What is it?
College success coaching is individualized support, so it looks different for each person. In our first meeting, we’ll discuss your background, goals, and barriers. In subsequent sessions, we will build on this foundation, sharing strategies, answering questions, and dealing with specific issues as they arise. If you aren’t sure what you need, we can follow a schedule of academic success strategies that I have found to be especially helpful to students I’ve worked with. In our initial, free consultation, we can talk more about session structure and content.
Why should I work with a success coach?
Are you . . .
- Overwhelmed with the demands of college?
- Struggling to balance academics, extracurricular activities, social life, job, and other responsibilities?
- Having trouble staying organized?
- Lacking motivation?
- Procrastinating, wasting time, or overthinking assignments?
- Disappointed with grades?
Success coaching can help students set priorities, make a plan, identify barriers, and overcome them. Want to know more? Schedule a free consultation to see if success coaching might make sense!
What does a coaching session involve?
Each session includes:
- 45-minute video call
- Check-in on progress
- Follow-up email with session summary including action steps, templates, suggested resources, and documents as relevant to the topic(s) we discuss
- Reasonable email communication between sessions (see Q&A for details)
What do students say?
Dr. Admiraal was well-prepared and very organized; every question she asked had a purpose. She was able to quickly understand my strengths and struggles, and help me find realistic solutions.
E.S., second-year college student
Q&A for Undergraduate Success Coaching
Can parents participate in coaching sessions?
I encourage parents to participate in the initial consultation, and I will copy parents (if desired) on follow-up emails so they can keep track of and support their student’s progress. Coaching sessions tend work best, however, when I am meeting 1:1 with the student. At the college level, it is important for students to be working towards independence. If I have any concerns about a student’s health or safety, I will contact the parent(s) as soon as possible.
If a parent wants to meet individually with me to discuss student progress or have a joint meeting with me and the student, we can book a single, 45-minute session (see the Pricing page for details).
How many times can I email after a session or between sessions?
That depends on the nature of your email and the length of time for me to deal with the questions or issues. There is no limit on brief emails giving me an update, letting me know relevant information for the next session, or asking a quick scheduling question. Longer, more involved emails that require detailed responses should be kept to a minimum, but one or two are fine! If questions are better discussed live, I may suggest you schedule an additional session (see Pricing for details).
Do you help with papers?
I can review a short document (1-2 pages) in preparation for discussing it in a session. We can also use a session to discuss topics such as a thesis or organization of a paper, if it does not require more than 1-2 pages of pre-work on my part. As a former composition teacher, I am committed to academic honesty. Any help I provide is done in that context, ensuring that your work is yours alone.
Do you work with neurodiverse students?
I do not have special training in working with students with learning differences; however, I would love to chat about your students’ needs and see if I am able to be helpful – please schedule a free consultation!
What if I can’t find a time in your schedule that works for me?
If you can’t find a good time in my schedule for your initial consultation, just send me an email ([email protected]) with your availability, and we will make something work! I am in the Eastern time zone in the U.S., but I am happy to adjust my schedule to accommodate people in different time zones.
I am feeling depressed/anxious – will coaching help?
If the feelings are coming from (or exacerbated by) issues with time management, organization, or academics, or if you just need someone to provide encouragement and accountability, I can probably help. I am not a therapist, though, so students who need specialized counseling for emotional or psychological issues will benefit more from someone with professional training in that area. In our initial free consultation, we can talk about what’s going on and how coaching might help. If, at any time, I think a counselor might be a better fit, I will let you know. If I have any concerns about a student’s health or safety, I will contact the parent(s) as soon as possible. If I believe there is an emergency, I will call 911.
What does success coaching for college students cost?
See pricing for details on the cost of success coaching for college students.
Do you coach students at other academic levels?
Yes! I can coach graduate students and, in some cases, high school students. You can find more information on the Graduate Student Success Coaching page or the Success Coaching for High School Students page.
Still have questions?
Click on the button below to set up a free consultation and see if success coaching might be helpful for you!
