Families who are exploring our services can find answers to frequently asked questions in the list below. If you would like additional assistance, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
Popp & Associates is based at 354 Washington Street in Wellesley Hills, MA. We are conveniently located across the street from the Wellesley Hills Commuter Rail station. Free parking is also available. For clients who cannot visit us in person, we also offer virtual appointments (phone and FaceTime). Click here for directions.
Popp & Associates serves clients living throughout New England and the United States. Every year, we also serve students virtually who live abroad.
Popp & Associates college counselors support both parents and students while supplementing the advising services that school-based counselors provide to their students. We encourage families to maintain strong relationships with their school counselors and welcome the opportunity to work directly with them, other administrators, teachers, etc. if clients wish. Our students in 9-11th grades benefit from our counseling services focused on developing academic performance, extracurricular engagement, athletic goals, community service involvement, summer program plans, leadership opportunities, and personal growth.
Students in 11th-12th grades receive a high level of personalized support through all stages of the college search and application processes. Families work with P&A counselors on college list development, standardized testing scheduling, college visit planning, essay writing assistance and other tasks related to the college application process. Please visit our Services page for a complete list of college counseling options.
The ideal time to begin working with Popp & Associates is when a student is enrolled in 9th grade. Families who start with P&A in the later years of high school often mention that they wish they had come on board sooner so that they could have accessed our strategic guidance from the beginning and used it to their student’s advantage. From the first meeting with a client family, valuable recommendations are provided to students regarding many aspects of their high school experience. The decisions that students and families make throughout high school regarding academic course selection, extracurricular engagement, athletics, etc. will ultimately shape students’ college search and application experience. Many families feel, and we agree, that it is in the best interest of clients to start utilizing our college counseling services early on in students’ high school careers in order to ensure that they obtain the most favorable college options.
Families are welcome to purchase Popp & Associates counseling services at any time in a student’s high school career, but counselor availability may be limited for families who contact Popp & Associates in the fall semester of a student’s senior year.
If you are interested in coming on board as a Popp & Associates client, please contact P&A and request to schedule a no obligation, complimentary Meet and Greet session. Parents and their children should plan to attend the meeting. If families do not live in the local area, a virtual Meet and Greet session can be arranged. Families are encouraged to ask questions about topics such as our college counseling philosophy, our services, and logistical matters, such as scheduling and payment options. Personalized guidance regarding an individual student’s circumstances is not provided in this meeting, but it is an excellent opportunity for everyone to meet before families decide how they would like to move forward.
Popp & Associates offers customized educational advising and college counseling services for students enrolled in grades 9-12.
P&A’s educational counseling services guide students in grades 9-11 towards academic pursuits and extracurricular activities that maximize a student’s potential and enable self-discovery and growth. Our students in 9-11th grades benefit from our counseling services focused on developing academic performance, extracurricular engagement, athletic goals, community service involvement, summer program plans, leadership opportunities, and more.
In addition, Popp & Associates provides strategic guidance regarding all aspects of the college search and application process to 11th and 12th graders to ensure that students are well prepared for college and beyond.
P&A also offers college counseling services for high school athletes who would like to continue competing in college and want assistance with the recruitment process.
Families can purchase services at an hourly rate or in a package, which includes a fixed amount of hours at a fixed rate. During a Meet & Greet session, P&A counselors can offer suggestions regarding which service option would be the best fit for your family depending on your needs.
In addition to the fee structure, Popp & Associates counselors also have different approaches when working with clients depending on whether a counseling package or hourly services is purchased.
When families purchase a counseling package, they often do so because they want comprehensive support over an extended amount of time. In addition, these clients expect P&A counselors to guide students and parents in their college application process while parents take a more supportive role. In essence, the student and the P&A college counselor are in the driver’s seat. College counselors will take initiative in scheduling appointments, providing resources to clients, such as information about summer programs for students and reminders regarding standardized test registration, and will help keep families on schedule so that an important deadline is never missed! P&A regularly provides parents with various suggestions regarding how they can best contribute to their child’s college application process and views parents as important partners in our work. Given the length of this process and the amount of work involved, there is plenty for all of us to do!
The hourly service option is a good fit for families who want very limited assistance and who also desire to fully manage their child’s college search and application process. Hourly clients contact Popp & Associates when services are needed, but P&A counselors do not initiate any counseling services and generally play a smaller role in the student’s college application experience.
At this time, we do not offer academic tutoring or standardized test prep services, but we do have strong relationships with trusted local companies that have been successful in assisting Popp & Associates clients. P&A focuses on educational advising and college counseling services for high school students and their families. We also provide athletic counseling for students who plan to engage in the college athletic recruitment process.
We currently do not offer financial planning or financial aid counseling services, but we are happy to provide referrals for industry professionals in the local area.
All college counseling packages, as well as the hourly service option, include essay writing support from Popp & Associates college counselors only. We do not designate this work to outside parties.
Popp & Associates college counselors do not contact college admission offices regarding clients and their application processes. We encourage students to contact admission offices directly with their questions.
Popp & Associates accepts credit cards, wire transfers, checks and cash for payment. In addition, payment plans are available for counseling packages, and discounts are provided to clients who pay for the total cost of a package at the time of purchase. Families who purchase packages for multiple children at once may also benefit from additional discount opportunities.
Clients meet with Popp & Associates counselors during after-school hours Monday-Friday for one-hour office or virtual appointments. Parents are asked to join the appointments involving students in grades 9-11. During the application process, students in 12th grade work one-on-one with their P&A counselor by appointment. Parents can connect briefly with counselors before or after sessions, as well as by phone and e-mail.
