At Lighthouse Prep, our approach to college counseling is simple: we want students to have all the options in the world. All the doors open. All the possibilities on the table. No narrowing their future before they’ve even had a chance to imagine it.
Over the years, our students have gone on to colleges all over the country—and the world—studying everything from economics to Japanese, dance to mechanical engineering, business to computer science. We’ve had graduates attend Spelman, Howard, Morehouse, FAMU, Tufts, University of San Francisco, University of Arizona, and programs abroad in Europe. Some of our earliest alumni have already graduated college, which is really, really cool to see.
All of that is just to say: we support students wherever they want to go.
We don’t push a specific type of college. We don’t push prestige for prestige’s sake. Our job is to help each student build the skills, experiences, and confidence to make the choice that fits them best—and to thrive once they get there.
It All Starts Early
While college counseling technically starts on day one, the structured pieces begin in middle school. Starting in sixth grade, students get a College Visits Tracker inside Wild Oasis—a digital portfolio they keep all the way through senior year. Any time they visit a campus (with us or with their family), they log what they saw, how they felt, what excited them, and what didn’t. By the time they reach 12th grade, they have years of personal data to look back on.
Students also complete our three-part Pathways series, which is required for high school graduation:
These classes build the soft skills and technical skills that colleges—and employers—care about:
- Public speaking
- Leading workshops
- Interviewing professionals
- Completing a short internship
- 3D modeling, 3D printing, CAD (SolidWorks), and Canva
- Designing and pitching a real business or product
- Making actual sales at a market day or festival
- Prototyping
- Understanding for-profit, nonprofit, and social-good ventures
By the time they’re applying to college, students aren’t scrambling to create a portfolio—they’ve been building one for years.
What We Learn in College 101
Our College 101 course covers three major areas:
(1) the experience of college, (2) the application process, and (3) paying for college.
A lot of students see college as “just another school,” which on paper is true. You go to classes, you have assignments, you get grades. But in reality, college is also where you live. It’s a community. It’s people you’re around every day. It’s the place you wake up in and the place you grow up in.
So we help students imagine the full picture.
The Academic Side
We discuss:
- what it really means to prepare academically
- how to challenge yourself
- the difference between college prep, honors, dual enrollment
- how to build a strong transcript
- activities that matter
- test scores, essays, and what they communicate
Our graduation requirements already align with selective universities (Stanford, MIT, Georgia Tech, etc.). Students will have the right classes because they cannot graduate without them. The differentiators become: How well are you doing in those classes? What experiences are you building? What story are you telling?
The Community + Lifestyle Side
We also talk about the social and personal side of choosing a college:
- Do you want a small community where professors know your name?
- A big school where you can reinvent yourself?
- A campus near the beach?
- A school in a major city like New York or San Francisco?
- Close to home?
- Far away?
We walk through joining clubs, using campus resources, building friendships, exploring the arts, networking, and even thinking about grad school.
For many teenagers, college is this vague amorphous “thing” that happens after high school. So we open the universe of what’s possible—and we show them how to position themselves early so those possibilities remain accessible.
Maximizing the High School Years (and Summers!)
We spend a lot of time helping students make the most of high school—not with unnecessary stress, but with clarity.
Students explore:
- internships
- summer research programs at colleges
- arts intensives
- becoming a camp counselor
- starting a business
- leadership opportunities
- babysitting, tutoring, coaching
- building identity and purpose through real experiences
For students interested in the arts, we offer an Art & Music Portfolio Development course that helps them create and refine a cohesive body of work. They learn how to present their pieces, write artist statements, and showcase their growth over time — perfect for college applications, auditions, or summer programs.
Every summer and school year becomes part of their larger story: who they are becoming, how they serve their community, and what kind of learner they want to be.
ACT Prep: Why We Focus on the ACT
We primarily prepare students for the ACT because it’s a clear, straightforward test of what you actually know. Some students do prefer the SAT, and SAT prep through Khan Academy is honestly very solid, but we developed a full ACT Prep course that includes:
- several full-length practice tests
- scoring guides
- setting a personalized goal score
- tips and strategies for each section
- tons of practice questions
- how to register, get your ticket, and what to bring on test day
- following colleges on social media to understand what they value
And all of these courses that I've linked are completely free for anyone in the world to use.
If you don’t have support where you are, you can just take the class and be blessed. We want students everywhere to have access to strong guidance.
Also—yes—you can earn an accredited high school diploma through Wild Oasis, and we will make you a Lighthouse Prep diploma because if you complete the full program, you’ve earned it.
College Visits: Seeing What’s Possible
We typically visit 2–4 colleges per year, and students log everything in their Wild Oasis tracker.
Some recent tours include:
- Georgia Tech (a classic)
- Emory (especially the libraries — students love them)
- Oglethorpe (very Harry Potter-esque)
- Berry College (the enormous campus with all the animals — always a favorite)
- Kennesaw State (robotics and drone events)
- SCAD Atlanta (our annual must-visit)
We try to avoid touring in August and September (Georgia heat), and instead go in October–November or March–April.
While college tours are quite informative, the walking can get intense. It's nice to mix up the college visit experience for students and instead of only going to colleges for tours, we can also go for sports games, student plays, concerts, workshops, lectures etc.
If you know of amazing events at your college—concerts, showcases, exhibitions—please tell us. We will absolutely bring our students.
Apply to College: Step-by-Step Guidance
Our Apply to College course walks students through the entire process, including:
- Setting up the Common App
- Completing every section (explained in plain language)
- Supplemental essays
- Personal statement writing
- Book recommendations from trusted sources (including College Essay Guy)
- Getting recommendation letters
- Sending test scores
- Applying through Georgia Futures (for students in GA)
- Submitting the Black Common App (to apply to multiple HBCUs at once)
- Applying directly on college websites
- Finding and applying for scholarships
Nothing is left ambiguous. Students follow the steps, build their documents, and steadily complete their portfolio.
Why This Approach Works
Students graduate Lighthouse Prep with:
- years of campus exposure
- a strong, authentic portfolio
- meaningful real-world experiences
- excellent communication skills
- a clear sense of identity and direction
- an understanding of how college actually works
- and the confidence to choose a path that fits them
Whether they go to an HBCU, a design school, a giant state university, a tiny liberal arts college, an engineering powerhouse, or a program abroad—they’re ready.
Our job is not to push them toward a single definition of success.
Our job is to prepare them so that any definition of success is available to them.