If college is the key to success, why does the college prep process feel like it’s breaking our kids?
Go ahead and gush….your teen is pretty darn amazing. You’ve raised a kind, curious human with so much potential. You’re working so hard to give your teen every opportunity to thrive!
You’ve been told that college is the key to success but how can something so stressful be good for your teen?
You want to focus on the present, but haven’t the years been flying by? You're told “don’t worry about college just yet” but the advice to “focus on grades and clubs” doesn’t sit quite right.
Sure…applying to college is, literally, years away, but if you’ve ever wondered: “Is there something we can do now to avoid the chaos of 11th and 12th grade?” you’re onto something.
Hi. I’m Rachel Fusco and I have spent the past two decades helping young people navigate their journey from high school to college and beyond.
I started my career in higher education and then became a therapist. Two decades later, I know that if we want to improve teen mental health, we have to rethink college prep.
It’s NOT Too Early for the Right Type of College Prep!
College Prep That is Designed For Your 8th, 9th, and 10th Grader
Imagine handing a kindergartener a calculator and calling it “math readiness.” It’s not that they’ll never need a calculator — it’s that they need some basic arithmetic skills before a calculator makes sense!
The same is true for college readiness. College prep usually refers to taking AP exams, studying for the SAT/ACT, picking out majors, finalizing the college list and getting through the tasks of applying to college: but that’s just a list of tasks. These tasks are what should wait until 11th grade. But, developing the skills should come first.
After countless years helping juniors and seniors move through the tasks of completing their college applications, I realized that their stress wasn’t about the work itself, but the missing skills and experiences that teens need in order to complete the college application with confidence.
The right type of college prep that needs to start earlier and is what I call “prep for the prep” – helping 8th, 9th, and 10th graders learn about themselves in ways high schools cannot support. This self-awareness is what teens need in order to make sense of the college application process.
College Prep That is Rooted in Passion
Working in higher education admissions for years, I quickly realized that the applicants who stood out were the teens who could connect their experiences with their passions and their goals with purpose.
Traditional college prep throws 11th and 12th graders into chaos—asking BIG questions about college and their future without teaching teens how to explore their answers. Anyone can come up with AN answer. But, a CONFIDENT answer comes from demonstrated experience and self-reflection; and that applicant will absolutely stand out from the crowd.
Teens need specific life experiences that build their self-awareness, passions, and purpose to be able to complete their college applications with confidence. But, these experiences aren’t typically found in the high school classroom.
> It’s not just about good grades and keeping busy.
> It’s not about starting the tasks earlier!
> It’s about fostering meaningful skills and experiences earlier.
Developmental college prep helps 8th, 9th, and 10th graders grow (develop) their self-awareness and self-efficacy by engaging in exciting, hands-on experiences that spark their passions while building the confidence to succeed socially, academically, and beyond.
College Prep That is Rooted in Science
When teens feel overwhelmed, they tend to avoid/procrastinate, make choices quickly to avoid anxiety, or defer to the opinions of others. Thankfully, teens thrive when we align college prep with what science knows about the teenage brain:
Neuroscience: Helps teens manage overwhelm, tackle complex tasks, and focus.
Psychology: Builds self-awareness, motivation, and resilience.
Sociology: Make confident, informed decisions within the context of social influences.
Don’t Wait Until Junior Year to Go from Confused to Confident
If we want to dismantle the stress of college prep, we need to change how we prepare teens for college. Imagine if parents spoke about their college prep journey like this …
“We’re having so much fun!”
“We have a plan and now high school doesn’t feel so overwhelming anymore.”
“My teen is so motivated - I don’t have to nag them!”
“I know my teen will be ready for college, they are becoming so independent!”
“I barely had to do anything and they finished their applications early!”
You can protect your teen from unnecessary stress and overwhelm by providing the right college prep guidance at the right time.
Family University is a year-long virtual coaching program for families who want high school to be empowering, not exhausting.
Family University supports parents and their teens in 8th, 9th, and 10th grades.
College Prep Coaching for Parents & Teens
Family University is a 12-month developmental college prep coaching program that is rooted in adolescent development and neuroscience to help families “prep for college prep.”
The result: Your teen will be motivated by their passions, not pressure, and by 12th grade, they’ll have the clarity to navigate applications with confidence— creating standout submissions without stress. Meanwhile, you’ll know exactly how and when to support your teen, with a clear roadmap that removes uncertainty.
College prep becomes a journey of self-discovery rather than a stressful series of tasks.
No pressure.
No panic.
Just passion, clarity, and strategies.
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 teens one-on-one, from the start of their college prep journey 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 from their college of enrollment
$1,500-$55,000: Range of Annual Scholarships - 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
*While these numbers are a reflection of the skills I help teens develop, 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.
What’s Included in Family University (2026)
Family University is a 12-month college prep coaching program for parents and teens in 8th, 9th and 10th grade. Throughout the year (January - December 2026), your family will receive:
~ Step-by-step guidance for parents and teens to navigate the early high school years
~ Group Coaching for Parents to help you build your family’s college roadmap
~ One-on-One Teen Coaching Sessions to help identify passions and meaningful experiences
~ Teen Skill-Building Workshops & Coworking Sessions
~ Tools and resources to help families empower, not overwhelm their teens
~ A supportive community of families so you’re never figuring it out alone
2026 Family University Program Details
Phase 1: Parent Coaching Workshops
Building Your Roadmap: Get clear on what needs to happen, when, how and by whom. Identify parent tasks versus teen tasks as well as family values that will shape your expectations and teen’s experience.
Thursdays: Jan 15, Feb 5, Mar 5 from 9-10 am PT / 12-1 pm ET
Phase 2: Private Teen Coaching
Two (2) 45-Minute, Virtual, One-on-One, Private Coaching Sessions to help your teen build:
Self-Awareness: Understanding Strengths, Personality Preferences, and Values, Assessing Interests, Identifying Passions, Learning Profile, and Academic Interests
Self-Efficacy and Leadership Skills: Navigating Academic Obstacles, Self-Advocacy, Connecting Passions to Clubs, Community Programs, Community Service, and Social Action Projects
College/Career Awareness: Identifying Potential Academic Paths and Career Interests, Matching your Student Profile with Pre-College Programs, Summer Opportunities, Job Shadowing, Internships, Externships, and College
Individual Coaching Sessions will be scheduled between April-December 2026
Phase 3: Teen Skill-Building & Co-Working - Group Coaching
Ten (10) Hours of Virtual, Group Coaching Workshops focused on building foundational skills for your teen’s success in high school and college.
Workshop #1: Tuesday, April 14 from 4-5:30 pm PT / 7-8:30 pm ET - Understand your interests and passions, both inside and outside of school.
Workshop #2: Tuesday, May 12 from 4-5:30 pm PT / 7-8:30 pm ET - Create a passion roadmap and action steps to bring your passion roadmap to life.
Workshop #3: Tuesday, June 9 from 4-5:30 pm PT / 7-8:30 pm ET - Develop specific, teen-appropriate, actionable, realistic, and timely (START) goals for building a resume with fun and meaningful activities.
Workshop #4 - Tuesday, July 7 from 4-5:30 pm PT / 7-8:30 pm ET - Bring to life a passion-project and other career-world experiences (e.g. informational interviewing, job shadowing, internships, and externships) that are FUN and EXCITING.
Workshop #5 - Tuesday, August 4 from 4-5:30 pm PT / 7-8:30 pm ET - Develop the time management, project management, and social communication skills, both online and in person, that will help you confidently with your growing network.
Phase 4: Parent Coaching Workshops
Navigating Your Roadmap: Foster your teen’s independence by supporting, not doing. Leverage your family values to develop accountability strategies that work throughout the college prep process and get clear on tools, resources, and opportunities that you’ll need to support your teen.
Thursdays: Oct 8, Nov 12, Dec 3 from 9-10 am PT / 12-1 pm ET
Plus! Access to the Family University Q&A Forum
Throughout the year, parents and teens will have the ability to submit questions and access the Family University video library with Rachel’s responses to these questions.
Join Family University to say “FU” to the stress and chaos of traditional college prep. It’s possible. But, don’t just take my word for it…
Meet Rachel Fusco
Hi there. I’m Rachel (she/her/hers) and I’ve spent the past 18 years supporting more than one thousand teens on their journey to, through, and beyond college. I began my career in higher education, working with a prestigious national scholarship program where I was immersed in college admissions and student support at multiple top tier colleges and universities.
From small liberal arts colleges to large universities, I discovered that applicants who demonstrated insight and self-awareness consistently stood out among stellar résumés!
While working in student support and retention, I also learned that getting into college is actually the easiest part of 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. After my years in higher education, I grew much more impressed by teens who could learn from mistakes than a teen who never made mistakes.
Wanting to foster the self-awareness that promotes success, I became a school counselor and therapist. But, the world of school counseling is stretched too thin to provide the proactive support that teens need. Remember those recommendations to wait until 11th grade to think about college? That usually has more to do with how many seniors the school counselor is working with than what is best for your teen!
Let your values and actions guide your teen. Don’t wait to do college prep the “traditional” way.
Join Family University and take control over your family’s college prep journey.
Will your teen be on board? You bet! Take a look at what TEENS have said about working together:
Registration is OPEN!
Pricing
Family University offers over 17 hours of expert support and guidance at a fraction of the cost compared to my standard hourly coaching fee ($250/hour).
Join by Wednesday 1/14/26 as a Founding Family for the LOWEST price Family University will ever be offered.
Pay in Full: $550
Pay in Installments: $47 per month x 12 months
(~$40 per hour of coaching)
Register on or after January 15, 2026:
Pay in Full: $900
Pay in Installments: $77 per month x 12 months
(~$60 per hour of coaching)
Friends Make Everything Better!
*** Buddy Bonus *** Join with a friend and you’ll each get a FREE 30 minute one-on-one coaching session - a $150 value! Limited to the first 10 families to register.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register? The first step is completing this brief interest form. This short questionnaire helps make sure that the community of families are committed to the program values and philosophy. If we are a good fit for working together, I’ll invite you to register for the 2026 Family University Cohort.
We’re already so busy. I don’t want to add more to our plate. Family University is designed to reduce stress, not add to it. Instead of piecing together random advice online, you’ll have a clear, organized roadmap that saves time and cuts down on arguments.
What if we can’t make one of the live coaching calls? No problem! Life is busy! Parent coaching sessions will be recorded and available to watch at a time convenient for you. If your teen cannot join a group coaching workshop, a mini “lesson” will be recorded in lieu of recording the teen coaching calls. This lesson will feature Rachel and not other teen participants in order to prioritize the privacy of the minors.
What if my teen doesn’t want to do this? That’s normal — joining a virtual coaching program can sound really awkward for some teens. But, awkwardness is ok. I actually encourage teens to exercise their “awkward muscles” because they’ll have lots of awkward experiences in the years ahead. We don’t want to avoid great experiences because they are awkward, we want to get better at awkward! If your teen is shy or doesn’t like being in a virtual learning space, that’s ok! This is not a lecture based workshop - my workshops are designed to engage teens in a way that feels empowering. The focus is on actively helping them discover strengths, interests, and opportunities that feel good to them. Parents often tell me their teen ends up more motivated than they imagined.
How is this different from the school guidance office or a private counselor? School counselors care deeply about your teen, but their caseloads are often huge and focused on putting out fires. Private counselors can be incredibly expensive and often give teens lists of colleges to research without teaching teens how to do the research. Both tend to focus on task management rather than skill development. Family University fills the gap — we start early and give you the skills and the tools you can use from high school to grad school to the world of work.
College is already expensive — is this worth it? I think so! Families who work with me early on are so thankful and say that our work saved them from stress, negative comparisons, and expensive one-on-one application coaching in senior year. I’ve also seen the mental health impact of too little support – high achieving teens are more anxious and critical of their imperfections when they don’t have the clarity of a college prep roadmap. Family University helps lead your family to stronger relationships, stronger applications, better scholarships, and a smoother transition to college.
Does my teen have to know what they want … No! I don’t expect any teenager to make a decision or commitment about their career path. What I want for teens is a willingness to try and explore. Shifting interests is developmentally appropriate and encouraged. The more your teen experiences, the more informed they will be when they are ready to make a decision about their career path.
Do you do any test prep? No. I find that the thousands of dollars families pay for test prep shift their score very little to make a difference in admissions. I’ve also worked with teens who have perfect test scores and very little critical thinking skills independent of a textbook. Rather than increase your score by 100 points, I’d rather build a resume of life experiences and life skills that truly make your teen stand out. Additionally, I am passionate about working with teens who learn differently, teens whose potential can not accurately be captured by a standardized test.
I already have a kid in college. I know what to do. How will this help me? Even if you know exactly what to do, let’s face it: parents, you are 100% in the “parent zone” where no matter what you say, it’s wrong, sus, or extra. Additionally, siblings are often very different from each other - and/or - they compare themselves with each other. Family University is a dedicated space for your family to focus on what works for your teen, not their sibling!
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, join me at the Family University Open House on Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 9-9:45 am Pacific / 12-12:45 pm Eastern. If you can’t make it, I’ll share a recorded link with everyone who registers. You can also send me a message with your questions or concerns.
What happens after our year in Family University is up? For 10th graders who will become rising Juniors, Rachel runs a coaching program called JUNIOR MOTIVATOR that is a deep dive into college research and the college application tasks.
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[dot]com for more information.