I had the pleasure of being interviewed on Spectrum 1 by Tim Murray, President & CEO of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce on 4/20/23. Watch the 9 minute interview below to learn everything you need to know about our organization.
The reality.
The college planning and application process has become an increasingly complex endeavor for parents and students alike. Next Level Up’s college admissions counselors are here to help make this process less stressful and more individualized. We provide the support that can help your child find the right college fit for them, while taking into consideration a multitude of personal factors.
Typically our professional services begin with getting to know who your student is through conversation and guided questioning. We will also review school records, discuss goals and aspirations, prioritize preferences, and address any misconceptions about the process that have taken root.
It can seem that colleges and universities expect the impossible from your child: a top scholar, varsity athlete, involved in the community, budding musician, aspiring artist. What colleges are truly looking for is the right fit for their school and campus. Next Level Up is also looking for the college that is the right fit for every student that comes our way. Additionally, the process of considering, researching, and applying to schools can be overwhelming. Our service and our counselors are here to provide real, multifaceted support and guidance through the entire college application process.
Top schools want evidence of intellectual vitality, a love of learning outside of the classroom, and an extremely angular extracurricular profile that shows that a student is the best at one or two activities - leadership, intellectual curiosity, athletics, or community service - or who has a special talent or exhibits unusual personal character.
Typically our professional services begin with getting to know who your student is through conversation and guided questioning. We will also review school records, discuss goals and aspirations, prioritize preferences, and address any misconceptions about the process that have taken root.
It can seem that colleges and universities expect the impossible from your child: a top scholar, varsity athlete, involved in the community, budding musician, aspiring artist. What colleges are truly looking for is the right fit for their school and campus. Next Level Up is also looking for the college that is the right fit for every student that comes our way. Additionally, the process of considering, researching, and applying to schools can be overwhelming. Our service and our counselors are here to provide real, multifaceted support and guidance through the entire college application process.
Top schools want evidence of intellectual vitality, a love of learning outside of the classroom, and an extremely angular extracurricular profile that shows that a student is the best at one or two activities - leadership, intellectual curiosity, athletics, or community service - or who has a special talent or exhibits unusual personal character.
Our philosophy.
Throughout the process of planning for your high school graduate’s next step, regardless of when it begins, ongoing communication with and feedback from the student is necessary. This dialogue with your student is crucial to our ability to develop a list of appropriate, realistic, and best fit colleges for him or her to choose from.
We will guide your child through each step of the application process and help them present their individual strengths and interests to each college, while showcasing the best version of themselves. The actual forms associated with the applications focus on individual student’s academics, their extracurricular activities, and interests. Some may include a number of short writing samples, a longer personal essay, and, depending upon the college, an interview via phone, online, or in person.
We will stay in touch with the student and family once applications have been submitted until the potential acceptances, deferrals, denials, and wait list notifications come in and a final approach is enacted. Our goal is to always focus on what will best serve the student, to empower them to pursue their own goals and aspirations, and to provide practical support and guidance in the most constructive way possible.
We will guide your child through each step of the application process and help them present their individual strengths and interests to each college, while showcasing the best version of themselves. The actual forms associated with the applications focus on individual student’s academics, their extracurricular activities, and interests. Some may include a number of short writing samples, a longer personal essay, and, depending upon the college, an interview via phone, online, or in person.
We will stay in touch with the student and family once applications have been submitted until the potential acceptances, deferrals, denials, and wait list notifications come in and a final approach is enacted. Our goal is to always focus on what will best serve the student, to empower them to pursue their own goals and aspirations, and to provide practical support and guidance in the most constructive way possible.
Testimonials
The college application process was so much less painful with the help of Todd and the Next Level Up team when compared with the experience with my older children! Todd evaluated my daughter’s results and listened to her goals, as well as considered my expectations, and came up with a realistic and detailed plan. He paid attention to the timeline and reminded us about to do tasks and deadlines. Todd generated a detailed Excel sheet with a list of schools that were right for her: safety; reach; and match colleges. This master sheet included key factors, such as deadlines, tuition fees and school rankings. He reviewed my daughter’s school grades and activities and helped with the essays. Exactly what we needed! Thanks to his follow-ups and pep talks, for my daughter it was more of an inspiring educational experience, not just the application's process.
Eva G. - Needham, MA (1/5/2021)
Mr. Blechner relieved me from a lot of stress about colleges. His optimistic approach really helped; I am so happy that he supported me. Without him, I would not have known about some of my preferred colleges that I applied to. We met multiple times (virtually) to come up with the right choices of colleges and met to brainstorm and to choose the best ideas for application essays. Mr. Blechner inspired me to perform at school to my best ability and followed my academic performance through multiple meetings. The writing tutor edited with me all the application essays up to perfection. I got into my favorite colleges with the first round of early applications. I am lucky to have Mr. Blechner as a longtime supporter, tutor and college counselor.
Lucy G. (daughter of Eva G.) - Needham, MA (1/22/2021)
We engaged NLU to help our twins with the college discernment and application process. Todd and Susie made a very overwhelming and confusing process (times two!) more understandable and manageable for our entire family. Our twins really saw the benefit of NLU’s timeline to complete their college essays early over the summer when they realized they were done while all their friends were having to juggle school and essay writing at the same time in the fall.
As parents, we not only appreciated NLU’s perspective but also their willingness to get to know and work very personally with each of our twins on any challenge they individually faced during the entire process. Both Todd and Susie were available to meet when asked and very obviously invested in our twins’ process and success. Compared to other organizations we looked at with teams of people and higher price tags, we felt we got much more for our money –high-quality, personalized service and a steady hand through the storm. Thank you, Todd and Susie!
Diane R. - Northborough, MA (1/24/2022)
I found that working with Next Level Up really helped me thrive during the college application process. Todd and Susie both helped motivate me to endure this stressful time by setting helpful deadlines to ensure I completed everything I needed to and helped point me in the right direction by answering any questions I had about a school or a part of an application. I was so glad to have Next Level Up there to guide me through college applications; I was reminded that I was not alone in this process and that with some hard work, I could find success.
Steph R. (daughter of Diane R.) - Northborough, MA (3/1/22)
When I first started applying to colleges, I felt so overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin. Throughout the process, Mr.Blechner helped me find universities that were a good fit. The process was much less stressful knowing that my applications were not just complete, but stood out. I have received two decisions from my college applications so far and have been accepted and gotten scholarships towards both. I highly recommend Next Level Up College Admissions Counseling, as the staff is knowledgeable and passionate about their students' success and was there to guide me through the whole process.
Brett T. (2nd year transfer student) - Lunenburg, MA (2/4/2022)
Todd and his team were extremely helpful in navigating the college admissions process for our daughter. It can be such a difficult and stressful time as she had to figure out what area of study she wanted to focus on, what part of the country she wanted to live in and ultimately which university would help foster her future goals. He helped her think through these tough decisions, considering her strengths and ambitions to narrow down her list of schools and strategically plan out her approach to gain an acceptance at her top ranked school. He was always available and I could tell that my daughter immediately felt comfortable and supported by Todd. We are proud to say that with Todd's careful guidance and continuous reviews, our daughter was beyond thrilled when she learned she got into her top choice. She hasn't stopped beaming since she got the news, even though she realizes the tough work is yet to come. I am grateful for their guidance and partnership to help my daughter achieve entry into her dream school.
Julie R.- Needham, MA (1/5/2023)
We signed up with Next Level Up after being recommended by some friends to seek out College Admissions counseling. This was the best decision for us! Todd helped my daughter with all aspects of applying to school. Starting with a comprehensive list of schools that met her requests of location, opportunities, amenities and her desired major. Together they decided which schools she would apply to. He provided his best assessment of her possibility of getting into these schools. He created a timeline and worked with her to meet those deadlines, gave feedback for her essay and helped answer questions about college requirements. Overall, we are very satisfied with the service he provided. We didn’t have any family arguments throughout the process, and I always had a place to turn when we had questions. Because of her hard work over her high school career and Todd’s guidance she had many schools to choose from that accepted her!
Ellen M. - Shrewsbury, MA (1/22/23)
Last year, when I began looking at colleges to apply to, the idea was a bit overwhelming. My parents found Next Level Up to help make the process easier. I met with Todd in person sometimes and zoomed throughout the summer. It was nice to have someone look into colleges and give me a list of schools that had my major and a lot of the things I wanted. He also tried to help me have an open mind about where to apply because you don’t know where you might get in so it’s important to look at some places that are outside of your list. It was helpful to have someone set a schedule for me to stick to while applying and he was in contact with my parents about making plans to visit some of my top choice schools, this way everyone just worked together to make it all happen. I found it very difficult to write the college essay, but Todd was good at reminding me and giving me someone to answer to so that eventually I got it written. I’m thankful to have this process behind me and excited to attend my #1 choice school next year!
Lilya M. - daughter of Ellen M. - Shrewsbury, MA (1/22/23)
I worked with Todd through my college application process from March 2022 through January 2023. He was incredibly helpful throughout the whole college process. Todd took the time to get to know me as a person to make sure that I was applying to the schools that would best fit me and my goals. I appreciated how he worked with me to improve my writing while keeping my voice at the forefront of all of my supplementals, especially in my common application essay. I am especially grateful for the time he took to reread my essays every time we met to edit and revise them with a fresh set of eyes to make them as perfect as possible and portray the best parts of me in all of my applications. Aside from the physical writing and working on my applications, we spent lots of time weighing my options and discussing each school. This helped me see what I could get from each of them and their programs to better understand where all the schools could take me in the future. Overall, Todd made this stressful process as smooth as possible and helped me sort out all my options to put me in the best situation moving forward.
Ally F. - Sterling, MA (2/20/23)
The college application process was so much less painful with the help of Todd and the Next Level Up team when compared with the experience with my older children! Todd evaluated my daughter’s results and listened to her goals, as well as considered my expectations, and came up with a realistic and detailed plan. He paid attention to the timeline and reminded us about to do tasks and deadlines. Todd generated a detailed Excel sheet with a list of schools that were right for her: safety; reach; and match colleges. This master sheet included key factors, such as deadlines, tuition fees and school rankings. He reviewed my daughter’s school grades and activities and helped with the essays. Exactly what we needed! Thanks to his follow-ups and pep talks, for my daughter it was more of an inspiring educational experience, not just the application's process.
Eva G. - Needham, MA (1/5/2021)
Mr. Blechner relieved me from a lot of stress about colleges. His optimistic approach really helped; I am so happy that he supported me. Without him, I would not have known about some of my preferred colleges that I applied to. We met multiple times (virtually) to come up with the right choices of colleges and met to brainstorm and to choose the best ideas for application essays. Mr. Blechner inspired me to perform at school to my best ability and followed my academic performance through multiple meetings. The writing tutor edited with me all the application essays up to perfection. I got into my favorite colleges with the first round of early applications. I am lucky to have Mr. Blechner as a longtime supporter, tutor and college counselor.
Lucy G. (daughter of Eva G.) - Needham, MA (1/22/2021)
We engaged NLU to help our twins with the college discernment and application process. Todd and Susie made a very overwhelming and confusing process (times two!) more understandable and manageable for our entire family. Our twins really saw the benefit of NLU’s timeline to complete their college essays early over the summer when they realized they were done while all their friends were having to juggle school and essay writing at the same time in the fall.
As parents, we not only appreciated NLU’s perspective but also their willingness to get to know and work very personally with each of our twins on any challenge they individually faced during the entire process. Both Todd and Susie were available to meet when asked and very obviously invested in our twins’ process and success. Compared to other organizations we looked at with teams of people and higher price tags, we felt we got much more for our money –high-quality, personalized service and a steady hand through the storm. Thank you, Todd and Susie!
Diane R. - Northborough, MA (1/24/2022)
I found that working with Next Level Up really helped me thrive during the college application process. Todd and Susie both helped motivate me to endure this stressful time by setting helpful deadlines to ensure I completed everything I needed to and helped point me in the right direction by answering any questions I had about a school or a part of an application. I was so glad to have Next Level Up there to guide me through college applications; I was reminded that I was not alone in this process and that with some hard work, I could find success.
Steph R. (daughter of Diane R.) - Northborough, MA (3/1/22)
When I first started applying to colleges, I felt so overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin. Throughout the process, Mr.Blechner helped me find universities that were a good fit. The process was much less stressful knowing that my applications were not just complete, but stood out. I have received two decisions from my college applications so far and have been accepted and gotten scholarships towards both. I highly recommend Next Level Up College Admissions Counseling, as the staff is knowledgeable and passionate about their students' success and was there to guide me through the whole process.
Brett T. (2nd year transfer student) - Lunenburg, MA (2/4/2022)
Todd and his team were extremely helpful in navigating the college admissions process for our daughter. It can be such a difficult and stressful time as she had to figure out what area of study she wanted to focus on, what part of the country she wanted to live in and ultimately which university would help foster her future goals. He helped her think through these tough decisions, considering her strengths and ambitions to narrow down her list of schools and strategically plan out her approach to gain an acceptance at her top ranked school. He was always available and I could tell that my daughter immediately felt comfortable and supported by Todd. We are proud to say that with Todd's careful guidance and continuous reviews, our daughter was beyond thrilled when she learned she got into her top choice. She hasn't stopped beaming since she got the news, even though she realizes the tough work is yet to come. I am grateful for their guidance and partnership to help my daughter achieve entry into her dream school.
Julie R.- Needham, MA (1/5/2023)
We signed up with Next Level Up after being recommended by some friends to seek out College Admissions counseling. This was the best decision for us! Todd helped my daughter with all aspects of applying to school. Starting with a comprehensive list of schools that met her requests of location, opportunities, amenities and her desired major. Together they decided which schools she would apply to. He provided his best assessment of her possibility of getting into these schools. He created a timeline and worked with her to meet those deadlines, gave feedback for her essay and helped answer questions about college requirements. Overall, we are very satisfied with the service he provided. We didn’t have any family arguments throughout the process, and I always had a place to turn when we had questions. Because of her hard work over her high school career and Todd’s guidance she had many schools to choose from that accepted her!
Ellen M. - Shrewsbury, MA (1/22/23)
Last year, when I began looking at colleges to apply to, the idea was a bit overwhelming. My parents found Next Level Up to help make the process easier. I met with Todd in person sometimes and zoomed throughout the summer. It was nice to have someone look into colleges and give me a list of schools that had my major and a lot of the things I wanted. He also tried to help me have an open mind about where to apply because you don’t know where you might get in so it’s important to look at some places that are outside of your list. It was helpful to have someone set a schedule for me to stick to while applying and he was in contact with my parents about making plans to visit some of my top choice schools, this way everyone just worked together to make it all happen. I found it very difficult to write the college essay, but Todd was good at reminding me and giving me someone to answer to so that eventually I got it written. I’m thankful to have this process behind me and excited to attend my #1 choice school next year!
Lilya M. - daughter of Ellen M. - Shrewsbury, MA (1/22/23)
I worked with Todd through my college application process from March 2022 through January 2023. He was incredibly helpful throughout the whole college process. Todd took the time to get to know me as a person to make sure that I was applying to the schools that would best fit me and my goals. I appreciated how he worked with me to improve my writing while keeping my voice at the forefront of all of my supplementals, especially in my common application essay. I am especially grateful for the time he took to reread my essays every time we met to edit and revise them with a fresh set of eyes to make them as perfect as possible and portray the best parts of me in all of my applications. Aside from the physical writing and working on my applications, we spent lots of time weighing my options and discussing each school. This helped me see what I could get from each of them and their programs to better understand where all the schools could take me in the future. Overall, Todd made this stressful process as smooth as possible and helped me sort out all my options to put me in the best situation moving forward.
Ally F. - Sterling, MA (2/20/23)
Our experts.
We have a wonderful team to help your child find their best fit. It starts with our in-house guidance counselor, admissions expert, and Naviance pro: Susie Eriole. Susie has been working in the guidance department at Shrewsbury High School in Shrewsbury, MA for the last decade and a half. She knows the ins and outs of the college application process, and connects great with high school students.
Susie Eriole M.Ed.
Hi students and families! I have been working in School Counseling and Guidance for 17 years now. Throughout my experience, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and perspective to share with you, and can help you navigate the various aspects of the college application process. As a member of the Massachusetts School Counselor Association (MASCA) and the New England Association of College Admissions Counselors (NEACAC), I am up to date and current on all application and admissions trends. I currently serve as the Advanced Placement Coordinator at my high school, and understand the nuances of AP exams and working with the College Board. My favorite things include a nice cup of tea, reading a good book, walking my dog, and helping you take the stress out of the application process. I am excited to help you!
Hi students and families! I have been working in School Counseling and Guidance for 17 years now. Throughout my experience, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and perspective to share with you, and can help you navigate the various aspects of the college application process. As a member of the Massachusetts School Counselor Association (MASCA) and the New England Association of College Admissions Counselors (NEACAC), I am up to date and current on all application and admissions trends. I currently serve as the Advanced Placement Coordinator at my high school, and understand the nuances of AP exams and working with the College Board. My favorite things include a nice cup of tea, reading a good book, walking my dog, and helping you take the stress out of the application process. I am excited to help you!
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Our service.
Depending upon the age of your child, our services may include:
- Initial meeting and assessment of student’s abilities, interests, and goals
- High school record review - communication with HS guidance counselor - Entrance exam review
- Utilization of Naviance & SCORE
- EXPERT assistance with ALL essay writing requirements
- Recommendations and goal setting:
High School Curriculum/Course of study/Major
Entrance exam testing strategy, timeline, optional? - Score choice
Tutoring support & testing prep
Athletic recruiting strategy and timeline
Fine Arts portfolio
Extracurricular activities - Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4
Internships and paid employment
College visits
Learning challenges - IEP, 504
Interview prep, mock interviews
Guidance and direction for financial aid and scholarships
- List of best fit colleges
- Application assistance
- Virtual meetings and correspondence throughout the process
- Polishing of student profile
- Guidance from acceptance/deferral/rejection/wait list through to final decision
Next Level Up provides an easily personalized, comprehensive list in a spreadsheet form that makes it simple for students and parents to compare and contrast your chosen schools based on more than 35 requirements, facts, opportunities, features, and other important decision making factors:
- Application deadlines
- Common App?
- Public or Private, date established
- Location, nearest big city, climate
- Undergrad student population
- Cost - tuition, fees, room and board
- Schools and Majors known for and offered
- Interview - optional, required, not available?
- Dorm, Food, and Safety Rating
- High School Course Requirements
- Average GPA
- Demonstrated Interest Factor
- Acceptance Rate
- Graduation Rate
- Test Optional?
- SAT/ACT Average Scores
- Study Abroad Opportunities
- Internship and Research Opportunities
- Student to Faculty Ratio
- Percentage of classes that have 20 or fewer students
- Division 1 notable sports teams?
- Academic Support Center
- Career Services
- Type of campus, size of campus
- Driving distance from your home, Can first year students have a car on campus?
- Types of on campus residences, Are first year students required to live on campus?
- On site health and pharmacy services, banking services
- On campus recreation centers, number of club/intramural sports teams
- Number of student run clubs and organizations on campus
- Greek life
- Student job opportunities
- Current endowment
...and others.
This list of decision factors continues to grow. When you receive your personalized list, it will have all relevant information pertaining to each specific student and their schools, with up to date information, deadlines, and decision factors.