FAQ

We often act as a hub of information for families because they’ve connected with us early in the process and know we are a trusted resource. We offer a wide variety of support (website, newsletter, live programs, workshops, assessments, consultations, etc.) to help families, and much of it is available to you free of charge.

Students have access to school counselors via their high school. We always encourage teens to engage with their counselor for all the college planning help they can offer. Some students want more or different help than they can get at school. When families find that there are specific areas where they need additional help, we suggest they find a professional with deep expertise in that area of need (ACT/SAT, essay writing, etc.). We’ve collected up a list of folks you might turn to on our Friends of At The Core webpage.

The At The Core facilitators are amazing people! This growing team of professionals is carefully trained to use At The Core processes and methods. Each comes to At The Core with their own career journey, though most have backgrounds in career or school counseling, education or management.

At The Core serves families nationwide. Meetings in Central Ohio and Cincinnati are typically face-to-face (if possible), and other sessions are completed online.

We typically meet with families in a public location, like a coffee shop. The At The Core resource who will lead the meeting will confirm the location prior to the meeting. (Meetings can be held online as well.)

The majority of our programming is virtual to allow for participation by families from across the country. Some special workshops and presentations will be held at locations including local conference centers, community centers, college facilities, and libraries. See the details of each specific event to determine the exact location.

We do have a weekly free newsletter called “Seeds” that parents just love. It includes blogs, articles, tips, timelines, and announcements to keep you up-to-date with planning. Click here to sign up. We never sell your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

At The Core helps the student who wants to determine their strengths, a possible major, or a potential career. The process was built to serve high school students (grades 10+) transitioning to college, but any student who needs direction can benefit. The timeframe for maximum usefulness for a high school student is late in the sophomore year or early in the junior year. This will also allow the resulting information to be used in scheduling classes and summer plans.

Good question! The pricing is best shared once you can see a sample of the final report. (It’s less than most people think, and families have said it’s a fantastic investment in their child.) There is no one else that does this kind of work, and because it’s so unique, we prefer to have a chance to explain the process and show you what you’d receive so that the price makes sense. If you’d really like to know pricing prior to scheduling an informational first family meeting, just call us at 614-404-0646.

For Columbus (OH) or Cincinnati area students, families can optionally choose from in-person meetings, online meetings, or a blend of both. In-person meetings typically take place in a public location like a coffee shop. For our remote students (or situations requiring remote access), we use online video meeting technology for the interviews and final family meeting.

Families can plan for the entire process to take 8-10 weeks. Five one-hour interviews (see Guided Self Assessment for more information) ideally take place over a two to three-week period. Interviews are scheduled based on the availability of the student and the interviewer. Given our students’ dynamic schedules, there is always flexibility in the meeting dates and times. The family meeting is scheduled when the report is complete, approximately two weeks after the final interview. The career exploration and informational interview process can take an additional 2-3 weeks.

Sample reports are available for you to look at during the first family evaluation meeting.

The interviews are conducted with the child only.  The entire focus of this process is the child’s perception of their own traits.  Occasionally, parents are asked to answer a few questions during the process, but parent input is minimal.

Great! Your next step is to book a short meeting with us (30 minutes, no fee or obligation). We meet every student considering the process. In this meeting, we share a sample report with you, discuss expectations, get to know your student, etc.

To schedule this first meeting for Guided Self Assessment, click here. Once you choose a date and time that works well for your family, you’ll receive an automated confirmation of the appointment via email. The At The Core facilitator you’ll meet with will reach out to you to confirm the meeting location.

Once you book your appointment online, you’ll receive an automated confirmation of the appointment via email. The At The Core facilitator you’ll meet with will reach out to you to confirm the meeting format/location. If you have not received a confirmation email, please check your spam/promotions folder.

Families do not need to bring anything to the meeting. The initial no-fee, no-obligation 30-minute meeting is for students and their parents to learn the details about the process in order to make the decision if Guided Self Assessment is right for the student.

Good question! As parents, we are accustomed to online assessments. We find online assessments can be tricky for teens. They cannot capture an “it depends” answer, and they can yield confusing, misleading or even humorous results. We created Guided Self Assessment as an alternative to online assessments. All input provided by the student is verbal (in five interviews) or written (in associated exercises).