COLLEGE PLANNING EXPERTS

Are you a passionate educator or counselor who believes every student deserves a clear roadmap to their dream college? College Planning Experts is seeking a dedicated College Counselor to empower families through the complex college planning and admissions process. Our firm exists to ensure no family navigates this journey alone or unprepared: Founder Brian Safdari turned his own heartbreak—losing top university offers and incurring heavy student debt due to a lack of guidance—into a mission that has unlocked $1B+ in funding for over 25,000 families. As a College Counselor, you will go beyond basic guidance to deliver strategic college placement, career planning, and funding alignment, providing families the freedom and clarity to live according to their deepest values. Working alongside our collaborative team, you will own the counseling experience from day one while continuously growing as our firm expands.

Role Overview

The College Counselor will manage a roster of students, providing end-to-end guidance through the college application journey. Your goal is to keep student stress low while maximizing their chances of admission to their top-choice schools. This role requires a deep understanding of admissions trends, personality profiling, and strategic application crafting.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Guidance

• Action Plans: Create personalized plans of action using personality profiling software to align with student needs and goals.
• Workshops: Conduct quarterly workshops for various class years to educate families on the evolving admissions process.
• Timeline Management: Provide and manage detailed timelines for students based on their current high school year.
• Academic Advising: Review class selections to ensure graduation requirements are met and suggest courses/testing (SAT/ACT) that highlight student strengths.

Admissions & Application Management

• College List Building: Research and draft “best-fit” college lists based on academic, social, and financial criteria.
• Strategy: Craft personalized admission strategies tailored to the specific culture and requirements of each institution.
• Application Excellence: Complete and review applications (Common App, UC, CSU, etc.) to ensure students stand out; provide expert critiques of admissions essays.
• Portals: Assist students in creating and monitoring student portals for decision updates and document requests.
• Interviews & Recs: Provide guidance on securing strong letters of recommendation and prep students for admissions interviews.

Administrative & Technical

• Tracking: Ensure all official transcripts are sent and all deadlines are strictly met.
• Software: Maintain proficiency in various college planning databases and software.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Master’s Degree in Educational Counseling (Required).
• Credentials: Valid Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential and a specialized Certificate in College Counseling.
• Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of experience as a college admissions counselor.
• Knowledge: In-depth understanding of current college admissions requirements and Student Enrollment Management (SEM).
• Tech Savvy: Proficient literacy in various software, online databases, and college application portals.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional communication skills and the ability to manage the emotional aspects of the college search for both students and parents.
• Location: Remote / Hybrid (Santa Clarita, CA / National)
• Pay Structure: Counselors are paid on a competitive one-time flat fee per student basis. This allows for flexibility and a focus on quality outcomes for each family.

College Planning Experts is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

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Jose Ireta was born and raised in California and retired from public education in 2021. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from the California State University system and holds two master’s degrees, one in Counseling and one in Educational Administration, both were earned from the Graduate School of Education at California Lutheran University, where he was named Outstanding Graduate Student in Counselor & Guidance in 2002.

Mr. Ireta began to work as a private college counselor in 2017 in addition to his work at the high school. His multiple positions have allowed him to work with a diverse student body. It is his goal to guide all students to achieve their goals, regardless of their background or academic abilities. As a dedicated counselor with over 25 years of experience assisting students with college applications, he possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and nuances involved in the college admissions process. His previous roles as both a private college counselor and a public school counselor at an International Baccalaureate high school have honed his skills in essay editing, building realistic college lists, and supporting students from diverse backgrounds.

Lucy Tahmasian, Operations Manager

With over 10 years of experience as an Assistant Vice President overseeing compliance at Bank of America, Lucy brings a strong attention to detail that is crucial in the college planning process. As someone who attended CSUN and a mother of two, she is passionate about helping families turn the college planning journey into an exciting and positive experience. She loves supporting parents during this important time, guiding them with confidence and ease to create an environment where their children can thrive and succeed.

I am a dedicated professional with over 10 years of higher education experience concentrating in a variety of student affairs areas including admissions/outreach, academic advising, orientation/transitional programming, and student support services with a comprehensive understanding of the enrollment management funnel and retention/completion initiatives.
In addition, I have over four years of administrative management and supervision experience with as many as nine direct reports in high-volume and high-impact departments. All of my professional experience has focused on the development, success, and retention of community college, transfer, and non-traditional students and academic transfer pathways.

Jennifer has over 20+ years of experience and expertise working in college admissions counseling with both public and private school students. She has a great amount of knowledge of top-tiered colleges across the U.S. In addition, her contribution as an External Admissions Reader for UCSD and UCD provides her with an up-to-date understanding of how the world’s leading public research universities are selecting a freshman class. She has an M.S. in Counseling with a PPS Credential and a B.A. in Child Development.

Affiliations
National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
Western Association of College Admission Counseling (WACAC)
Jesuit High School College Counseling Association (JHSCCA)

I have a passion for leading and supporting high school students through creating a college list that is tailored and personable to each young person. I have worked as a high school counselor for over 17 years at a California private college prep school where over 90% of students apply to 4-year colleges. My years of dedication to students and the college admission process have also given me amazing opportunities to create professional relationships with reputable colleges and admission representatives.

My focus is on the student through creating a trustworthy communication, listening, and direction relationship. Students work well with me because the relationship is honest, direct, and supportive.
I have two adult kids who have both been through the college application cycle which gave me a great insight into understanding what parents are also going through during the process. Now that I am an “empty nester”, I spend a lot of time training and competing in my favorite sport of running.

Student Testimonial
“I loved working with Ms. Rasmussen! She was there right by my side throughout the college application process. I never felt stressed because of her support, guidance, and having my interests first. She believed in me and in the end, I accepted admission to the college which was the right fit for me.” – Austin F.

With over three decades of strategic leadership in the high-technology sector, Randy Narciso has forged a distinguished career in high-tech product management and strategic marketing, while delivering groundbreaking AI and ML solutions within the ed-tech, retail, government, networking, renewable energy, and enterprise sectors. He holds a BSEE and MBA from the University of Southern California.

Randy is happily married to his wife Peachie of 20+ years and has two young boys, Reid and Logan. Randy’s journey with College Planning Experts is deeply personal and emotionally resonant, drawing from his vast experience in educational technology, entrepreneurship, and youth sports. Randy’s knowledge of the complexities of college planning is enriched by his own family’s experiences with the college planning process. He has navigated the complexities of college admissions, scholarships, and financial planning with Reid, his oldest son who was accepted at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in 2023 and is currently guiding Logan, his youngest son who will be a freshman at Alemany HS in the fall of 2024.

At College Planning Experts, Randy assumes the pivotal role of Vice President of Product Innovation and Client Services, where he spearheads efforts to ensure unparalleled client satisfaction while pioneering the development of cutting-edge educational products, solutions, and services. Leveraging his extensive technological expertise, Randy is instrumental in the launch of transformative solutions aimed at optimizing business operations and unlocking new revenue streams through software automations and AI-driven processes. As a trusted client advisor, he offers invaluable counsel, services, and solutions to families embarking on the complex journey of college admissions, financial aid, and financial planning.

Laura Padilla, College Counselor

Laura received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She majored in Anthropology and minored in Education. Laura’s passion for education, led her in pursuing her Master of Science in School Counseling from California State University, Long Beach as well as a Certificate in Higher Education and College Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles.

Laura has worked in education since 2011. At that time, she facilitated various educational workshops on the college application process. In 2014, she started providing comprehensive college counseling services to students in grades 9th-12th. She’s guided hundreds of students through the college application process. Laura is passionate about helping students apply and prepare for college. She loves college application season. She strongly believes the college application is a great place for students to reflect on their accomplishments and highlight the various qualities that make them unique.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature. She enjoys camping, gardening and spending time with her dog and husband.

Corinne (Coco) Lee has been a college admissions counselor for more than six years. She considers herself to be a cheerleader for students’ higher education dreams and especially enjoys helping clients to discover and celebrate their strengths. Her clients have received millions of dollars in merit and talent scholarships.

Ms. Lee has been certified by Columbia University in college advising, and she has been certified by Harvard University in editing/publishing. She received her Master’s in writing from the University of Texas-Austin on a fellowship and also studied at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop on a fellowship. Her undergraduate degree is from U.S.C., where she majored in English, was a Thematic Option honors scholar, and studied, through an exchange program, at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Ms. Lee is an award-winning author; she won the National Poetry Series and has had two books published by Viking Penguin. Six of her poems have been included in Best American Poetry. She also has won numerous teaching awards, including honors from the University of Texas-Austin’s alumni association. She is a proud mother of two seniors at Columbia University (Columbia College, Barnard College) and enjoys sculpting, gardening, and parenting several quirky rescue animals.

Andrew’s background is in finance and education. After graduating from Denison University in 1987, he got his training in merchant and investment banking in London before moving to Taiwan where he spent the next 18 years building a business advising students interested in integrating into schools in The United States. Since moving back to California he has combined his passion for education and finance by helping students and their families navigate the waters of maximizing financial aid and, just as importantly, developing ways to pay for college without sacrificing their other goals in life. After seeing firsthand how heartbreaking and frustrating it is for families to not be able to send their children to the college of their dreams due to finances, Andrew has made it his mission to help tilt the odds in the student’s favor. No two situations are the same, and this makes working with each family a unique experience with many options and opportunities to explore together.

Makou Aboli, College Counselor

Makou was born and raised in Los Angeles. She attended Cal