Building Your Game Plan
Strategic, Personal Guidance from Discovery to Decision.
Every athletic journey is different, but every athlete benefits from a clear plan. We work with families to navigate recruiting and admissions together, because for student-athletes, the two can't be separated. Wherever your athlete is in the journey, we'll meet them there and help them make the most of the time they have.
Freshman & Sophomore Year
Discovery & Goal Setting
We start by getting to know your athlete: their sport, their academic profile, their goals, and their timeline. Together, we build a realistic and ambitious picture of what playing in college could look like for them.
Sophomore & Junior Year
Building the Foundation
We help your athlete build the tools they need to enter the recruiting process with confidence: their recruiting resume, highlight reel strategy, online profiles, and initial coach outreach plan.
Junior Year
Entering the Recruiting Process
This is where strategy meets action. We guide your athlete through communicating with coaches, understanding recruiting rules and timelines, evaluating program fit, and making the most of campus visits.
Junior & Senior Year
The College Application
Recruiting and the college application process happen simultaneously, and managing both is one of the biggest challenges student-athletes face. We keep your athlete organized, on track, and presenting their best self to both coaches and admissions offices.
Senior Year
The Decision
When offers and acceptances arrive, we help your family evaluate every option (athletically, academically, and financially) so your athlete chooses the school that fits them best, not just the first one that shows interest.
A Note for Middle School Families
If your athlete is in middle school and already showing exceptional promise, you're in a great position, and you're asking exactly the right questions. While the formal recruiting process is still a few years away, there are meaningful steps families can take now to build the right foundation. We work with a select number of middle school families each year to help them get ahead of the process thoughtfully and strategically.
Starting early gives student-athletes the most time and the most options. Wherever your athlete is in this journey, we can help. If you're coming to us in junior or senior year, we'll focus on what matters most right now and build the most effective strategy for the time you have.
What Makes Us Different
Most college counselors know the admissions process. Most recruiting services know athletics. At The Paratum Scholars, we know both, and we understand that for student-athletes, the two are inseparable.
We Speak Your Language
Chuck brings firsthand experience as a coach and Assistant Athletic Director, roles that gave him a deep understanding of what college programs are looking for, how recruiting decisions are made, and what it truly takes to compete at the next level. That experience is backed by a Master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University's Center for Sport Leadership, one of the few graduate programs in the country dedicated exclusively to the intersection of athletics and leadership.
We Know the Admissions Side, Too
At The Paratum Scholars, we bring nine years of college admissions experience (including the review of over 20,000 applications and more than 30,000 college essays), giving us a clear understanding of what admissions officers are looking for and how student-athletes can present themselves most effectively. That experience also means we know how to guide student-athletes in telling their athletic story in a way that truly resonates, helping them go beyond the surface and craft applications that reflect the depth of character, resilience, and leadership that their sport has helped them develop.
We're Built for Busy Athletes
Our advising process is flexible, organized, and designed to keep the college process moving even during the busiest seasons.
We Develop the Whole Athlete
True preparation for college goes beyond recruiting and applications. Through the Highlands Ability Battery (HAB), we help student-athletes understand their natural strengths, so they can choose not just the right program to play for, but the right academic and career path for life after sport. And as a certified facilitator of the ELI Entrepreneurial Mindset Program, we help athletes build on the resilience, discipline, and competitive drive they've already developed, channeling those traits into the creativity, problem-solving skills, and ownership mentality they'll need to thrive in college, in their careers, and in life beyond sport.
What Families Say
Additional student-athlete-specific testimonials coming soon. Existing general testimonials are shown below in the meantime.
“The guidance I received through The Paratum Scholars helped me turn my experiences into compelling stories that strengthened my college applications. I was accepted to UCLA and UC Berkeley and received multiple full-ride scholarship offers from private universities like Davidson College.”
“The Paratum Scholars provided thoughtful, strategic guidance throughout my college application process. Their support helped me identify my strengths, stay organized through every deadline, and gain admission to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in my intended major.”
“Working with The Paratum Scholars during my college application process made a stressful time much more manageable. With their support, I was accepted to the University of Washington.”
Move Forward With Clarity and Confidence
Access the Playbook: our comprehensive month-by-month guide for college-bound student-athletes (middle school through senior year).
You will also be able to access past expert webinars, plus planning checklists, NCAA eligibility resources, and our full library of family guides. Two decades of college counseling experience, given to your family at no cost.