ABOUT ME

Located in beautiful upstate New York, I work with students all over the country. I enjoy helping students learn how to tell their story and find their voice. Using proprietary software, we research schools for student satisfaction, alumni success, student loan debt, and financial viability before making college recommendations that match your goals and budget. I enjoy helping parents prepare and explore options for financial aid funding.

I spent nearly two decades at a private college working with thousands of families navigating financial aid and admissions. As a prior director of financial aid, I truly understand the process of applying for scholarships and aid and the strategy behind some students getting in and others not. I know what schools want, and I understand what families of all abilities are going through. Maximizing every option for a strong financial aid award is woven into each step of our process.

My low-pressure, supportive and educational coaching approach is quite productive for students and their parents. Monthly one-on-one meetings with students help build up the materials and knowledge needed to submit winning applications. The #1 thing I hear from parents is "I wish we called you sooner!" College is a large expense, a new and emotional experience for the whole family, and a big financial decision. I get it and I'm here to help. There's no reason this can't be a little bit of fun too. Click on Make-An-Appointment to get started with a free 30-minute conversation.

Hoosick Falls, NY (518) 290-7030 Heather@CliffordCollegeCounseling.com

Heather Clifford

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Frequently Asked Questions

Expert college admissions and financial aid advice serving New York families and students nationwide.

I wish we called you sooner to help us with college financial aid and admissions. We made mistakes on the FAFSA and applied to the wrong schools. Can you help us? We didn't get any financial aid. College consultant with two decades of experience explaining assets, investments, high school transcripts, IRS tax returns, essays, personal statements, scholarships, grants and student loans.

When should we start planning for college? Now!

College-bound high school juniors and seniors are beginning to think about schools to visit, what they want to study, and how they will pay for college. Not everyone knows where to start. Planning could begin as early as freshman year of high school to plan classes, after school activities, summer work, and test preparation. The bulk of the planning happens during junior and/or senior years of high school. The sooner you start, the better.

Do we call you after we submit our applications? Nooooo!

What if you didn't apply to the right schools, or enough schools, or one that's about to close down but you don't know it yet, or one that doesn't give a lot of financial aid, or only applied ED at one school and get no financial aid, or other common mistakes. Let us help you before you are locked into a decison that you don't realize limits your choices and costs you thousands more potentially.

How do we get started? Make an appointment.

Click on "Make An Appointment" above to schedule a FREE 30-minute conversation to learn a little more about each other, assess your needs, and create a plan. During that meeting we can decide which package is ideal for your needs. We can do it by phone or video, whatever suits you. There's no obligation or commitment - it's just a chat. Evening appointments are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the calendar.

We have a guidance counselor at school, do we need a private ADVISOR?

Some high schools have 1-2 (if any) counselors to help the entire graduating class. They are paid to serve the school and students, not parents. They have not spent two decades behind the scenes in a college understanding how funding and admissions decisions are made. They are doing much more than college planning and have to answer to the principal and other teachers. Private counselors are ONLY doing college planning and do not have the number of students that guidance counselors manage. Guidance counselors do not have the time or experience to help with financial aid appeals or helping students understand the full out of pocket cost of each financial aid award that comes from each school. Due to overburdened and understaffed departments, many students don't get the attention that such an important decision deserves. Most good counselors are relieved that students are able to get the outside help.

Who should be involved in the planning?

The student, applicable parent(s) or guardians, and/or anyone involved in decision making can be involved in the process. Understandably, students are busy with sports, homework, friends, and being a teenager, but it is important for them to be involved in the conversations, preparation, decisions, and planning.

What is the cost for a college planner?

College planners can charge anywhere from $250 an hour to a multi-year deal for tens of thousands. We all heard about Aunt Becky being in the news for engaging in shady practices to get her kids into a specific school and paying over $100,000 to make it happen. That's not what we do. None of our combined packages costs more than $6,000. We are VERY reasonable, community and family-oriented and offer packages to fit your situation so you aren't paying for services you don't need. We can assess your needs after the first 30-minute call. To be fair, the money you will likely save from mistakes, potentially changing schools, switching majors, dropping out, or not getting enough financial/merit aid from the beginning will be significantly more than you spend (potentially many times that), without all of the mess and emotional toll of those issues. It is money well spent/saved.

Is there a fee for the initial meeting?

No. The initial meeting is a chance for you to learn about my counseling process and for me to learn about your student and their college-planning needs. There is no charge for this 'get acquainted' meeting.

How does Clifford College Counseling charge?

We offer three packages to better accommodate your needs. See the Packages and Services page for the specifics of each package.

Package 1. Is admissions-focused guidance for students who want help narrowing down a college major, and creating an appropriate college list that fits the student's needs, abilities, and finances. We provide family support and guidance to navigate the admissions process, presenting the strongest application to support merit aid. We help you find schools that are generous with financial aid and have the very important component of reviewing a school's financial viability and sustainability.

Package 2. Is a financial aid-driven approach which is focused on understanding the nuances of maximizing financial aid, the strategy behind getting the most merit and need-based aid. We offer years of experience to support you through the FAFSA and CSS Profile. We can coach you through appealing for additional financial aid, if applicable. Presenting yourself to admissions in a way that will encourage the college to offer you the most financial assistance is key, so we recommend using both packages together.

Package 3. Is the best of both worlds, this package offers full family support from beginning to end by combining the admissions and financial aid packages. Most students will contract my services for full family support to get the most guidance from beginning to end - and the outcome is better when the admissions and financial aid packages are bundled together.

We can assess your needs and recommend a package during the initial complimentary conversation.