College Counseling for Neurodivergent, Gifted and 2e Students
College planning begins with knowing the student: their interests, how they learn, and what they want from the years ahead.
Knowing the individual
Start with the student.
I'm Tali Levy, and I work with gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent students, including students who are still figuring out what interests them. I am very familiar with neurodivergence, ADHD, anxiety, dysgraphia, and dyslexia. A student does not need to have a college goal or a future major settled before we begin.
Twice-exceptional, often shortened to 2e, describes a student who is gifted and also has a disability. The National Association for Gifted Children's glossary explains the term. It describes one part of a student; our work begins with getting to know the whole person.
This is educational counseling for the high-school college process. The starting point is an honest conversation about where your student is, what they want, and whether I am the right person to work with them. My background and the principles behind the practice may help you decide what you would like to ask.
Planning and communication
A plan built from where you are.
We can begin in ninth grade or later in high school. The planning connects courses, activities, and application timing to the student's interests and stage. The comprehensive relationship gives us room to keep those decisions in context as high school unfolds.
Check-ins are quarterly in ninth and tenth grade, become more frequent as junior year approaches, and intensify through senior year. Between meetings, students and families can reach me by email, text, or a scheduled call. Questions are part of the relationship, and I do not count or restrict hours.
College fit
What would make a college right for you?
A college's name does not tell us whether it will fit the student. The college-list work begins with the person applying and the kind of future they are considering. Understanding how they learn and what they want matters to that conversation.
My aim is for students to become more self-aware and more confident about owning the process. We keep expectations honest and grounded, with attention to the life beyond college as well as the next four years. The Philosophy page describes how fit guides those decisions.
Essays and applications
The student's work, in the student's voice.
Essay guidance helps the student develop their own work. I read every essay myself, and my writing editor supports the process, but the words belong to the student. We do not write the essays for them or manufacture a version of them for an application.
You can read more about essay development and the other parts of the comprehensive package on Services.
Parent questions
Room for an honest conversation.
- My student does not know what they want yet. Can we start?
- Yes. Students who are still figuring it out are part of the practice. They need to be willing to be honest and do their own work; they do not need to arrive with all the answers.
- How will I be involved as a parent?
- Parents are partners, and the student owns the work. What a student tells me stays private unless they give permission to share it. Read more about the parent's role and family communication.
- Is this a separate specialty package?
- It is the same comprehensive college-counseling package for grades 9 through 12. We talk on the introductory call about your student's starting point and whether the relationship is a good fit.
- Can we work with you outside the Bay Area?
- Yes, subject to my capacity. I work virtually with families across the United States. Read more about the virtual relationship.
Begin with your questions.
A free 30-minute introductory conversation gives us a chance to talk about your student and whether working together makes sense. Email me directly to arrange a time.
Talk About Your Student