My Story – What College Ready Parent Stands For

You’re not just a parent—you’re the only map they’ve got.

That became real for me when I started guiding my daughter through the college admissions maze. She’s a 4.0 student. ACT 30. First-chair musician. Section leader. Tutor. First-gen. Leadership, service, all of it. The kind of student every college brochure claims to reward.

But we found out quickly: being great doesn’t guarantee a full ride. Especially if you’re from a middle-income family.

We’re not under-resourced enough for full need-based aid. Not wealthy enough to shrug off $30,000 gaps. So we got the “you’re on your own” shrug from both sides.

I didn’t shrug back. I started pulling threads.

What I found was a maze designed to look like a ladder—strategic underfunding, confusing scholarship layers, bait-aid, vague honors programs, and timelines most schools barely explain. Especially to parents like us.

My daughter Gia, under the Walk of Champions arch during our visit to Ole Miss.
I took this photo. One of those moments where it hit me: we’re really doing this.

So I built this site.

Everything here is from our real journey: the timelines I built, the mistakes we avoided, the strategies we figured out when the counselor couldn’t help and the college wouldn’t answer straight. It’s not just what worked for her—it’s what any parent can use to stop playing blindfolded.

This isn’t a blog. It’s a counter-manual.
And you’re not just applying to college. You’re negotiating with an industry.

Let’s do it eyes open.

🎯 Ready to Get Started?

→ Start Here: Your College Prep Timeline