Featured Advisor - College Planning Advice from Sylvia

Education continues to be a way of life for Silvia, who has successfully helped many families navigate the college admissions process as well as private and boarding school admissions both in the US and abroad.  With children at Swarthmore and Penn Medical School, Silvia has navigated many academic pathways, and her children attended many different kinds of schools: public gifted and talented programs, magnet schools and top private high schools in New York City.  

Versed: When did you start thinking about college for your kids?

Silvia: I’m from a family that deeply values learning and education. I started talking about college with my kids pretty early, in about 4th or 5th grade.

Versed: What did the educational / extracurricular journey look like for your kids in grade school?

Silvia: I believe in child-led learning and I exposed my kids to as many opportunities and life experiences as possible. We moved internationally for my job, so my children got to live on four different continents and become global citizens. Since the arts are a major passion of my family, we spent most of our free time on weekends at museums around the world. It was a wonderful adventure. Over time, my kids also did a mixture of homeschooling, online learning (EPGY) and traditional school at both public gifted magnet schools and private schools.

Both my kids are passionate about sports. Each chose a sport (swimming, table tennis, soccer) that they selected and practiced exclusively. Both kids say that sports gave a structure to their schedules, forced them to focus on being organized so they could compete and stay up to date with their busy academic schedules and their friends, and gave them confidence.

All of that said, I also believe that my children benefited from helping others (including helping out with family responsibilities). My kids started volunteering in the community at an early age: they worked at a center for kids with Down Syndrome; read to blind children at the local library; and tutored students with autism spectrum disorders. Later on, they even encouraged their friends to volunteer with them, and then started community service clubs at their respective schools. I think these experiences empowered them to be who they are today and made a difference in their career choices.

Versed: How did you determine what was interesting to your kids?

Silvia: I simply exposed them to various environments and activities, and I let them discover what interested them. Each child selected his/her own journey and I followed: my main function was to initiate and introduce. I think it is critical that we, as parents, introduce our kids to all possible experiences, share our views and guide, not lead, our kids through the process, and eventually our kids will find their calling.

Versed: How did your parenting change in regards to your children’s education/extracurricular journey as they entered middle school? 

Silvia: Both of my kids have different learning issues. I knew from very early on in their educations that they would have significant struggles on the way to higher education. In middle school, having consistency and a sound work ethic was the key for us. I got my kids accommodations at school to help support them, and I taught them to speak up when they needed help. I also helped the kids with their executive skills so they could be less stressed and reach their potential. Although the kids had learning differences, they were comfortable in their own skin and always said, "Mom, can I try again?".

Versed: After graduating from Tufts, your son is now studying to be a surgeon at Penn Med (Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania), and your daughter is at Swarthmore College and planning to go to med school to be a pediatric psychiatrist.

How was the college admissions process for your son/daughter? 

Silvia: Each child had their own experience with drastic differences. The college counselors at both my kids’ schools were very skeptical about them and didn’t seem to think they would be competitive applicants for top college. Quite honestly, I think they didn’t understand that kids with learning differences could be high achievers. We met once with each counselor and never went back. Against the advice of the schools, we did the entire college application process on our own, and my kids got into their first choices.  

Versed: Your kids are both STEM majors. What activities did they do in high school to support these interests?

My son did independent research for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, worked with disabled kids, shadowed doctors, and tutored all his high school friends in physics. He also loved table tennis and soccer, and still plays soccer in medical school.

My daughter worked with disabled children, and shadowed doctors in different medical fields from dermatology to surgery. Even though she loved science, she also loved photography, editing, and swimming on her high school team.

Versed: What resources were most helpful to you and your kids when they were going through the college application process?  

Silvia: The most important resource was a supportive test prep center, especially because we didn’t work with the schools’ college counselors. Both kids did test prep on weekends at a test prep center in Flushing (NY) called “Elite Academy.” This place became our second home because it was so supportive of our family and delivered solid results. 

Versed: Can you share with us one of your takeaways from this whole experience?

Silvia: Never give up on your child, never.  Listen to your inner voice as a parent and follow your gut feelings. Do your own research. Definitely talk to professionals, but make sure you do what you think is best for your own child even if the professionals don’t necessarily agree.

See Silvia's profile here.

If you are interested in speaking with Silvia, or one of our other Advisors, you can start with a free introductory consultation here.

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