It’s time to flip college prep on its head.
You love your teen and want them to succeed - but at what cost? The pressure of getting into college is starting earlier each year and the result isn’t better applications or stronger student outcomes. We’re pushing teens to their limit where chronic stress has become a benchmark for success.
Nearly 20 years ago, I started working in college admissions and student advising. I became a therapist after watching just how much mental health shapes a students’ success.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve watched adults normalize the overwhelm that teens experience. Or, worse, celebrate stress and burnout assigns of rigor. I’ve worked with teens who feel hopeless because “perfect still isn’t good enough.”
Chronic stress isn’t a rite of passage - it’s a crisis.
We live in a time when 40% of high school students reported feeling “so sad or hopeless” they stopped their usual activities” (2023, CDC). And, if your teen isn’t struggling (yay!), they still go to school, dance, sports, or camp with someone who is struggling.
We - parents, educators, coaches - have grown numb to the fact that this level of sadness and hopelessness are not “normal” parts of adolescent development. Clinical depression is not explained by “teenage hormones.”
Something is happening culturally, environmentally, and sociologically. The silver lining here is that if we created this mess, we can also protect teens from this mess!
We need to shake things up.
I want your teen to thrive, not just survive high school. But, we have to start early and do things differently if we want to help teens lean into their fullest potential and away from the stress. And, I’m here to show you how Joyful College Prep is the key.
Yup, I did just say college prep is the answer. But, it’s not the college prep you’ve heard about. It’s the college prep your teen deserves.
Demystifying College Prep
Free Mini Course for Parents of 8th–10th Graders
You want to support your teen’s future without turning high school into a pressure cooker. But, there’s a lot to do and a lot to manage in high school. It’s hard to know what actually helps. In June 2025, I’ll be launching my new e-course: Demystifying College Prep. You’ll get one email a day for one week that breaks down the college prep process in small digestible videos.
Here’s what to expect:
What’s wrong with traditional college prep (why it’s so stressful)
Brain-based strategies to engage, not push away your teen
Skills that your teen needs to thrive
Tools to facilitate your college prep journey
A developmentally appropriate college prep roadmap starting in 8th grade
This is for you, if you:
Have a teenager in middle school or early high school (before 11th grade).
Worry about missing out on key opportunities for your teen.
Feel nervous about navigating high school pressures.
Want your teen to feel capable as they move through the world.
Want to navigate college prep in a way that doesn’t cause stress.
Want to proactively support your teen’s mental health and wellness.
Let’s demystify the process together. Sign up below and notified via email when this course goes live in June 2025!
Hi. I’m Rachel Fusco
With over 18 years of experience in college admissions, education, and mental health, I have dedicated my career to transforming the way we prepare teens for college.
Working in college admissions and student retention, I saw firsthand how mental health shapes success in college. This is why I returned to graduate school to become a therapist. I studied everything I could find about adolescent development, mental health, and career counseling. I’ve worked in schools - public and private - eager to teach kids these skills as early as possible. And, after navigating the bureaucratic obstacles in schools, I started working independently.
I became a therapist to focus on helping teens and families foster resilience. But, as a therapist, I can only focus on mental health through the lens of mental health problems, and that’s just as limiting as being a college counselor who only focuses on college admissions.
Now, I challenge outdated college prep practices that breed stress, overwhelm, and procrastination and help parents and schools empower teens with a research driven, brain-based approach to college prep that is rooted in wellness.
Today, so many high-achieving teens struggle with the skills they need to thrive—handling stress, building resilience, and navigating challenges, breaking bad habits, self-doubt, insufficient prep, avoiding problems, not asking for help, etc. They earn A’s but at what cost? Especially when college graduates still struggle with the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills needed to thrive in the workplace!
Teens are genuinely stressed and anxious. They are asking for help and it’s time we replace stress with strategies and skills that promote wellness and success. Learn more about how to replace stress with strategies here.
It’s not just talk.
With an emphasis on self-discovery and self-reflection, I guide students through a college prep process that is fun, stress-free, and successful. When I work with students from start to finish, they submit powerful applications that capture why they will thrive in college:*
Over 90% of students were admitted into their top (1st or 2nd) choice school
Over 90% of students received merit scholarships
$1,500-$55,000: Range of Annual Scholarships awarded - per student, per college, per year
$10,000-$175,000: Total Annual Scholarships offered - per student, per year, all colleges
100% of students reported increased self-knowledge & confidence
100% of parents observed positive growth in their teen
100% parents reported that their family’s college prep was enjoyable
100% parents report that they experienced far less stress than their friends
*While these numbers are a reflection of the guidance my coaching programs provide teens, these numbers equally reflect the hard work, flexibility, and dedication that each teen put into their admission process. Because college admissions and financial aid awards are based on so many variables that shift year to year, I cannot guarantee outcomes for any of my clients.