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about
We empower students to identify their unique college fit and thereby flourish in their college and career goals. We do this through:
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our Apex Philosophy
Our philosophy places the student as a hiker and Apex as their guide. The mountain we tackle is the incredible journey from high school to college, with all its questions and uncertainties. This monumental edifice stands between the student and their college career, but never fear - it is surmountable with dedication and expert guidance! Sadly, many overloaded high school counselors lack the time for in-depth and individualized college counseling, and we get it: That's why Apex College Services maintains a limited student-to-coach ratio to ensure ample time and attention for each and every student. Here is what you can expect when working with Apex:
We begin our mountain ascent with a personalized, well-crafted roadmap based on the student's individual wants, needs, and goals. This roadmap will lead us to the ideal college fit, and is accomplished by determining the unique personality, values and strengths of each student. Together, student and guide will examine these identifiers along with academic accomplishments and extracurricular involvement to better understand what kind of college will provide the best fit. Now at the summit, students will observe the vast panorama of possibilities for college and career.
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From this vantage point, some routes to the student's goal will appear clear while others may be more obscure. Apex College Services exists to guide the student through the fog toward their ideal destination. With expertise covering colleges and universities across the United States and abroad, Apex will curate a personalized list of colleges that meet student and family priorities. Big or small campus? In-state or out of state? Private or public? These are just a few of the myriad factors the Apex guide has discerned on the ascent and which inform the custom college list. Before heading down the mountain, students will research and narrow their list and visit many college campuses to inform their decision.
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Beginning the descent with their top schools and a clear path forward, Apex will direct the student in the best way to target admission at their desired college(s). This is accomplished by hands-on coaching: due dates and deadlines will be established, applications will be reviewed and revised, essays drafted and polished, and student resume and interview skills honed. By the end, students are positioned for optimal success in the college admissions process.
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Safely down the mountain, families can rest assured that all possible avenues to college admission were thoroughly explored and students will have confidence knowing that they are supplying their most competitive application package. Once acceptance letters are received, the Apex guide will help students compare award letters, weigh the pros and cons of each school, and submit their confirmation to their college of choice. From here, all that remains is to start planning for freshman year!
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Name
Apex College Services derives its name from the great Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The word "apex" is a term for a mountain peak and for an experience second-to-none, which is exactly what we strive to deliver to each student and family
meet the founder
Chad Van Soest earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. The first 4 years of his career were spent as an Admissions Counselor for Point Loma, where he learned the ins and outs of the college admissions process. His Master’s in Education with an Emphasis in Counseling ultimately led him to Valor Christian High School, a private, college-prep high school in Denver, Colorado, where he spent 10 years counseling students in the academic and college categories. He is a vetted professional member of the IECA, which exists to maintain the ethics and standards of the educational consulting industry, and RMACAC, a collaborative network of admissions professionals in the Rocky Mountain region. In addition to this, Chad is a certified college essay coach through WOW essay workshop. Since the beginning, Chad has continued to travel the country and other parts of the world, attending conferences and visiting colleges, all with the goal of gathering information to pass on to students and their families. His dedication to visiting colleges first-hand was realized in 2022-2023, when he traveled the country, lived in a camper, and visited 160 colleges.
Outside of work, Chad serves on the Alumni Board for Point Loma and has led high school students on multiple service trips around the globe. He is an avid hiker, and has summited 22 of the 58 fourteen-thousand-foot peaks in Colorado. He has visited the base camp at Mt. Everest in Tibet, and summited Kilimanjaro in 2023. In addition to hiking, Chad enjoys fishing, birding, storm chasing, playing fetch with his yellow lab, Sunny, and most of all, spending time with his lovely wife, Britt.
