Dawn Yackzan & David Masiel

The process of getting your kids ready for college is exciting, and anxiety-provoking, in equal measure. They passionately want to be accepted by their preferred school, and you want them to succeed.

But as parents, you are also worried about the money.

Dawn Yackzan and David Masiel, parents to two college-bound teens, were in this difficult situation. “Without Beatrice, we never could have made this happen.” Dawn, a part-time educator, is clear. “We are educators, so we are not in a high-income bracket. Emily would not have even applied to the schools she was really interested in, because we didn’t think we could afford private college for her.”

Her parents hated the idea that Emily, a stellar student, might not be able to apply to the schools she wanted.

Enter Beatrice and WCP

When Emily was a high school sophomore, Dawn spotted a flyer, inviting parents to a presentation by Westface College Planning on preparing for college costs.

“We were pretty worried about it, so I figured I ought to attend. I wasn’t the only one, I guess since the place was packed to overflowing with parents!”

Dawn remembers seeing a lot of depressed faces in the audience, and says, “In her presentation, Beatrice gave us some non-intuitive tips like, ‘don’t just pay off your mortgage.’” Most importantly, Dawn realized they needed to speak with Beatrice, ASAP. Dawn and David made an appointment, and Dawn says, “I was a bit concerned since we didn’t know anyone who had used her services, but she put us at ease right away.”

In that first meeting, Beatrice asked Dawn, Dave, and Emily a lot of questions and did a lot of listening. Dawn notes that Beatrice spent time getting to know Emily, what she wanted to do, which colleges she was interested in, and why. “It was clear to me that Beatrice cared about us and our needs, rather than just applying the same formula to every family.”

Dawn also points out, “Beatrice knows her field really well, and is able to translate it for the rest of us. She is also really patient and willing to repeat it since parents are only absorbing a small percentage each time.”

Personalized Tips and Strategies

Beatrice had lots of ideas and suggestions for Dawn and Dave, and for Emily. “But she didn’t push us into anything. She gave us the space to think about and discuss the financial strategies she was suggesting.” Beatrice was very patient, too. “She realizes that this is pretty much all new to us, and she is willing to explain things multiple times.”

Dawn was impressed by Beatrice’s deep knowledge of the application processes and the deadlines, including unwritten expectations from each specific school.

“These are the kinds of things that aren’t in any guide to applying for college and aren’t in the instructions from the individual colleges. But Beatrice knows dozens of these strategies for getting your application accepted.”

It was reassuring to have Beatrice helping with the entire application process, in addition to the financial element. Dawn says, “I would have been such a mess without Beatrice!”

With Beatrice You CAN Do This!

Dawn notes that Beatrice is not just a financial planner—she also acts like a counselor, and she really cares, and all of that comes through when you work with her.

“You can do this!” Dawn says. “Beatrice has been incredible at helping us fill out paperwork that is associated with college. We would have been lost or made mistakes and possibly missed deadlines. The process is confusing. She listens to what your child wants and makes great suggestions based on what she learns from your child.”