Empowering Your College Dreams
We Will Be Closing Our Doors in 2026 – Read Here
How We Can Help
Academic Advising
We help you choose classes for the remainder of high school to meet requirements of the most selective schools of interest to the student.
Understanding College Financial Aid and Scholarships
Building a College List
Deciding which colleges to apply to requires self-knowledge and conversations with an expert to help you figure out best-fit options. More about creating a list of colleges!
Focusing Extracurricular Activities
Focus and deepen your energies on school and summer activities around things you care about. Arts Portfolios, Athletic Profiles, and student-built websites highlighting interests can add depth to your application.
Developing an Application Timeline and Organizing System
Essay & Resume Writing
GPAs and test scores don’t tell colleges much about you. Essays are where colleges come to understand who you are and why you want to join their community. We can help you.
Meetings & Events
Essay Boot Camp registration is CLOSED for our July 17 12:30 PM to 4 PM session to be held in Hidden Springs
Camp will be limited to 10 students
Location: Cartwright Ranch Clubhouse- 11515 North Cartwright Road, Boise ID
Scholarships available; please indicate you’d like to discuss this when you fill out the form below. If you’re working with one of our advisors on a contract basis, this camp is included in your fee.
Free Virtual Zoom or In Person Meetings
We offer in-person and Virtual Zoom Meetings to help students.
April To Do List
Seniors: As a rising senior, now is the time to commit to college before Decision Day, May 1 2025.
Juniors: Rising juniors should try and visit a few colleges: especially check out in-state options like BSU, U of Idaho, and College of Idaho!
All students: Live Drop-In Centers are closed for summer, but you can still sign up for free Zoom sessions.
Student Testimonials
Step Ahead gave me the tools and support I needed to succeed in the college admission process. My advisor made a process that is typically grueling and stressful much easier and more manageable. With her help I was able to find the colleges that matched me as a student and individual. She helped me speak in the language of college applications, write from my heart, and avoid cliches. With regular meetings, deadline reminders, personal help navigating some of the difficult forms and webpages, and essay edits, I showed my best self to the schools I was passionate about, and found (and got admitted to!) the college that makes me incredibly excited for the next chapter of my life.
The single most important thing Step Ahead Idaho did for me was bringing to my attention the idea of “meet need” schools. While not being a school I ended up attending, discovering the existence of these types of universities made me take a longer look at the money I was looking to spend and ultimately guided me away from those that had less bang for their buck.
I will be forever grateful to the open, friendly, and knowledgeable ladies at Step Ahead. The college application process can feel totally overwhelming at times, so it was so nice to have experts who knew what they were doing giving me encouragement and keeping me on track. Step Ahead was the first to introduce me to the idea of “meet-need schools”, which allowed me to widen the net of colleges I was looking at and prevented me from having to take out loans for an undergraduate education. I attended their summer essay boot camp, which is a must for any rising senior. They helped me with almost every part of the application process, and kept me motivated even when spring semester rolled around. Thank you, Step Ahead!
Resources
Preparing for a College Interview
Many colleges, especially the private ones, give students the opportunity to have an interview as part of their application process. These interviews can be on campus, in your hometown in person, or via Zoom. The interviewer might be a member of the admissions...
Thinking About Becoming a Doctor?
Choosing a College for Pre-Health Professions If you’re considering becoming a doctor, dentist, veterinarian, physician’s assistant, physical therapist, or other health profession requiring several years of graduate or professional training after college, there are...