COLLEGE QUEST: “Higher education is not only about where you go, but also who you want to be in the world. When approached well, I believe the college admissions process can be one of the most significant opportunities for students’ intellectual and emotional growth.” Benjamin Caldarelli, founder of Benjamin College Consulting, is enthusiastic about helping students navigate the college admissions journey.

By Jean Stratton

Strategist. Mentor. Counselor.

These are some of the designations which identify Benjamin Caldarelli in his mission to help students gain admission to college.

But they are not all. As founder of Benjamin College Consulting, he is adviser, coach, collaborator, educator, motivator, encourager, and especially, listener.

All of these identities form the mosaic in which Caldarelli guides his clients on a journey of opportunity and challenge to a successful college admissions destination.

A committed educator for more than 20 years, Caldarelli believes the college admissions process is a unique opportunity for students to build upon their intellectual vitality, emotional intelligence, and character strengths. Since 2009, he has helped more than 600 students successfully explore the highly selective admissions process.

After 10 years as co-founder and chief educational strategist at Princeton College Consulting, Caldarelli now provides a concierge level of service through his boutique consultancy. In addition to counseling his clients, he writes The Citizen Scholar Newsletter, leads in-school workshops, and speaks at private events.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, he earned an MA in English from Northern Illinois University, and received training at the Harvard Institute on College Admissions. He is a professional member of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling and Higher Education Consultants Association.

Daunting Journey

His interest in helping students find their way through the daunting and often angst-inducing admissions journey stemmed from his own experience.

“When I was ready to go to college, I didn’t really have the right information,” he recalls. “College counseling with trusted advisors should really be a constant part of secondary education. In many schools today, the counselor/student ratio is one to 400.”

His approach, therefore, is to guide students as they try to determine which college is the best fit for them and the most appropriate way to achieve admission.

And it can start in the earliest years of high school. His clients are students in grades nine through 12, and the majority are from Princeton and the surrounding area, although he also consults with students across the country.

“It’s good to start in the ninth grade, and build on the relationship, taking into account their interests and motivation,” he points out. “It should be an authentic exploration.

“While some families seek help later, many choose to start working in ninth or 10th grade. This way there is more time to ensure they have continuous guidance through their college preparation and admissions process.”

Individual Focus

His program offers a very individual focus. He crafts customized plans for a wide array of students and their interests. STEM, pre-med, entrepreneurial, humanities, art, future filmmakers are all represented as well as students who are undecided about their major interests. Caldarelli’s aim is to maximize personal growth and college options, while providing a sense of clarity — and — calm. College is such a big decision, a major moment in their lives.

“I try to be very mindful of the client’s individuality,” he explains. “I take the students very seriously. At the first meeting, which is in person at their home, it is very important to establish a good rapport. Each student and family is unique. The guidance I provide is always tailored to the individual student, their circumstances, and how they work best.

“Also, there is a definite advantage in working in the area for more than 10 years. In addition to knowledge of the local high schools, the ability to have an initial in person planning session with a family at their own kitchen table is invaluable. I always learn something important about the student that may not have come up otherwise.”

After the first introductory meeting, subsequent sessions are via Zoom, and typically are one hour. Caldarelli works with students anywhere from six months to four years. “We work together through application submission and ultimately college matriculation,” he explains.

Also, his approach can be wide-ranging as he becomes acquainted with the student and their goals, motivation, and interests.

As he points out, “They may not have a dream yet. There are so many possibilities. I try to get to know them and what they enjoy. For example, I might ask what they like to do on a Saturday morning.”

Citizen Scholar

Benjamin College Consulting is set apart in a number of ways, particularly in its focus on The Citizen Scholar Admissions Strategy. This includes three important pillars: Intellectual Vitality, Emotional Acumen, and Civic Engagement.

“Highly selective colleges aim to shape a diverse class of students likely to excel academically and enrich both the intellectual and social experience of their peers.” Caldarelli explains. “Admissions committees are therefore looking for students who will be prodigious citizens — active members of a diverse campus community who view forging strong relationships as a privilege and responsibility; and engaged scholars — students who are highly capable, intrinsically motivated, and exhibit a desire to apply what they learn toward the public good.”

This is the educational ideal of America’s elite colleges and universities, he continues: “A curated community of citizens and scholars preparing to lead a democracy (and a few who might change the world) — what we call Citizen Scholars.”

The pillar Intellectual Vitality includes “a voracious appetite for the world of ideas and life of the mind; the creativity to make novel connections across traditional academic disciplines; a knack for asking questions that enliven a discussion; and ultimately, the initiative with which you seek out and commit to new learning opportunities.”

Self-awareness and insight into one’s own character strengths and weaknesses are important aspects of the Emotional Acumen Pillar. In addition, states Caldarelli: “A growth mindset with a strong drive for personal development according to your values and goals; the ability to recognize and advantageously regulate your own emotions; the confidence to embrace uncertainty; and a heightened sense of empathy that engenders strong relationships.”

Being part of the wider community is a major part of the Civic Engagement Pillar, including “An understanding of yourself as a member of multiple communities and a larger social fabric; the desire — a sense of duty — to use your skills and talents to make a difference in the lives of others; and the ability to make and justify informed moral and ethical judgments.”

Increasing Number

Caldarelli notes that college admissions officers are faced with an increasing number of applications every year, and thus have limited time to summarize and evaluate their impressions of each applicant.

“The trend in recent years is that more students are applying to a greater number of schools, and many of these students are applying to the same number of highly selective colleges.”

Caldarelli has visited 200 colleges across the country, met admissions officers, talked with students, and gained a great deal of understanding and insight in how the process works.

As he reports, “While a ‘citizen and scholar’ is a description that carries weight on its own, to stand out in a sea of other well-qualified applicants, you must have a more specific and memorable application persona. Think of it as your admissions ‘pitch’: the one sentence you want an admissions officer to remember you by. At Benjamin College Consulting, we call this sentence your Citizen Scholar Statement.

Crafting the Citizen Scholar Statement involves telling one’s story clearly and precisely, he notes. “It should be dynamic and refined over time, but ultimately it will be an anchor for interweaving a coherent and highly compelling story throughout all aspects of your college application.”

In helping students refine their Citizen Scholar Statement, Caldarelli points out that composing the essay is often one of the most difficult challenges.

Meaningful Stories

“Even my best and most motivated students can struggle with the 20-30 essays they often need to complete. These questions ask students to think and write about themselves in ways that are unfamiliar and can be uncomfortable. By going through a thorough writing process with multiple drafts, my students excavate their most meaningful stories and elevate polished revisions.”

Personal interviews can also be part of the process, he adds, and can be influential. “While students can’t necessarily talk their way in, interviews are an opportunity to complement their application. By preparing students for an interview — thinking through what they want to communicate, practicing engaging in a conversation that articulates certain points with clarity and enthusiasm, and giving feedback and encouragement — I’m helping them build a meaningful life skill as well.”

He adds that extracurricular activities can also play a part, noting that “Colleges care not only about what you do, but how you think about your activities. There are levels of achievement that will stand out in most endeavors, but I also help students think about: What challenges have I faced? What did I do to attempt to overcome them? What did I feel and learn? How have I applied that learning in other areas of my life?”

Benjamin College Consulting offers three different plans: the Essential Package, including two hours of strategic admissions consultation and up to 30 hours of customized strategic counseling, mentorship, and application assistance; the Comprehensive Package, similar to the Essential Package, however, with up to 50 hours of customized counseling; and the Premier Package offering all the aspects of the Essential and Comprehensive packages, but with non-time customized strategic counseling, mentorship, and application assistance.

In addition, hourly consultation is available for students in ninth and 10th grade who want strategic counseling and mentorship, or students in grade 12 who need assistance with targeted aspects of their application, available in 10-hour blocks.

Successful Rate

Sessions with the students can focus on many aspects of their customized plan. Included are strategic admissions strategy, Citizen Scholars Admission Strategy, standardized test guidance, extracurricular enrichment, resume completion, college essay guidance, interview preparation, application review, and letter of recommendation guidance, among others.

Benjamin College Consulting students have a highly successful rate of college admission acceptance, and Caldarelli is pleased that he continues to hear from his students.

“I keep in touch with many of my students and families long after the admissions process is over. I look forward to all their updates!

“I enjoy the relationships I get to have with the students, and I look forward to the conversations I have with them about their dreams and aspirations, and helping them develop plans and see them through. It is so rewarding to see how the students grow during the admissions process. Whether their dreams are fully formed or in progress, I listen closely and ask questions, and then help assemble shorter and longer term plans for exploring their interests and pursuing goals.

“Socrates encouraged us all to ‘know thyself.’ The college admissions process is a journey to self-knowledge. It can be one of the greatest opportunities for personal growth. Emotional maturity is a lifelong pursuit and the college application is an early stage of the process. Every aspect of that process is about self-reflection and building character strengths that will serve students well in college and beyond. I enjoy the opportunity to serve as mentor and coach.”

For further information, call (609) 610-2122, email info@benjamincollegeconsulting.com, or visit benjamincollegeconsulting.com.