First-year college students know their life is about to change, but generally have little experience upon which to base expectations for their new life. They crave freedom and differentiation from…

Joanna Lilley recently interviewed Focus Collegiate founder Grant Leibersberger on her popular podcast, Success is Subjective. Joanna is a therapeutic consultant and head of Lilley Consulting specializing in supporting young adults…

A smooth transition to college is not just about the college student. Adjusting to college life can also be challenging for the parents. On one hand our hearts break to…

Some students go to college knowing exactly what they want to do. But most don’t. Faced with a continuously growing number of choices, students must select their academic major from…

“Mindset” has made its way into our vernacular. It is the subject of popular podcasts, self-help books, and Google searches. Mindset is the concept that our beliefs about our capabilities…

After making such a concentrated effort writing your essays, getting letters of recommendation, and applying to colleges, there are few things more exciting than reading the acceptance letter to your…

Now that you’ve completed your first semester of college, you know first-hand that success doesn’t happen automatically. It takes determination, hard work, and especially planning. Self-advocacy and good planning in…

There is no simple answer to the question, “How many classes should I take each semester?” The number you take depends upon several factors beyond your aptitude and the course…

Tell me about yourself.I am a very busy student at Lesley University. I live in an apartment with my girlfriend and our cat, Stormy. I will be graduating in May…

Lynne Mooney Teta  Lynne Mooney Teta is an Ed. D and an adjunct faculty at Boston College where she works in school leadership. She is also the proud mom of…

The term college readiness often tops Google trends just as rising high school seniors contemplate their next step. Most of us understand the general concept of preparedness for post-secondary education, but…

We are thrilled to announce that Geoff Anstatt has joined the Focus Collegiate team as our Summer Cohort Learning Specialist and Guest Lecturer. Geoff’s work with us represents an exciting new partnership…

College is a huge step forward in your journey to independence. The accommodations and IEPs you relied upon in high school are about to disappear. Now is the time to…

Ann-Marie is a connector who sees the potential in others. Her superpower is building relationships. In the context of Focus Collegiate, that means connecting students who learn differently and their…

We are delighted to report the success of our Summer Cohort! During this extraordinary time, we achieved a simultaneous in-person and virtual four-week program in one of the most resilient cities in the…

Pattern disruption has long been a recognized method for creating positive change. The Socrates character in Dan Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior puts it this way: “You have many…

Self-advocacy is the key to getting accommodations in college. In high school, most students with learning differences are accustomed to having services come to them, in fact this approach in…

Resilience is the ability to adapt and thrive despite adversity. We all need it. The pandemic was a global demonstration of our need for resilience. Businesses and organizations that adapted…

As the fall semester approaches, our phones and video chats are busy. Parents want to know what distinguishes Focus Collegiate from other organizations that support college students who need extra…

We are pleased to welcome Shawna Graichen to Summer Cohort, our four-week college-readiness experience July 18-August 15. As Student Skills Specialists, Shawna’s focus is student self-care emphasizing essential life skills…

Comfortability starts with strong relationships. We foster them not just with our students, but with their families. From the moment a student signs up, they become part of our family….

Lockdown and distance learning are teaching us a fundamentally different way of having a relationship. Like our students, we’ve had to be flexible. Life online requires greater focus and diligence,…

There has been a great deal of focus on student transitions to distance learning but little on its impact on college professors and their effectiveness in an all-online course delivery…

A recent cartoon in the New Yorker depicts a man and woman sitting together at their kitchen table. The woman asks the man for clarification: “Are you talking about the…

Dear Community, We hope that you are well and adjusting to this viral reality. Here is an update on college life as we see it. Student Life The most important…

Colleges in Boston and around the United States suddenly shuttered, leaving every student in our community and everywhere else asking, ‘What Now?’   Student NeedsSuch a disruptive and radical routine change has…

Organizations, businesses, households, and individuals regroup and take stock each Spring. It’s a natural time to clear weeds and plant seeds. This clearing and planting are foundational to our organizational…

John Marinilli is our Collegiate Life Coordinator. He’s affable and light-hearted. It’s easy to see why he enjoys such good rapport with students. We caught up with him by phone…

The success of our organization is due to the excellence of our team. Because of them, we are able to bring success to those students who may not have not…

An integral part of the learning process is the opportunity to test our nascent theories about ourselves as they develop. Experimenting with new ideas and new behaviors and getting good…

“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who…

By now some of us have already broken our New Year’s resolutions. Like goals, New Year’s resolutions can generate feelings of obligation, i.e. “I ought to eat better,” and “I…

It’s that time of year when the airwaves and the ether are filled with good intentions for behavior in the season and in the new year. As the holidays loom,…

Thanksgiving is an excellent time for reflection and renewal. Learning comes about not only from doing, but from thinking about what we do. Reflecting on a student’s path through the…

The holidays are notoriously fraught with difficult conversations. Conversations about next semester, conversations about progress, choices, direction, expectations – the list goes on. Many of these conversations are bound to…

You may not have received your grade yet, but you do have a sinking suspicion that is growing into a panic. You have failed a midterm—or two. You are stressed,…

Simply put, our approach works. We use Appreciative Inquiry to facilitate lasting positive change in our students. “Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations,…

Psychologists Keith Stanovich and Richard West refer to two systems in the mind, System 1 and System 2. • System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort…

When our College Life Coordinators talk to students about following their dreams, they are not referring to rainbows and unicorns but to real, heart-felt student aspirations. The charge to pursue…

This is not something you will find on Spotify. Your Midterm survival playlist is more like the old Boy Scouts motto, “Be Prepared,” in which the scout is ready, willing,…

So many First Years in college feel like everything is happening all at once. This is what the internal dialogue might be like as you drag yourself out of bed…

“These are the best days of your life.” How many times have you heard this statement in reference to your college days? If you are like most new students (and…

We are happy to announce that we have partnered with the International Guest House to provide an alternative housing option for Focus Collegiate students. The International Guest House is an…

G.I. Joe was an action figure who, to placate parents, ended each of his 1980s cartoons with the PSA, “Now you know. And knowing is half the battle…” The PSA…

Do a Google search of the word “crisis” and you will find countless results. Okay, that’s not true. Google is counting. There are approximately 1,030,000,000 search results (and counting). Topping…

It sounds ominous, but interrupting college can be a good thing. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation lists poor preparation, not enough quality time with teachers and counselors, and a…

Most of us feel anxious or depressed at times, especially during times of significant life change like starting college. Given the number of stressors college introduces—especially within the first semester—it…

Educators and parents know that everything can impact academics—including a healthy social life. New studies show that academic performance can depend upon good social integration skills—skills which, for many First…

My best friend was “born in the first half of the last century.” He introduces himself this way as he proffers his hand to my son, a hipster college student,…

Remember the Freshman Five? The phrase refers to the pounds we gained during our first semester in college. For many of us, college was our first opportunity to eat unsupervised….

It’s college landing season. Social media is flooded with images of exuberant students unpacking their parents’ minivan. As one, we are caught up in energy and excitement about the future….

All of our programs are based upon student goals and student buy-in, without them, we and our students are nowhere. Because we know that the foundations of success are desire…

Good routines shape our lives. You start the coffee maker, walk to the mail box, grab the paper, recycle the ads, and get back into the kitchen just as the…

You’ve been accepted to college. You got the letter! You’re in. You’re going to the college of your dreams. It’s an incredible achievement. Congratulations. Now it’s time to do some…

Transition to College is Hard. If you have a Learning Difference, it can feel impossible. Until Now… That’s what Focus Collegiate is all about. We guide students with learning differences…