A Different Approach to Achievement Culture

A new acquaintance recently asked me what I do for work — and I hesitated. 

Saying that I run a College Consulting business didn’t feel right to me. The term implies the kind of achievement culture detailed in books like Never Enough and documentaries like Race to Nowhere. It connotes going to any lengths — including risking a student’s mental health and even lying or cheating — to get them accepted into the most prestigious colleges. 

Ever since, I’ve been asking myself what differentiates Abigail Hillman and Associates from the typical college consulting business.  

• We approach the college application process as a learning experience in which students gain self-understanding by identifying and articulating their own values. 

• We believe that nurturing a student’s authentic interests and challenging them to be curious and socially-conscious creates the kinds of applicants that colleges seek.

• We support students in their educational and emotional journey as part of our philosophy and mission, offering services in mindfulness and executive function. 

• We eschew college rankings (see this and this) and focus instead on making sure a student’s college list matches their learning style, academic interests, and social desires. 

• We refuse to believe there is one singularly perfect school for any given student.

• We focus on amplifying strengths (rather than dwelling on deficits), an approach that builds self-confidence and allows us to support students of all ages, abilities, developmental stages, and maturity levels.

• We partner with families to fit our services to the student, rather than fitting the student to our services.

• We emphasize that admissions results are not a reflection of worth and that the passions and strengths our students identify in their application will allow them to thrive wherever they land.

While many of our students do gain admission to elite schools, the ethos that guides our approach is far more holistic. Furthermore, college consulting is only a small piece of what we do here at Abigail Hillman and Associates. Primarily, we are educators and mentors working to inspire and shape the next generation.