Frequently Asked Questions

Your student will walk away with an individualized strategic plan for the college application process, and he/she will benefit from the breadth and depth of experience. 

Years of working in school management and college admissions will provide valuable insights into the college application process.  While in my role as the Pensacola High IB coordinator, I honed my skills working directly with students who were engaged in the college process. Even though the scope of my work as a principal was broader, I kept this area as a key focus.  At Atlanta International School, Ross School, and Lake Wales High School, I continued to be involved with this process. This experience was with high performing students as well as students who did not graduate at the top of their class. The key benefit is the 1:1 attention. 

There are many excellent college counselors in public & private schools, but the system that many counselors work in is not ideal. Typically, High School counseling departments are woefully understaffed; even if they have the desire to help more students, many times their case load doesn't allow for on-going individual guidance. Given this current reality, they are doing the best they can. For example, the American School Counselor Association recommends a student to counselor ratio of 250:1, however, the national average is 408:1 for the 2021-2022 year. Many public schools have a higher ratio than 408:1; the unrealistic expectations are further complicated by the increase in mental health issues in this post-Covid world.  Dunson Designs for Education will provide that 1:1 focused attention. 

Happy to offer access to top teachers who provide that service; I would make the connection, and the family would contract directly with the tutor. 

Yes, I would seek a partnership with professionals.  Currently, I have a working relationship with Meghan Balliet, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and with Dr. Richard Marshall, School Psychologist of Lakeland.  DDE can help facilitate; however, the family would contract with the professional mental health counseling directly. We would work together to come up with the best plan for the student.

While I can step in and help a family at any point with this planning, the best time to start is in the student's 11th grade year; that framework ensures that we have plenty of time for a diligent and thoughtful approach. However, I am happy to help 12th graders as well. Having said that, it is important to get the process moving soon. 

We are also able to offer a 4-year plan that begins in the 9th grade. 

No, Dunson Designs for Education is a private LLC, and currently is not associated with any other entity--public or private school.

Currently, a key focus is helping students navigate the college process. We are also offering the general education counseling to K-12th. There is real value is getting help with behavior issues when a child is in elementary or middle school. Having a behavior plan early is extremely helpful. Addressing counter-productive patterns of behavior as early as possibly is the key. 

Yes, I will assess what the individual needs and explore the patterns of behavior in order to build a program around those findings. DDE is concierge service providing individual  attention to the student; we will work together as a team and design a plan that will help the student maximize strengths and begin to feel more confident about their ability to make the needed changes.

No, a promise of that nature would be unethical and unrealistic. What this service can promise is I will do my best to ensure that we assist you throughout the process, and I will guide the student to make realistic decisions that will ultimately lead to a good match. DDE will help the student understand the chances of admission at different colleges and be a guide in completing the application in a way that makes the student profile stand out.  

Send an email to donnadunson@dunsondesigns.com