“I know WHAT I need to do.
I just don’t know HOW to do it.”
Give your 11th grader the tools they need to translate high school success into college application success.
The #1 reason teens avoid college prep is because they feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to do their college prep.
JUNIOR MOTIVATOR helps 11th graders build the missing skills that help teens navigate college prep - the same skills that make college applications shine.
AWARENESS: Teens who can identify their unique strengths, needs, and achievements will impress admissions counselors with their self-reflection skills.
ALIGNMENT: Teens who can match their skills, interests, goals, and learning profile with the best fit colleges can easily convince admissions counselors they’re a solid match thanks to demonstrated research skills.
ANALYSIS: Teens who can identify how their life experiences shaped who they are will write personal statements that stand out with impressive critical thinking skills.
ACTION: Teens who can organize their time and attention to complete applications early communicate to admissions counselors that they are organized and capable students. Applying early can also help with acceptance rates and merit scholarships!
Successful college prep is more than just completing tasks…it’s about understanding the tasks.
Rooted in psychology, career development, and neuroscience, JUNIOR MOTIVATOR is designed to foster skills that your teen needs to excel in their college research, specifically teaching teens how to:
Conduct effective and efficient college research
Determine which college environments will match their learning profile
Link their interests and professional aspirations with “career-world” exposure and college majors
Build a personalized college list with scholarship, safety, and stretch schools
Develop application materials for their top 3 colleges (i.e. resume, activities list, a strategy for linking college majors to their career interests, and personal statement drafts)
An Investment That Pays Off
With an emphasis on self-discovery and self-reflection, I help teens submit powerful applications that capture why they will thrive at each college they apply. When I work with students from the start of college prep to negotiating financial aid awards, their hard work literally pays off*
Over 90% of students admitted into their top (1st or 2nd) choice school
Over 90% of students received merit scholarships directly from a college
$1,500-$55,000: Range of Scholarships awarded - per student, per college, per year
$10,000-$175,000: Total 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
*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.
Hi! I’m Rachel (she/her/hers) and am passionate about transforming how we prepare young people for college.
I’ve spent 18 years supporting over a thousand teens on their journey to, through, and beyond college. I began my career in higher education, working for a prestigious national scholarship program where I was immersed in college admissions and student support for multiple top tier colleges. From small liberal arts colleges to large universities, I sat alongside the Deans of Admissions while they reviewed applications. I learned why applicants were admitted, rejected, or waitlisted. Each year, applicants who demonstrated insight and self-awareness consistently stood out!
After working in higher education, I learned that getting into college is actually much easier than getting through college! College students continued to go through the same stressful process all over again of trying to do well in order to launch their careers. Again, students who mastered self-reflection, insight, and self-advocacy thrived while students who lacked clarity and confidence struggled.
Wanting to foster the self-awareness that promotes lifelong success, I became a therapist and school counselor. Unfortunately, I learned very quickly that the world of school counseling is stretched too thin and high school requirements are far too regulated to provide the proactive support that teens need.
Over the past decade, I’ve refined my college application coaching into what is now JUNIOR MOTIVATOR- an empowering program that balances self-discovery, accountability, and the skills teens need to confidently geek out about their future!
Meet Rachel Fusco
College Prep Support for Parents & Teens!
Parents, shift your role from authority figure to supportive collaborator and watch your teen’s stress shift to excitement.
Your teen will learn how to dive deep into college research, bringing to life their ideal college experiences. They’ll critically examine their passions and career aspirations and build career-world experiences that will enrich their college applications.
While your teen is working with me, parents will also:
Effectively support your teen just right (not too much, but not too little).
Support your teen’s growing independence.
Strengthen your relationship with your teen.
Build confidence watching your teen evolve into a young adult ready for college.
All of this without nagging, yelling, or power struggles. You’ll still get a few eye rolls (I am not a magician).
“Since we’ve been working with you, my daughter’s anxiety over college has definitely diminished a great deal. I can actually have a conversation about college without fear and I can see a big difference in her overall comfort when talking about college and the application process, which has greatly improved our relationship, as mom & teen!”
“You brought us closer. We didn’t fight. We talked. You were a buffer and an outlet. That, alone, was priceless.”
“I thought I knew what to expect because my son was already in college. I should have known that every child is different.”
College Prep Designed for Your Teen’s Brain
Junior Motivator is a virtual hybrid coaching program that provides your family with individual coaching and small group coaching because groups make everything better.
Group coaching workshops are small, experiential, and engaging by design.
Groups make the college prep process an engaging, social experience.
Groups helps teens learn through contrast and different perspectives.
Groups replicate the college experience and reinforce your teen’s interpersonal communication skills that will be helpful with peers and professors in college.
And, if your teen goes through the program with a friend, they’ll experience the power of positive peer pressure and have a built in accountability buddy >> I strongly believe in the power of enrolling with a friend that I offer a “Buddy Bonus” when friends register for the program together.
Coaching Details
PHASE 1: College Research Fundamentals (Group)
Over the course of 3 interactive, virtual workshops, I’ll teach your teen how to engage in effective college research, learning how to take your research and build out your college list; I’ll also help your teen identify ways to optimize their interests and activities for college applications.
Session #1: Sunday, January 17, 2026 from 9-12:30 pm Pacific / 12-3:30 pm Eastern
Lesson #1: The Art of AWARENESS: Self-Reflection from the Outside In. Identify your learning preferences, passions, strengths and learn how that can translate into academic and career opportunities.
Lesson #2: The Art of ASSESSMENT: Engaging in Effective College Research. Learn how to differentiate colleges while gathering the evidence you’ll need for college application essays.
Sunday, January 18, 2026 from 9-12:30 pm Pacific / 12-3:30 pm Eastern
Lesson #3: The Art of ALIGNMENT: Moving from Good to Good for ME! Discover the variables that shape your college “fit” and establish individualized criteria for your college list, including Scholarship, Safety, and Stretch Schools.
Lesson #4: The Art of ARTICULATION: Your Application Strategy . Examine how your story translates on paper and engage in reflective activities to cultivate insight into their own story and identify valuable opportunities to curate for the remainder of junior year.
Monday, January 19, 2026 from 9-12:30 pm Pacific / 12-3:30 pm Eastern
Lesson #5: The Art of APPLICATION: Project Management Tools for Success. Develop a plan to meet all application deadlines, focusing on realistic expectations and avoiding common senior year obstacles with a tracking system that works for your brain!
Lesson #6: Co-Working & One-on-One Breakout Sessions. Meet one-on-one with Rachel for 30 minutes to talk through any questions about your college research process.
Phase 2: College Research Support (One-on-One)
From February through June, I’ll meet with teens (and parents) monthly for a 45-minute one-on-one virtual coaching session; we’ll track your progress with college research and answer any questions about college research and career exploration. These sessions cannot be combined and will take place during the weeks of:
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Phase 3: Application Bootcamps (Group)
In July, your teen will attend a 3-day application bootcamp that meets virtually and in small groups; I’ll help your teen build out the main sections of their college application: resume and activities lists, the personal statement, and college specific supplemental essays. Teens have the opportunity to build out the majority of their college application well before senior year begins!
Application Bootcamps are guided co-working sessions that help teens focus on completing any lingering college research, finalizing their college list, brainstorming responses to application essays, and drafting each essay in a way that articulates your teen’s strengths and fit for each college.
Many college-specific applications are not released until August of Senior year, but you do NOT want to wait until August to complete the sections that we know will be there. We know enough about the personal statement and the general themes of what colleges always ask to get ahead. Some students may finish their personal statement while others may have a solid draft by the end of the bootcamp. Each teen’s progress will depend on their focus and skill in implementing feedback.
Application Bootcamps are kept intentionally small (2-3 students per session) to make sure everyone gets the individualized attention they need. When applying for Junior Motivator, you’ll be asked to select your top 3 choices of the groups listed below:
Bootcamp A: Monday 6/29 + Tuesday 6/30 + Wednesday 7/1 from 8 am - 12 pm PT / 11 am - 3 pm ET
Bootcamp B: Friday 7/3 + Friday 7/10 + Friday 7/17 from 8 am - 12 pm PT / 11 am - 3 pm ET
Bootcamp C: Monday 7/13 + Tuesday 7/14 + Wednesday 7/15 from 8 am - 12 pm PT / 11 am - 3 pm ET
Bootcamp D: Monday 7/27 + Tuesday 7/28 + Wednesday 7/29 from 8 am - 12 pm PT / 11 am - 3 pm ET
Phase 4: Asynchronous Review (13 weeks)
After completing the application bootcamp, Rachel will help your teen finalize their application, providing weekly asynchronous feedback from August 2026 - October 2026 to help your teen target the earliest, priority application deadlines.
Pricing
One year of private coaching with me is valued at over $9,000. JUNIOR MOTIVATOR offers families the same proven framework, expert guidance, and application support—at a fraction of the cost.
Register by November 30, 2025:
$3,997 if paid in full
Or, $338 monthly for 12 months
Register between December 1, 20025 and January 10, 2026:
$4,497 if paid in full
Or, $415 monthly for 11 months
🎉 Take advantage of the Buddy Bonus! 🎉
Enroll with a friend and you’ll both receive a free 45-minute one-on-one coaching session, limited to the first 10 families to sign up - a $247 value!
“Rachel helped empower my child in a way that I could never have done as effectively - or painlessly!”
“I miss our group! It was so helpful. I can’t imagine applying to college without this [support].”
“You listened to me in a way that adults have never done. I hated that you would never give me the answers. But, now I’m so thankful - I’m so much better because of it.”
“You make me feel calm. You make me feel like I can do this.”
Is Junior Motivator Right for Your Family?
Junior Motivator is a GREAT fit for your family if:
You want your teen to feel excited and clear about their path forward, regardless of whether they are undecided or already have a major/career in mind.
You believe that stress is not an indication of hard work.
You value your teen’s mental health alongside their academic success.
You want to support your teen’s independence, helping them do the things without doing the work for them!
You want your teen to grow the skills they’ll need for success in college and beyond:
Analysis: critical observation, critical thinking, and research skills
Executive Functioning: project management skills, organization, and time management skills
Communication: cross-generational communication - talking with adults, writing, speaking over the phone and via email
Self-Advocacy: knowing when and how to ask for help
Junior Motivator is NOT the right fit for your family if:
Your teen does not want to go to college.
Your teen is already struggling to get their school work done on their own.
You want a college coach to give you a list of colleges and call it a day.
You want a college coach to do the work for your teen.
You want your teen’s hand held throughout each step of the application process.
You want SAT or ACT tutoring built into the program.
You want a guarantee of college admissions to your top choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I have to apply for Junior Motivator? I want every teen in JUNIOR MOTIVATOR to thrive. To make sure the program and my approach are the right fit for your family, I ask all participants to complete a brief questionnaire. This isn’t about PSAT scores or GPA—it’s about understanding your goals and making sure we’re aligned. If it feels like a good match, I’ll invite you to register for JUNIOR MOTIVATOR. Early Bird Registration is open through November 30th—apply before then to secure the discounted rate!
Will this help my teen get into college? Yes! JUNIOR MOTIVATOR helps teens get excited about going to college and teaches your teen how to do effective and meaningful college research. College research is the foundation of impressive college applications, but your teen still has to do the introspection and the work. I can’t make any promises because so many variables impact admissions decisions beyond your teen’s grades, test scores, and essays.
What’s expected of my teen? Your teen needs to show up each week and be open to this process. They don’t have to be excited, but they have to be a willing participant. Outside of our group coaching sessions, your teen will have a detailed guide that outlines what work they need to complete and when. Your teen will need to dedicate 30-45 minutes each week to completing college research between our coaching sessions and one-on-one meetings in order to stay on track. Teens will be very clear about what work needs to be done and how to do the work.
Will you make sure my teen meets all deadlines? Your teen is in charge of meeting deadlines. That said, I will teach your teen how to organize themselves and manage their work to hit all deadlines. I will also let you and your teen know if you’re falling behind on the weekly benchmarks that we establish together.
What’s expected of parents? Parents are expected to review the session recaps and make sure that your teen is completing their weekly homework. Parents are responsible for scheduling one-on-one sessions and making sure your teen shows up with you. Additionally, parents are encouraged to share feedback with me about how their teen is doing and feeling about this process.
Is this enough 1-1 Support? Yes! Cohorts are kept intentionally small so that all teens receive individualized attention during weekly workshops. I also facilitate group sessions so that all teens, including shy and quiet teens feel safe engaging. If your teen has unique learning and/or attention needs, they may benefit from additional support, which is always available as a program add-on for all families.
How do parents learn what Rachel teaches the teens? A brief recap video will be recorded each week for parents to view. Additionally, all materials provided to the teen can be reviewed during family one-on-one sessions.
What happens if my teen misses a group coaching session? To prioritize the privacy of minors, live coaching sessions are not recorded, which means your teen must prioritize attending the live sessions. If an unforeseeable emergency takes place and your teen misses a call, a portion of the call with the lesson and activity instructions can be recorded with advance notice.
What’s the refund policy? This program is non-refundable. Cohorts are limited in size. By saving your spot, you are committing to participating in this program. To make sure this is the right program for you and your teen, please use the link below to book a free discovery call and connect with me in real time.
Do you offer scholarships? I am able to offer partial scholarships to a limited number of students. If your family is experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to rachel[at]rachelfusco.com for more information.
What if I have more questions? Please email me at rachel[at]rachelfusco.com