Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Prospective college students of every income level and their parents or guardians should learn about this application. Find the blog at poughkeepsiejournal.com/blogs. Feel free to comment on the posts and ask questions, too."

Read the full story.

New Blog!

Check out my new blog, "College Aid," on the Poughkeepsie Journal website. E-mail your questions and comments directly to the site.

More Library Talks

I've been invited back to the Pawling Free Library (January 6, 2010) to talk on the topic "Affordability 101: The Basics of College Financial Aid." (See description of presentation below.)The event is free and open to the public. Additional sessions are being planned for the spring. If you would like me to speak to your local parent organization or student group on this or another topic, please e-mail me.

Press Releases

Affordability 101 Workshops Offered at Local Libraries

Hyde Park, NY (8/10/09) Worried about how to pay for college? Concerned about qualifying for need-based aid? Think public institutions are the only option?

Sandra M. Moore, founder and principal of Next Step College Counseling, will offer a series of sessions for families called "Affordability 101: The Basics of College Financial Aid" at local libraries this fall. The first session will take place at the Hyde Park Free Library on Thursday, October 8, with a second session scheduled for Wednesday, October 21 at the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library in Cold Spring and a third one on Tuesday, October 27 at the Pawling Free Library. The programs will begin at 7 pm and are free and open to the public. Click here to view flier (PDF).

Sandra M. Moore Selected for National Professional Association

Fairfax, VA (3/17/09) – The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) has announced that Sandra M. Moore, M.A., of Hyde Park, NY, has been accepted as an associate member. IECA associate members are professionals who have established an educational consulting practice and have a minimum of one year’s experience in educational placement, counseling or admissions. 

Ms. Moore is the founder and principal of Next Step College Counseling in Hyde Park. A professional educator in colleges and schools since 1973, she has 20 years of direct experience in college and independent school admissions. (For more information, see bio.)

IECA was founded in 1976 as a nonprofit, professional association. IECA members assist students and their families with educational decision making. Their educational backgrounds, specialized training, campus visitations and professional expertise equip them to help students choose schools, colleges or other programs that meet their individual needs and goals. Members continually update their knowledge and maintain skills through IECA sponsored meetings, workshops, training programs and information exchanges with colleges, schools, programs and other consultants.