ADMISSIONS CONSULTING SERVICES
COMPRENSIVE COUNSELING SERVICE
COMPRENSIVE COUNSELING SERVICE
My service is designed to meet the unique needs of working professionals and current university/graduate students.
Clients can easily schedule appointments and choose the type of consulting that best suits their needs - email, Skype, telephone, or face-to-face.
Clients meet me at their offices or at selected business cafes in the Tokyo/Yokohama area. I aim to minimize the time clients must spend traveling to meet me so I am happy to meet at a convenient location
Clients pay only for the time required to complete a particular task: I provide clients with a detailed record of exactly how much time was used for services. In other words, my clients do not pay for a block of time that they must try to fill with work for me. The minimum length of a face-to-face meeting is sixty minutes. Email, Skype and telephone sessions can be billed for as little as one-tenth of an hour.
Clients do NOT pay for email, Skype or phone conversations regarding scheduling or where to meet
Client-friendly services: There are NO penalties for missed sessions unless we arrange to meet for a face-to-face session and you do not appear or cancel before the schedule meeting time. I am happy to schedule and reschedule sessions as needed.
Consulting sessions are a combination of the following:
Skype, telephone and face-to-face: For initial consulting, application content brainstorming, school selection, feedback on essays, and interview preparation.
While a face-to-face consultation is highly recommended for our first consultation (if you are in Japan), subsequent meetings are generally at the client’s discretion.
Email-based consulting for comments on essays, resumes, and other documents.
I have indicated below how many hours of my time are likely to be required for various steps of the application process, including production of a professional-quality resume/CV, consultations on essay drafts, strategizing for letters of recommendation, and interview practice. Clients typically utilize my consultation services for 5-8 hours for the following steps:
FREE Initial consultation to determine whether we should work together. Contact me at h.steven.green@gmail.com to arrange an initial consultation.
Resume/CV: 1-3 hours, including consultation session. I can do everything from simply review and comment on to substantially revise your resume. Taking care of your resume first allows me to begin to learn about your past experience, which will assist me greatly in reviewing your essay drafts.
School selection and initial strategy: 0-3 hours. For some clients, I will be actively involved in school selection advising, but not for all. Similarly, my involvement in initial admissions strategy development varies. For many clients, school selection and initial strategy will be combined with other parts of the process. See methods more details.
Essays, first school: 3-10 hours. The time required will vary greatly depending upon the complexity of the essay topic and your ability. Three hours would be typical for a 3-4 page Statement of Purpose for a masters or PhD program. Eight, nine, ten or more hours might be required if you were an MBA applicant writing essays for a top US or European program. See methods more details.
Essays, subsequent schools: .25-8 hours. Revisions to a statement of purpose for subsequent schools might be minor, but considering the wide variation in what schools require, some revisions may require nearly as much time as the original draft. On the other hand, as you complete multiple essays, the time required for each subsequent school’s essay(s) should likely decrease significantly.
Recommendations: If you wish to consult with me regarding recommendation letter strategies, then please assume 1-4 hours of time for 2-3 recommendations. See methods more details.
Interview practice: The amount of time required will depend upon multiple factors including; how many interviews you plan or receive invitations for, the type of degree program for which you are applying, and your own abilities. The time required may be 0-4 hours for applicants to MA and PhD programs and 2-10 hours for MBA applicants. See methods for more details.
Assistance with miscellaneous administrative issues (application forms, waitlist letters, scholarship essays): 0-3 hours.
PRICING
As mentioned above, I charge by the hour (a real hour, not a fifty minute one!). I have differential rates in yen and US dollars. You can pay in either currency, but please don’t ask me to advise you about this as it concerns your transaction costs and the exchange rate.
Hourly Rate: 20,000 yen or $220
Prepaid Package Rates:
5 hours, 95,000 yen or $1000, (Hours 6-19, 19,000 yen or $200 per hour)
20 hours, 360,000 yen or $3,800 (Hours 21-39, 18,000 yen or $190 per hour)
40 hours, 680,000 yen or $7,200 (hours 40-49, 17,000 yen or $180 per hour)
50 hours, 800,000 yen or $8,500 (hours 51 and above, 16,000 yen or $170 per hour)
Yen payment is via bank transfer and dollar payment is via Paypal. I can also accept yen payment via Paypal at an additional 3% surcharge. All prices include tax. There are no initial signing and/or hidden fees.
DISCOUNTS
Japanese & American government & NPO employee discount: I offer a 10% discount to those who have made a professional commitment to public service. This includes American and Japanese government officials, politicians, employees of non-profit organizations that have a mission to serve the public, and members of the armed forces. Contact me for details. If used by July 1, 2008, this discount can be combined with the early purchase of 20 or more hours for a 15% discount.
REFUNDS
Consistent with Japanese Law regulating educational providers like myself, I will refund 85% of your unused balance if requested within one year from the date of purchase. Contact me for further details.
LOGISTICS
Telephone/Skype sessions: I encourage all my clients to use Skype as it is free, but if you want to talk with me on the phone, please call me. For Skype, I am video enabled. There are no penalties for last-minute change of schedule.
Email sessions: We don't have to schedule anything. You just send me files and I review and comment on them. I usually reply within 24 hours, but will do my best to adjust based on your needs.
Face-to-face sessions will be conducted at selected locations in the Tokyo/Yokohama area. Plans for face-to-face sessions are flexible and will be determined on an individual client basis. Please contact me for details. I usually meet clients at cafes or at their offices. Unlike telephone/Skype or email sessions, I have a one-hour minimum for all face-to-face sessions. Same day changes to schedule are no problem and are without penalty. I would ask that you notify me prior to the start of the session if you are unable to attend. If I am waiting somewhere for you, I will charge for my time.
Please note: I am not available or have limited availability on the following dates: September 14-22, 2008; December 24-25, 2008; January 1, 2009. Please contact me for details.