Course Selection
Are AP, IB, honors and dual-credit choices supporting your student's direction?
COLLEGE & ACADEMIC ADVISING · NATIONWIDE
Build the right college strategy before senior year.
Courses. Activities. Testing. Essays. College lists. Financial aid.
Arete turns the moving pieces of college preparation into one personalized plan—built around your student's goals, strengths, timeline, and target schools.
Based in Allen, Texas. Serving families nationwide. · English & Mandarin
Nationwide · Allen, TX · English & Mandarin · Founder-led
College planning gets complicated long before applications open.
Extracurricular Strategy
Which activities deserve deeper investment—and which are just taking up time?
Testing
SAT or ACT? When should testing begin, and what score should your student target?
College Positioning
Which universities are academically, financially and personally realistic?
Applications & Essays
How do your student's experiences connect into a coherent application?
Financial Planning
How should your family approach scholarships, FAFSA, CSS Profile and actual college cost?
Arete coordinates these decisions into one evolving strategy rather than treating them as separate problems.
Have us review your student's situation →What we can help with
One coordinated plan across academics, testing and admissions. Scope depends on the membership or focused service you choose.
Academic Planning
Course selection · AP/IB/dual credit · academic rigor · four-year plans
View Service Details →Extracurricular Development
Activity audits · leadership · projects · competitions · community impact
View Service Details →Testing
SAT/ACT selection · diagnostics · realistic mocks · individualized tutoring
View Service Details →College Research
Major fit · reach/target/likely lists · application strategy
View Service Details →Essays
Topic development · structure · revision · supplementals · Essay in a Day™
View Service Details →Applications
Common App · application review · interviews · BS/MD strategy
View Service Details →Financial Aid
FAFSA · CSS Profile · scholarships · aid comparison · appeal organization
View Service Details →Your strategy becomes something you can actually use.
ILLUSTRATIVE DELIVERABLE · 01
Personalized Roadmap
Month-by-month priorities and milestones.
ILLUSTRATIVE DELIVERABLE · 02
Four-Year Course Plan
Academic progression around school offerings and goals.
ILLUSTRATIVE DELIVERABLE · 03
Activity Strategy
An involvement audit and stronger next steps.
ILLUSTRATIVE DELIVERABLE · 04
Testing Dashboard
Diagnostics, target scores and preparation priorities.
ILLUSTRATIVE DELIVERABLE · 05
College List
Reach, target and likely options researched for fit and cost.
ILLUSTRATIVE DELIVERABLE · 06
Application Tracker
Deadlines, essays, requirements and completion status.
ILLUSTRATIVE DELIVERABLE · 07
Family Action Items
Clear responsibilities for student, parent and advisor.
Examples of available deliverables; included work follows your selected scope.
FICTIONAL SAMPLE ROADMAP
Maya · Grade 10 · Business/Economics
Fall
- AP course review
- explore DECA
- PSAT diagnostic
- community involvement
Winter
- Explore economics/business programs
- SAT/ACT diagnostic
- resume development
Spring
- Course selection
- competition preparation
- summer opportunity research
Summer
- Project or internship exploration
- essay idea journal
- college exploration
Example only. Every Arete roadmap is individualized.
You should always leave an Arete meeting knowing what happens next.
From “What should we be doing?” to a clear plan.
01
Discovery
Submit a brief request, choose an available time, and use 45-60 minutes to discuss academics, activities, goals, and financial-aid context with no obligation to enroll.
02
Positioning
Identify the pathway and advising scope that best match the student's stage and priorities.
03
Roadmap
Build the annual roadmap before the first advising session, with milestones and monthly priorities.
04
Execution
Use an agenda shared 48 hours ahead, documented next steps, defined session limits, and two-business-day response standards.
05
Applications
Develop the school list, Common App strategy, capped essay support, and a practical deadline plan.
06
Financial Aid
Organize FAFSA and CSS Profile preparation and, when included, draft appeal letters with the family. This is not legal or tax advice.
07
Decision
Compare offers, manage waitlists or deferrals, and prepare for the transition to college.
Specialized tracks. Purposeful positioning.
STEM
Computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, data science, competitions, and technical portfolios.
Pre-Med
BS/MD planning, clinical exposure, current program research, medical narrative, and interview preparation.
Business & Economics
Entrepreneurship, economics, finance, business-school preparation, activities, and financial-aid organization.
Humanities & Pre-Law
Writing portfolios, pre-law preparation, social-impact narratives, and humanities activity planning.
Arts & Creative
Academic and application strategy for creative students, with audition and portfolio production referred to specialists.
Undecided
Interest mapping, exploratory activities, shadowing, and thoughtful pathway selection.
SAT & ACT support built around your student's actual needs.
Strategy, diagnostics, realistic mock exams and individualized tutoring—all coordinated with the broader college plan.
Strategy
Test selection, timing, target scores and study planning.
Diagnostics & Mocks
Timed practice, section-level analysis and next steps.
Individualized Tutoring
Targeted instruction, error review, skill development and progress monitoring. Scope and availability confirmed separately.
Choose the level of support your student needs.
Essential Strategy
Jade
$1,097/year
Self-driven students in any grade who want a professional annual checkpoint.
2 strategy sessions/year
Explore Jade →Foundation
Pearl
$2,197/year
Students building a strong academic foundation and beginning to shape their college strategy.
5 strategy sessions/year
Explore Pearl →Recommended
Sapphire
$5,097/year
Students preparing for competitive college applications, testing, and scholarships.
10 strategy sessions/year
Explore Sapphire →Full Partnership
Diamond
$8,797/year
Top-25, Ivy League, BS/MD, and highly selective applicants seeking the highest level of advisor support.
20 strategy sessions/year
Explore Diamond →Not sure which level fits?
You don't need to choose before speaking with us. We'll review your student's situation and recommend the appropriate level of support.
Plan year to year—or secure the full high-school journey.
Annual
Best for families who prefer flexibility. One-year service period, annual renewal, current renewal benefits, and the option to switch plans at renewal.
Four-Year Membership
Best for families who want continuity. The same advising tier for four years, 20% lower total price, priority advisor continuity, a long-term roadmap, and the ability to request upgrades.
One strategy across academics, testing and admissions.
| Support | School counseling | Test-prep center | Arete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic planning | Varies | Limited | ✓ |
| Extracurricular strategy | Limited | — | ✓ |
| SAT/ACT strategy | Limited | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diagnostic mocks | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| SAT/ACT tutoring | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| College-list strategy | ✓ | Limited | ✓ |
| Essay coaching | Limited | Limited | ✓ |
| Financial-aid organization | Varies | — | ✓ |
| Long-term roadmap | Limited | — | ✓ |
| Parent strategy | Varies | — | ✓ |
| English + Mandarin | Varies | Varies | ✓ |
Coordinated support
Roadmaps connect course choices, activities, testing, essays and financial-aid organization.
Built around your school
Recommendations adapt to your curriculum, state, school profile, intended major, target universities and family priorities.
English & Mandarin
A shared plan helps students, parents and advisors leave each meeting with clear responsibilities.
A broader plan alongside your tutor.
We work alongside tutors, test-prep providers, and academic programs to provide students with broader academic and college-planning strategy.
Your existing provider can continue subject instruction and test preparation. Arete connects that work with course choices, activities, college lists, applications, essays and financial-aid planning. We agree on roles with the family before coordinating support.
Founded in Allen. Built for students nationwide.
We didn't learn today's admissions process a decade ago. We just went through it.
Lydia Liao
UW–Madison · Economics
Allen High School Class of 2026
Business, humanities & financial-aid strategy · English + Mandarin
Jimmy Zhang
UC San Diego · Cognitive Science
Allen High School Class of 2026
STEM, pre-med & technical pathway strategy
Arete combines recent firsthand admissions experience with structured research, individualized planning and a defined advising process. Founder admissions are personal outcomes, not client results. No admissions or financial-aid outcome is guaranteed.
Meet the founders →Research and resources for your next decision.
Start with your student's situation—not a package.
A free 45–60-minute conversation about academics, activities, testing, goals, and your family's questions. No obligation to enroll.
Stay informed. Plan with clarity.
Practical college-planning updates for families nationwide. This free updates list is separate from our paid Newsletter and Circle subscriptions.