Meet Your Neighbor: Laura Ciccone, Educational Advisor

FEATURED PHOTO CREDIT: Cathy Padilla

After twenty years in the corporate world, Laura leveraged her teaching and mentoring skills to open Class 101 Monmouth County in Hazlet to help families and students navigate the college admissions process. Laura is passionate about helping high school students find their future, and shared information and tips about college planning and applications.

CM: How does Class 101 help students and families?

Laura Ciccone (LC): Simple – we make college planning simple! We are the first comprehensive college planner in our region.The admission process has become so complex it is hard to know WHERE and WHEN to start. As a mom to a high school-aged child, I know how time consuming and frustrating the process can be. As parents, we do not want to be nagging our kids for three to four years to keep on top of planning for college. At Class 101, we work with students 1:1 to connect all the dots and make the process enjoyable for families – no nagging involved!

CM: What are students/parents most surprised to learn about the college admission process?

LC: For parents, it is how much has changed. Back in the day, we started the process at the end of junior year/beginning of senior year, received all communication via US mail, either hand wrote or typed our application, applied to a couple of schools and visited those schools maybe once before accepting. Today, students apply to an average of six to ten colleges, write anywhere from one to fifteen essays, and visit their top colleges two to three times. For students, it is how many colleges are actually out there. I spend many months with my students helping them find which of the 4000 colleges are a good fit for them.

CM: What is the benefit of working with Class 101 during the college planning process?

LC: For 23 years, Class 101 has been providing personalized, 1:1 services to help students and families navigate everything from identifying a college major to developing a college list to the presentation of their college applications. Our expertise and passion have helped more than 6,500 students attend over 400 colleges and universities, and earn more than $482 million in scholarships!! We are here to manage and guide you through the process, so your family can spend time together on what really matters.

CM: When should students start planning activities for college?

LC: Ideally freshman year. I know, kids are just learning how high school works! But your college application is a summary of ALL your high school years, not just junior year. Freshman and sophomore years are all about laying the foundation. I frequently get calls from juniors in January, asking what they need to be doing before applications open in August. It is hard to go back in time to create a good foundation. <h5″>CM: With the current pandemic, how has college planning changed? LC: Unfortunately, the Class of 2020 is taking the brunt of pandemic impact. We are seeing many recent graduates decide to attend college closer to home, either community colleges or state schools, than originally planned. For the Class of 2021 and those thereafter, not much has changed – we continue to help them find the right college fit – academically, personally and financially.

CM: Favorite quote?

LC: “Do something today your future self will thank you for.”

CM: What one tip should readers remember about the college application process?

LC: Early engagement in the process is a game changer! When it comes to maximizing college and scholarship opportunities, the earlier the better.

CM: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

LC: I love to travel but definitely do not do it as often as I would like right now. Work and kids keep me busy at the moment. When I am not working you will usually either find me on one of the many east coast soccer fields watching my daughter play, or entertaining family and friends in our backyard.