Over recent weeks, I have received a number of questions from folks about the services that Lamplighter Consulting can provide. With a focus broadly on educational consulting and some particular focal points on systems thinking, university application processes, and leadership/mentorship, there is much to share. Of course, the website does share some general information, but this tends to be broad and vague information, not to mention anonymous, given the requests of the clients. As such, I wanted to run through a handful of recent projects to share some ideas of the ways Lamplighter Consulting might be helpful to you.

• Coaching sessions with college counselors. I have arrangements for periodic, individual check-ins with a handful of counselors. These individuals have sought these sessions for a variety of reasons. Additionally, these individuals are experienced directors, new directors, counselors making the transition from social-emotional counseling to college/university counseling, and counselors new to the profession. These discussions range, as you might imagine, from the day-to-day minutiae of the work to emerging trends and best practices. Finally, these conversations are a mix of informational and mentorship, from discussions about germane topics to support sessions facing the emotional and psychological rigors and demands of the work.

• Meeting with Boards. I have spent time working with trustees and boards and members thereof about trends and concerns within the university admission world. As one colleague humorously represented it recently, I have served as an “expert witness” in the constant interrogation of the complex and ever-changing university admission landscape. In these cases, the boards sought to gain additional perspective on the admissions world. (In one case, I served as part of a two-person panel during a trustee meeting alongside a university admissions director.)

• Advising Heads of School. On several occasions, I have met with heads of school for specific conversations about, typically, specific elements of the college counseling or university admissions process. For example, some of these conversations focused around the process for hiring, ways to evaluate college counseling programs and college counselors, and trends in the industry.

• Supporting Counseling or College Counseling Audits. Given my focus on systems thinking, I have been engaged in two capacities related to formal audits of programs: one, I have been asked to provide an independent audit of a comprehensive counseling program with concrete strategies and recommendations; and, two, I have engaged in many discussions in the aftermath of having received an audit from another organization, working to design and to implement responses to the recommendations. Of course, some of the conversations with counselors often revolve around audits as well.

• Consulting with agencies and firms. A variety of different organizations have engaged seeking perspectives on establishing college counseling programming. These have run the gamut of student-focused non-profits to athletics-oriented groups to tech companies, typically examining how best to serve students or how best to enable other adults to support students. 

• Supporting students and families through the college process. Of course, Lamplighter Consulting was formed with the intention of supporting students with independent consulting services; however, as things have emerged, as the above suggests, the bulk of the work has shifted from students to adults, but the commitment to working with students remains at the heart of the work we do, and we do support students and families directly. 

• Engaging in the Discussion. In addition to these interactions with individuals and organizations, Lamplighter also engages in discussions and trends within the world of education. One way is through the routine sharing of current news through the Lamplighter Facebook page, and another is the monthly College Counseling cheatsheet. 

If any of these services -- or others that you might have -- sound interesting, I strongly encourage you to reach out for a conversation. Please be in touch if you have any ideas for how Lamplighter Consulting might be helpful to you or your school!