We work with students from 7th grade and up. Many families want middle schoolers to start preparing early — building strong extracurriculars, understanding what colleges and scholarship committees look for, and setting themselves up for a competitive high school profile. The earlier a student starts thinking strategically, the more options they’ll have. That said, juniors and seniors also get tremendous value — there’s always something meaningful we can do together regardless of where a student is in their journey.

Not at all — students in any state are welcome. All sessions are conducted virtually, so location is never a barrier. The scholarship database includes a strong focus on Colorado-specific opportunities (Boettcher, Daniels Fund, Gates Family Foundation, and others), but national scholarship strategy, essay coaching, and application support applies universally. If you’re outside Colorado, Maddy will tailor the scholarship research to your state’s specific opportunities as well.

Most college counselors focus primarily on admissions. Maddy’s focus is specifically on scholarships and essays — the financial and written parts of the process that most families underestimate. Having personally won the Boettcher and $750K+ in awards, she brings firsthand knowledge of what scholarship committees actually respond to — not just general guidance. And as a one-person service, you’re always working with Maddy directly, not a junior associate or an automated platform.

All sessions are conducted via video call (Zoom or Google Meet) so students can work with Maddy regardless of where they’re located. Sessions can be recorded if the student wants to reference feedback later. Between sessions, students can reach Maddy by email for quick questions and last-minute reviews ahead of deadlines.

Everything — and we mean everything. Yes, we cover the major awards (Boettcher, Daniels Fund, Gates Scholarship, Coca-Cola Scholars, Rotary, etc.), but honestly some of the best opportunities are the ones most families never think to look for. There are scholarships for balloon artists, left-handed students, students who love duck calling, competitive eaters, bowlers, knitters, and people named after their parents. If your student has a passion, a hobby, a heritage, a sport, an instrument, a cause they care about, or even just a quirky talent — there is probably a scholarship for it. We dive deep to build out a personalized scholarship list, create a realistic application timeline, and assess the time-value of each opportunity so your student puts effort where it actually pays off — not just the long shots everyone else is applying to.

Yes — essay coaching covers personal statements, Common App essays, Coalition App essays, and supplemental “Why This School” responses for specific colleges. The skills are the same: finding your authentic voice, actually answering the question being asked, and making the reader genuinely care. These are things most students — even very strong writers — struggle with, and it’s where Maddy’s guidance makes the biggest difference.