Fahey Associates — California College Consulting Boutique Services

We Transform Our Students

We are a bespoke company composed of passionate educators and advisors who support teens to find fulfillment in their high school years. We take students on a journey of self-reflection and refinement to achieve alignment and a stand-out dossier for their college applications. Our creative Writing Advisors – from Disney and the Helen Zell Writers’ Program – use playful coaching to help students meet the requirements of successful admissions essays.

Our Roadmap Is Clear

Students perform best when they are held accountable to a plan of action. Our structured approach prevents overwhelm and ensures that students work effectively and efficiently. Students always know where they are in the process. We provide a syllabus, calendar, online course and dedicate a team to each student – College Counselor, Writing Advisor, Administrative Assistant. We make certain that no opportunity to stand out goes missed. When it comes time to write essays, one of our creative writing advisors will propel you to capture your unique experiences in your own voice.

We Manage All Risks

We don’t improvise. At Fahey Associates, we invest time in monitoring the academic world trends. Our Data Scientist tracks the ever-changing terrain of admissions, major trends, and graduation outcomes. With this research, we ensure our students eliminate risk, by leaving nothing to chance. We coach them to carefully strategize their positioning in preparation for the most recent admission expectations, the major pathway, and the building of a sound college list.

We see the preparation of college admission applications as a first step into the state of autonomy that students will quickly experience once they arrive on campus. We prime students to take this first step by guiding them to understand the deep end of their intellectual, artistic and athletic experiences. We also ask them to act independently while offering them the critical information they need to make careful, thoughtful choices. We work with all students: high achieving students of all disciplines, athletes, artists and students who have faced medical and learning challenges. In our effort to make college more accessible, we donate our expertise and time to public high schools and underserved student groups.

Our Comprehensive Process

Our caring, structured process inspires students to actualize their potential and develop distinctive qualities that will bring their applications to life.

High School Package

prior to sophomore year

Extracurriculars, Major & Career

sophomore-senior years

Leadership & Networking

sophomore-senior years

Prepare Applications

Feb-Nov of Jr-Sr years

Write Essays

Jun-Nov Sr. year.

1 · High School Package

We want you to maximize every opportunity to feel confident and flourish during your high school years. We consider this the best preparation for college admissions. Our services begin with our High School Package which consists of four steps: (a) You complete evaluative forms and prepare a dossier of materials for our assessment. (b) We review your materials. (c) We then gather for a two-hour appointment to address your questions and review our evaluation. (d) After the meeting, we present you with our concluding report and recommendations, including a detailed strategy for progressing through the high school years.

2 · Extracurriculars, Major & Career

In their college applications, students indicate what majors they plan to explore. These major selections should align with the students' course selection and their resume of extracurricular activities. We prepare our students to develop their extracurriculars, investigate majors, and comprehend the relationship between their college study and the vast field of careers.

3 · Leadership & Networking

Colleges are looking for leadership. Our personalized process builds students’ confidence and prepares them to grow their leadership in their extracurriculars. Learning to network is critical to this step.

4 · Preparing Application Materials

In the winter of the junior year, the college application process commences. At this time, Fahey Associates ensure that students are taking all preparatory steps in a timely manner.

5 · Write Essays and Apply

The essay writing process begins in June after the junior year and comprises the most laborious work in the college application process. We will pair you with one of our writing advisors to compose compelling and authentic personal narratives that capture your voice. In August prior to the senior year, the college application process goes live. From August through November, Fahey Associates ensure that students’ applications are accurate and submitted in a timely manner.

Our Curated College List

It is our mission to match students with colleges that are a social, academic and financial fit. We share our curated list of favorite schools that we have found offer a valuable, meaningful and safe college experience.

Application Dossier

Resumes, portfolios, sample work, and video interviews are often required admission items, especially for students who are pursuing competitive, technical, or creative or technical majors. Additionally, providing an artistic supplement can improve a student’s admission chances. Our creative team helps each student tailor their dossier.

The Summer Edge

Summer is a great time for students to explore their leadership, interests and skills through coursework, internships, paid work, and volunteering. Our students pursue serious summer offerings and dive into “organic” self-designed projects. projects.

Products

We have perfected a structured, caring, rigorous process to elicit the essential qualities that bring students’ accomplishments and potential to life.

High School Package

The High School Package provides a strategic development plan. It includes a student assessment and evaluation phase, followed by a 2-hour family meeting. In the meeting, we identify 3-4 goals to be carried out during the high school years. These goals put students on track to maximize the best admission results. The summary Report includes the following:

Counselor assessment of preparation for admission Counselor recommendations
Four well-defined goals
Specific summer and extracurricular recommendations
A preliminary college list
Instructions for taking exams and requesting letters of recommendation
4 follow-ups are included to make sure the student is held accountable to the goals outlined in the Report

College Application Package

The College Application Package is a comprehensive positioning program that runs from the winter of the junior year through April of the senior year. It includes:

A total handover of management to our team and the coaching of the student on application materials (resume, applications, activities lists)
College list and college fit for up to 10 college applications
Application strategy: early applications (early action/early decision)
Majors and a major strategy
Brainstorming of essays and essay strategy
Drafting and editing of long personal statements (Common App, The Coalition, Univ. of California, Ivy League, UCAS)
Drafting and editing of a total of 20 - 40 supplement essays
Interview preparation
General advising on financial aid and scholarships
All post-application actions and decisions.

The program follows a syllabus that brings time efficiency and serenity to the student journey. Weekly meetings are planned ahead with a Creative Writing Advisor, and all key touchpoints are arranged between the student and College Counselor. The Counselor is always available to answer the student’s questions and meet as needed. Learn More Here

Who We Are

In the last 14 years, our Founder, Felicia Fahey, has built an executive team made of admissions officers from UPenn-Jerome Fisher, MIT alumni, Apple User Experience veterans, and creative writers from Disney and the University of Michigan. She has designed what we are today: a bespoke college counseling company. As a progressive educator, Felicia has shaped the core values of Fahey Associates. We are committed to working with all students: high achieving students of all disciplines, athletes, artists, and students who are underserved or have faced medical and learning challenges. In our effort to make college more accessible, we donate upward of $40,000 in time to provide pro-bono support to underserved students. We volunteer time to the public sector including libraries, high school counseling departments and learning enrichment programs.

As a member of The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Fahey Associates abide by its Code of Ethics and Professional Practices (ECPP).

Our College Counselors

Felicia Fahey

Felicia Fahey comes from a family of UC deans and professors. She holds a BA from UC Berkeley and a PhD from UC Santa Cruz. In her first career, Felicia was a professor and student major advisor at Bates College, a small Ivy League. For the past 14 years she has coached high school students and prepared them for the admission process.

Jay Davis

Jay Davis started her career in film production before transitioning to higher education. She holds a BFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University and a Masters from Drexel University in Higher Education Administration & Leadership. Prior to joining Fahey Associates, she spent 11 years as a student advisor and admissions officer as the Associate Director of the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology (M&T) at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the last four years, Jay worked as Senior Manager of Admissions Counseling for a company headquartered in Beijing, advising students based in both North America and Asia.

Jill Reyna-Jones

Jill Reyna-Jones · JJill holds a BA from UC Berkeley. She brings over 20 years of experience in communications, writing, editing, marketing, and content development for educational organizations, medical research institutions, museums, startups, and media companies, including National Geographic.

Our Creativity: Writing Advisors

Meg Levad

Meg Levad received her BA in English from The University of Iowa, then earned her MFA in poetry at the University of Michigan. The author of Why We Live in the Dark Ages and What Have I to Say to You, her poems and essays have appeared in Boston Review, Granta Online, Poem-a-Day, and Tin House, among other places. She is currently at work on an opera with New Orleans composer Tucker Fuller about art and capital, entrepreneurs and nightclub singers.

Eric Sun

As a graduate of film school at Emerson College, Eric brings a background working in movie development in Hollywood, where he developed a sixth sense for powerful storytelling. He has expanded his creative skills during a five-year stint mastering communicating with extreme brevity as an executive assistant in offices around the world.

Kenneth Ong

Kenneth earned a B.S. in Commerce (Finance & Marketing) from the University of Virginia, as well as an M.B.A. from the University of California Los Angeles where he worked with both admissions committees as either a student representative or alumni reader. He spent almost a decade working in the entertainment industry around film and TV development for Walt Disney Company and a number of Oscar-winning producers.

Jill Reyna-Jones

Jill holds a BA from UC Berkeley. She brings over 20 years of experience in communications, writing, editing, marketing, and content development for educational organizations, medical research institutions, museums, startups, and media companies, including National Geographic.

Note Addressed to Foreign Families:

Families new to the US may find the academic system daunting. As a globally fluent team, we work with students from all parts of the world, whether they are living in the United States or abroad. This year Fahey Associates is working with students from China, India, Ecuador, England, Spain, and Germany.

备注（致移民家庭）

也许新移民家庭会发现美国的教育体系令人生畏。无论您身在美国国内还是国外，作为一支国际团队，我们都将协助您和来自世界各地的学生们深造。今年，Fahey Associates 斐弈协会就正一直在辅导来自中国、英国、西班牙、德国、印度和厄瓜多尔的学生们。

Nota dirigida a familias inmigrantes

Las nuevas familias inmigrantes pueden encontrar el sistema académico de los Estados Unidos de una manera abrumadora. Como equipo con fluidez global, trabajamos con estudiantes de todas partes del mundo, ya sea que vivan en los Estados Unidos o en el extranjero. Este año, Fahey Associates está trabajando con estudiantes de China, India, Ecuador, Inglaterra, España y Alemania.

Hinweis an Familien mit Migrationshintergrund

Neue Einwandererfamilien könnten das US-amerikanische akademische System als entmutigend empfinden. Als global fließendes Team arbeiten wir mit Studenten aus allen Teilen der Welt zusammen, unabhängig davon, ob sie in den USA oder im Ausland leben. In diesem Jahr arbeitet Fahey Associates mit Studenten aus China, Indien, Ecuador, England, Spanien und Deutschland zusammen.

Appréhender les us et coutumes américaines

Les familles Française fraichement installées aux US peuvent trouver le fonctionnement du monde universitaire américain un rien exotique. Nous sommes une équipe aguerrie à l'accompagnement de ces changement de repères.
Nous travaillons avec des familles et des étudiants qui habitent près ou loin de chez eux. Cette année, Fahey Associates travaille avec des étudiants de Chine, d'Inde, d'Équateur, d'Angleterre et d'Allemagne. Inversement nous préparons nos étudiants américains à postuler pour les écoles françaises (ex: Sciences Po cette année).

नोट आप्रवासी परिवारों के लिए जोड़ा गया

नए आप्रवासी परिवारों को अमेरिकी शैक्षणिक व्यवस्था कठिन लग सकती है। विश्व स्तर पर धाराप्रवाह टीम के रूप में, हम दुनिया के सभी हिस्सों के छात्रों के साथ काम करते हैं, चाहे वे संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका में रह रहे हों या विदेश में। इस साल फही एसोसिएट्स चीन, भारत, इक्वाडोर, इंग्लैंड, स्पेन और जर्मनी के छात्रों के साथ काम कर रहा है।

Happy Customers

“Fahey Associates have far surpassed my high expectations. They tune into the student, and the family dynamics so that they can effectively work with both student and parents in a positive way. They have expanded our horizons as to possible colleges, and motivated everyone.”

Carol Danaher Sebastopol High School

“ We are so very thankful for Felicia Fahey's disciplined, thorough, and realistic approach to the college application process. Her vast experience and detailed knowledge proved invaluable in identifying colleges compatible with our son's interests and academic passions beyond reputation and name. Felicia and Margaret's process was holistic by encouraging deep self-reflection, harvesting only his genuine strengths, academic interests, and experiential expectations. Felicia and Margaret helped our son to develop an iterative composition strategy to transforms those ideas into a heartfelt personal statement. They also worked conscientiously throughout the process to mitigate the stress and inevitable tension that is part and parcel of the college application process. We plan to seek Felicia's guidance once again when our daughter’s turn to apply to college arrives in the not too distant future. ”

Norma Medina The Nueva High School, San Mateo

“Fahey Associates were very positive and supportive to our children, and clear to them about the strengths and weaknesses of their writing. They reminded them to make every word count. We were impressed at their prompt, sensitive responses to their essays, and how they were able to sharpen their work to reflect their individual spirits.”

Doug and Kristina Palo Alto High School

“The people at Fahey Associates were excellent guides through the entire college admissions process; having their help drastically reduced the stress and uncertainty of it all. Above all they understand our son's ambitions, interests, strengths and weaknesses. supporting him to come up with a college list and ideas for writing essays and adapting them for each school. We couldn’t be happier with their support.”

Jessica Berman Hong Kong International High School

“Fahey Associates College Counseling did an amazing job helping my daughter apply to colleges. They helped her every step of the way which made it a lot easier for the rest of the family. They were available for messages/email all the time. They answered any questions promptly. We couldn't have had a better experience..”

Janet S Mountain View High School