Welcome! I'm
Melanie MacCaskie.
I'm an independent educational consultant who's proud to work with students who need something different from their college application journey.
Does your family need help with
the college application process?
I've met with many, many parents over my twelve-plus years working in education. It's no secret that they all feel a little frazzled when it comes to the college application process for their kid.
If you're here, you can probably relate.
And if you’re the parent of a neurodivergent teen or young adult, you might feel a completely unique type of frazzled when you think about getting your child started on their college journey.
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You know that a bachelor’s degree will help them grow into the amazing person that you know they already are…
And you might worry about how to find a college that’s the right fit for their learning style.
And you might worry about them forgetting a crucial deadline or checking the wrong box on an important form.
And you might worry about college applications becoming a source of stress and conflict at home.
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I'm here to help.
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My expertise comes from reading thousands of college applications in my prior career as an admissions counselor, graduate-level training in advising and higher ed, and personal lived experience as a person with ADHD.
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Now, I work one-on-one with neurodivergent students to guide them toward a college where they will thrive.
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Students can trust me to have their back while they figure it all out.
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And parents can trust that their kid will stay on track and make thoughtful, informed decisions throughout the process.
Let’s work together to set your student up for college success.
Application Action Plan
short term: two sessions
I help your 12th grader or college student make a plan to tackle their application process. With help, they prioritize their tasks, get started, and stick to it.
Services
Comprehensive Support
long term
I guide your student through every part of the college application process, helping them build the executive functioning skills they need along the way.
What kind of students do you work with?
I work with any student who wants to go to college and needs extra support with the executive function skills involved in the application process. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to work with me, but it may help to know that I’ve worked with students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other learning differences, OCD, anxiety, and chronic illnesses.
Why do you
work with neurodivergent students?
Short answer: because I’m neurodivergent, too. After being told in the early 2000’s that “girls who get A’s can’t have ADHD,” I was formally diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. It changed my life in the best way. In classic hyperfixation fashion I dove headfirst into adding neurodiversity training to my M.Ed. studies and professional development endeavors.
Between my academic knowledge, professional experience, and personal insight into brains that work differently, I’m perfectly set up to help students like yours write their own college success stories.
How do you work with students – like, logistically?
I meet with students one-on-one over Zoom during evening and after-school hours. Lots of my comprehensive support students pick a standing meeting time to help them remember the appointment.
We collaborate using shared tools like Google Docs. It’s not fancy, but it works! They can chip away at tasks between meetings, and I can easily see where they’re getting stuck and how to help.
This low-tech method allows me to customize the process for each student, providing instructions and breaking down tasks in the way that makes the most sense for how they think and work.
Do you help with the college list, the essays, the FAFSA, the _____?
Yes, all of it! I support students through the entire college application process, from building a thoughtful college list and brainstorming essays to submitting the FAFSA and making a final decision.
I help with the “big picture” ideas, like what kind of curriculum or environment will be the best, as well as the “to do list” work, like staying organized and meeting deadlines. We can even work together on starting the accommodations process once your student enrolls at their college of choice.
The only things I don’t cover are athletic recruiting, the artistic content of auditions or portfolios, and international admissions.