NO, and NO. There are no guarantees in university admissions or scholarships. Don't trust any guaranteed offers.

To know about the best matches for my students, I visit as many campuses as possible during the year, I attend annual professional conferences in-persson and virtually, and read everything possible about global college admissions. I am also a member of the IECA European affiliate group and the IECA Caribbean & Latin American affiliate group. I am also the founder and principal administrator of the Spain Higher Education Counseling & Admissions Professional Facebook Group.

Yes. I am a member of the following professional organizations:

~ International Association for College Admissions Counseling (IACAC)

~ Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), Professional Member

~ Founding member of the Costa Rican Independent Educational Consultants (CRIEC)

~ Costa Rica co-ambassador for the Caribbean & Latin American Network

No. As a member of IECA, my international educational consulting services are compensated by the student’s family (in some cases, the student); I do not receive any compensation from educational institutions.

This is a fundamental difference between an IEC and an Agent. Click on this link to review brief descriptions of high school college counselors, independent educational consultants, university representatives, and agents.

Yes. You will receive the session package rate information and a Services and Responsibilities Agreement with everything in writing.

No to all of the above. Students must take full responsibility for the process, and all materials should result from their best efforts.

As an international independent educational advisor, my role is to assist you in showcasing why you deserve admission rather than securing it for you.

No. I cannot replace your school counselor or administrator, but I can and do collaborate with them as a member of your support team. When guiding students and families it is imperative that we respect the student’s high school requirements and procedures and that of their potential university.

In the case that the student is from a school that doesn’t have a designated college counselor or someone in that role, I strive to cooperatively and collaboratively work with the school administrator or counselor to ensure the School Profile, Student Transcript, and Letters of Recommendation (teachers and counselor) are as complete and detailed as possible. I seek to complement their work ~ we are all on TEAM STUDENT.

Popular destinations for English only speaking students include Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, as well as other English-speaking countries. Many international bilingual English speakers also apply to universities in France, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, and China which offer English-taught programs.

THAT SAID, if you are considering living and learning in a country where the primary language is not your own, having at least some basic knowledge of the language is a good idea especially if you want to maximize your experience and immerse yourself in the culture. Also, it is a basic way to demonstrate your consideration, appreciation, and respect for the host country, its people and culture.

AS FOR FUTURE RETURNS, learning a 2nd, 3rd or 4th language will also help you when you return to your home country as you’ll be more competitive when applying for jobs, your opportunities will be broader, and you could leverage a higher salary because of your language and cultural skills.

Your pronunciation or vocabulary don’t have to be perfect, just try! Take it from someone who goes through this everyday living in Costa Rica and visits universities worldwide.