Key Takeaways
- Families often start out overwhelmed—but find clarity with CBRG. From applications to financial aid, CBRG helps families navigate every step with personalized guidance.
- Finding the right college fit is more than rankings—it’s about success and affordability. CBRG helps students discover schools that match their goals, strengths, and financial circumstances.
- Support continues beyond planning. Clients feel like part of the CBRG family, receiving ongoing advice, answers to every question, and a stress-free roadmap to college.
Video Transcript
I’m Adele, and I have two children—my son Michael, who is a sophomore in college, and my daughter Samantha, who’s a senior in high school.
I’m Frank. My son is 17—his name is Frank. He’s getting ready to go to college. He’s a junior in high school.
I’m Emily. I’m a senior, and I’m getting ready to go to college in fall 2011.
I’m Steve, and my daughter Amanda is on her way to college.
Hello, my name is Gayle.
Hi, I’m Anthony.
My name is Tyler, and I’m a senior in high school on my way to college.
Free College Planning Seminar
We saw an ad in the paper for a free seminar, and we decided to check it out—because with this whole college process, we had no clue.
It was about a two-and-a-half hour seminar—wonderful. David and Steven were very interesting. Everything they said—I was in awe. Because the way they were talking about the things that could be done, what you could find, what is out there for your child—I had no clue.
It was just like—yes, this was the right thing. These were the people that were talking a language that I understood.
You could tell they’re genuine people. You could tell they were honest and sincere. They cared about the kids.
And it started in the seminar—learning how the game was played in this whole enrollment process.
College Application Process
There’s a lot involved in the process in terms of applications and interviews and portfolios. The financial aid, the forms, the applications—sometimes it gets overwhelming.
The time frame—just to do it all. Because me and my wife, we both work. And it’s very hard to get free time to go running, see where we’re going to go, what we have to do.
My daughter would like to be a teacher, and she’s so confused where to go, what to do. It’s like a big, giant mountain that we have to climb—and really, really tough.
Yes, the application, college admission—everything was very confusing.
All this kind of prep work and meeting deadlines—that was a big thing for me. With my daughter, I wanted a clear-cut path. So I decided that I needed a little help, and—professionals to take care of that aspect.
And when I met with Steve and Dave, it was: “Oh, here’s a plan.” And they kind of smoothed the process out. I have to say—it was painless.
It was just so comforting to know that someone had been through this process before, that they had worked with other students.
CBRG educated me about: here’s where you start, here’s where you want to end up, and here are all the little steps in between that you need to follow.
College Selection Process
Steve and Dave from CBRG were outstanding.
They obviously asked Anthony a bunch of questions about what he was looking for in a college—large, small, do you want to commute, live on campus?
We talked about finding the right college for him. Finding the money to pay for this college. How are we going to afford to do this?
They asked Anthony a lot of questions, and he answered them truthfully. And they were able to come up with colleges that were within his criteria.
We also had Frank with us, and they asked him a few questions to see what he wanted out of college.
Truthfully, he didn’t really know what he wanted. I really didn’t know. And Steve and Dave were able to get it out of him—exactly what he was looking for. And they narrowed it down.
He just had his mind set on that one college—but we didn’t know if that’s the right college. And they came up with these five or six schools that he wanted to apply to.
It might be a small college—it doesn’t have to be a giant college. Could be a little college. The program could be good. I wouldn’t know—but they do. They have all that information.
Learning how to find schools that offer the best potential fits for her—how much better she’ll be served being in a school where she belongs, rather than somewhere we thought sounded good.
But there are so many other schools out there that we had no idea existed. And CBRG reassured us—there’s a school for everybody.
I don’t believe we would have arrived in the same place with the same results at this point in time, because there’s the philosophy—about the fit.
When you go to a school that you like, you’re bound to do better. It’s like going to a class that you like—you’re going to do better in that class than in the class you don’t like.
It was: let’s trust the process. Let’s trust that everything we’re doing with CBRG will lead her to the places that are good fits for her.
And being a perfect fit—the school that your child goes to—I think that’s a really important thing. And fortunately, I think Anthony made the right decision.
I’m going to have to choose a college. And they’re going to help me choose a college that I will get through in four years, that I will love, that I will stick with—and help me get a great job when I’m done. And that’s what we want.
Financial Aid
I wish it was that easy—because it’s not. And every time you say, “Alright, we’re going to put some money on the side,” something comes up. There goes the money again.
It’s a huge investment. And it’s a bigger investment than we realized going in.
Yes, we did save some money for college. Unfortunately, the economy didn’t help us—so that’s why we also turned to CBRG.
After meeting with Steve and Dave and learning exactly how the game is played—and the huge amount of merit aid that’s available—it put the first smile on our face in the whole college conversation.
They’re going to help me find a financial way to do it. Maybe there’s money out there that I don’t even know exists—they’re going to help me find that money.
There were no silly questions. You could ask them anything you wanted to. So I had lots of questions about financial aid.
The FAFSA, the government forms—oh my God, that’s a killer right there.
And because I’m working through CBRG, I don’t have to worry about filling out FAFSA. I don’t have to worry about the EFC. I don’t have to worry about the CSS—because they’re going to do it for me.
They really made the process a lot easier and took a lot of stress off of Anthony and myself.
College Planning Support
I can’t stop talking about them—because anybody that I come in contact with, and I know that their child’s getting ready to go to college, I tell them: “You need to go and listen to these gentlemen talk.”
They treated us like we were family.
You’d call them—very shortly later, you would get a call back. They’d ask you if you wanted to come in, if you had any questions whatsoever.
I feel comfortable. I believe everything they said. It was like I knew them all my life.
The approach was so much more than just a little bit of financial advice here, or a little bit of financial advice there.
That’s how they made me feel. They made me feel like they were a friend for a long time, saying: “Hey, here’s the direction you have to go—and we’re going to help you.”
This is all about a process of putting your child in the right place for success—in a way that doesn’t bankrupt the parent.
Steve and Dave—they kind of fill in the gaps. Exactly.
It took a lot of the worry out. A lot of the stress. My stress level went way down.
They answer all the questions that you have.
To have the support of my parents, and to have CBRG to help us and make sure we know what we’re doing—it’s so much easier. It makes you so much more relaxed about the whole college process.
David and Steven told us what we have to do. And as long as we follow their timelines, everything will go smoothly—and we are stress-free.
Related CBRG Blog Resources
- Climbing the College Mountain: How to Tackle the Application Process Without Stress
- Finding the Right College Fit
- CBRG Simplifies Financial Aid for Families
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Confused by the college process? You’re not alone—but you don’t have to navigate it alone either.
Book your free consultation today and let CBRG help you build a personalized, affordable college plan that gives your student the best chance of success.