Strategic Support, Tailored to Your Student
Highly personalized, individual college admission counseling
Every student's path looks different, and I'm here for all of it. In the earlier years, that might mean course selection or summer planning. During Grades 11 and 12, the work takes on a clearer shape through self-assessment, college research, essays, applications, and deadlines. We’ll work through it all together, one piece at a time.
Support is available in flexible bundles of time, used exactly when you need it at each step. This structure adapts to your student’s goals and your family’s timeline.
Matriculations
Admissions Advising Services
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8th – 10th Grade Students
Your student will build self awareness, make smart academic choices, and select extracurriculars that support their goals.
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11th & 12th Grade Students
Your student will build a balanced and strategic college list, present their unique stories through thoughtful essays and other application components, and manage each step with clarity and confidence.
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Transfer & Graduate Applicants
You will identify schools or programs suited to your goals, craft a personal statement grounded in your experience, and navigate credit transfers and deadlines with confidence.
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Strategy Sessions
You will receive expert answers to your most pressing questions and a clear, focused plan to take your next right step with confidence.
Meet Your Advisor
I'm Barbara Rifkind, the founder of Arise Advising, bringing deep experience and steady guidance to every family I work with. A graduate of Andover and Yale, and a professional member of IECA and HECA, I have visited more than 400 college campuses across the US, Asia, Europe, and South America. I take on a limited number of clients annually so that I can devote specific attention and expertise to each family.
Why Work With a Boutique Independent College Counselor?
Working with an independent college counselor means your family gets a strategic partner throughout the process, someone who builds a clear plan from the moment we begin working together, so your student's path forward feels intentional and well-prepared. It means your student works one-on-one with someone who has the time, expertise, and genuine investment to understand who they are and help them articulate it. It means, as a parent, you will be informed and steady throughout the process. Finally, it means outcomes that actually reflect your student: colleges they're genuinely excited to attend, chosen with clarity and confidence.
What Happens Next
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Schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your family’s unique needs. I’ll confirm if I can support you and recommend an hourly bundle that matches your next steps.
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After getting to know you and your student, I’ll develop a customized work plan to support your student as they pursue their college admissions goals.
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We’ll meet and communicate regularly, as outlined in your work plan, to support your student as we work through the application process together. Meeting frequency and work tasks may vary depending on the phase of the process you’re in: we’ll have a lighter touch during quieter stretches, and more concentrated work when we need it.
“We could not be more grateful to Barbara! While there was still plenty of stress in the process, having a trusted advisor to count on, who really cared about our daughter and our family, was invaluable. From setting a vision for the experience to devising tactics to manage our stubborn applicant, Barbara handled everything with panache.”
Amy, parent, Brown University
FAQ
Questions Families Often Ask Me
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I work virtually with families across the US and internationally. Virtual sessions allow me to give every family the same level of personal attention regardless of where they're located.
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I intentionally keep my caseload small. I limit the number of families I work with each year so that every student gets the depth of attention this process deserves. If you're looking for a counselor who knows your student well, not just their statistics, that's exactly how I work.
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What my families mention most often is that I’m the student’s champion and the parent’s ally. Balancing both parties’ needs, goals, and emotions is a dance that I’m proud to offer my clients.
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I'm a member of the field's leading professional organizations for educational consultants and admissions counselors — including IECA, HECA, and NACAC — which hold their members to strict standards of training, ethics, and ongoing education. As a member, I'm held accountable to those standards and committed to staying current on admissions trends, policies, and best practices. It's one way families can verify they're working with a counselor who takes this work seriously.
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No, and you should be skeptical of anyone who does. What I offer is transparent, strategic, expert guidance that will give your student their best chance of gaining entry to great schools.
Still Not Sure Where To Start?
That's exactly what our first conversation is for. Reach out, tell me where you are in the admissions process, and I'll help you figure out the right next step.