About Us
Due to the increasing numbers of students applying to college, complicated entrance requirements, and a higher student to counselor ratio in the schools, many students find themselves frustrated and unprepared to apply for college. At Higher Applications our goal is to provide students with the resources and information needed to develop a successful application. We help students identify their own educational opportunities. Our affordable services give students the tools to manage their own college search and application process.
Jayne and family Shan and family
Company History
Established in 2004, Higher Applications represents a unique service filling an important need for high school students in Orange County, California. Founders Shan Schumacher and Jayne Ruane share over 35 years experience in the fields of college counseling, marketing, retail, fundraising and management. They combined their expertise in planning, creative problem solving, management, and organization to found a company that helps students manage the college application process.
Hands-on-experience working with students led Higher Applications to the realization that for many the difficulty of the college application process was in accessing, evaluating and organizing the vast amounts of information available. “We knew free and low-cost information was out there, it just seemed so overwhelming to students and their families. We also noticed that once the student began the application process they became bogged down in paper and deadlines,” states Schumacher. The solution seemed to be an organization system to keep information accessible. Additionally, students needed to learn how to identify their own college priorities and understand available research techniques to find the college that was the right fit for them. Most importantly, HA wanted to empower students and families to manage the application process themselves, and yes, keep the service affordable.
Both Schumacher and Ruane are graduates of the College Counseling Certificate program from the University of California, San Diego, are members of the Western Association of College Counselors, Higher Education Counseling Association and have an extensive professional network. Ruane holds a MBA from UCLA, and Shan is currently pursuing her Masters at CSF both Schumacher and Ruane are graduates of University of California, Irvine. They spend exorbitant amounts of time visiting campuses, researching and evaluating college websites, published materials, and newspaper articles, to provide the best and most up-to-date resources to their clients.
“We understand how overwhelming the process can seem. We wanted to make it easier.”
Who we work with...
What Kind of Students Need the Services of Higher Applications?
Freshman and sophomore students who want to make sure they keep all of their college options open by understanding academic and testing requirements. They want to organize their school and volunteer activities to be prepared to complete college applications. They want to be thinking ahead to the kind of colleges they might consider and be assured that they create the goals that will help them get there.
Juniors who want to begin a well organized college search and develop an organizational system for their college applications.
Students who want to identify their top college criteria, and identify and research colleges that meet their criteria. Juniors who want help setting up timelines to meet important deadlines. Students who want help finding resources to assist them with their applications and need help setting up an organizational system to keep track of college information.
Seniors who need help organizing their information to complete college applications. They need to quickly access their academic and testing plans to make sure they’ve completed requirements. They need to be directed to resources that can help them immediately and don’t have time to research. They need help identifying colleges and quickly assess information. Most public and private college application deadlines are in November or January. Students waiting until their senior year to begin college planning need help to meet these deadlines.
Customer Testimonials
Dear Shan,
Thank you so much for all of the help you have given to London with her college applications. Your insight and advice has been invaluable so far. Not only have you helped open up London's thoughts to more schools than she was aware of, but you have also helped her prepare correctly for the process. We would never have known there were so many financial aid options if it were not for the work you've done. Believe me, we're telling all of our friends (with kids a year younger) about the work you are doing. So, you should have some more clients coming your way.
Once again, thank you for the great job you've done and we'll let you know when London is graduating from college because you will have been a big reason she did so.
Sincerely,
Kevin O'Donnell
Dear Grown-up,
If you are reading this letter, you are probably considering the use of Higher Applications to help you and your student through the time-consuming, pricey, maddening and yet strangely exhilarating process that is the college application system.
Here’s what I recommend you do right now: put down this letter, get Jayne or Shan on the phone and sign ‘em up. In my experience, it will be the best call you make on your prospective college student’s behalf.
You want proof? Good. I have plenty to give.
My oldest child and I were fortunate to be among Higher Applications’ first customers. When Jayne and Shan first met with us, my daughter had already composed a rough list of the schools she wanted to explore. Her list was based on teacher and peer recommendations, a fair amount of soul-searching and scans of some of the numerous college guides on the market (or, as they were known at our house, The Big Books of College Fun). It was the first step in a sometimes arduous but ultimately rewarding journey, and we’re very grateful that Jayne and Shan provided the road map.
As you may already know, Higher Applications is not your typical college guidance service. They’re not going to write your kids’ application essays (note to moms: neither should you!), they’re not going to tote them around on campus visits and they’re not going to place wheedling calls to admissions counselors or the gods of financial aid.
However, Higher Applications will provide you with invaluable services. Their student- and parent-friendly workbox system will help your applicant hone organizational and planning skills, allowing them to take ownership of the process within the safety of an easy-to-follow structure.
Think of them as coaches for the college-bound. Your student’s strengths are unique, and the effort he or she puts into them is largely evidenced through their grades and test scores, and the records of their accomplishments and challenges. Meanwhile, if you’re like me, you probably think every college on the planet should throw open their gates to your budding scholar, no questions asked. This may lead you to be a tiny bit, uh, overzealous in your guidance of your child at this critical juncture. Add to this volatile brew the fact that college admissions departments have their own agendas as they strive to create the perfect mix of students (witness the dreaded thin envelope in your mailbox), and you have a situation ripe for family discord and disappointment.
In our case, the story had a happy ending. After countless late nights crafting essays, procuring letters of recommendations, filling out applications and keeping on top of deadlines using the Higher Applications workbox, our daughter was rewarded this spring with acceptances from many of her top choice schools (see, I told you it was exhilarating). She’s selected a school that she believes is a very good fit, and we are all looking forward to watching her take these next important steps in her young life, steps she made possible with the help and encouragement of Higher Applications.
Happy trails…
Corinne Flocken