Posts tagged Students
Using Asana Project Management Software Externally with Clients
Using Asana Project Management Software Externally with Clients

I had not even thought of using Asana externally until the 2019-2020 admissions cycle. We have always used an old fashioned status chart in google drive to track everything - and have actually had a lot of success with that approach - so I didn’t feel like I needed a new solution.

Then, one of our late start seniors applied to about a zillion schools and had about a zillion art portfolios to go along with the applications. It occurred to me that we needed something more sophisticated.. and she served as our test case! I then made a number of changes with transfer applicants, and made even more changes just recently after COVID-19, when all of our operations turned remote. I plan to introduce it to Class of 2021 students later this spring.

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Tools We LoveColleen PaparellaEducational Advisory GroupAsana, Students, Parents, Workflow, Client Management
Increasing Efficiency and Effectiveness with a September - August Junior Year Workflow
Increasing Efficiency and Effectiveness with a September - August Junior Year Workflow

My approach forces students to get their head in the game and start EARLY! Procrastination is not an option. This means that parents and students aren’t fighting at home (about college stuff, anyway!), because everyone is on the same page and working on the same team! 

Spreading out the work in a seasonal manner also keeps my staff busy (and paid!) all year long, which lets our practice take on more clients - we have a steady flow of work without the peaks and valleys that prevent other practices from scaling. Maximizing our time in this way essentially doubles the clientele that we are able to serve in a given graduating class.

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Helpful InformationColleen PaparellaDC College CounselingProfit, Scaling, Work-Life Balance, Students, Workflow
[Non-Obvious] Intake Questionnaire Info
[Non-Obvious] Intake Questionnaire Info

We send "Getting to Know You" questionnaires immediately after parents sign their contracts and pay their invoices. The parent version has questions that deal with issues relating to health, communication preferences, emergency contact information, family issues in the home, scheduling choices, observations about student motivation, and so forth. The student version is a little lighter and contains a personality test, as well as fun questions about preferences and pet peeves.

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Helpful InformationColleen PaparellaEducational Advisory GroupParents, Students, In-Office Work, Remote Work, Client ManagementComment