Class 101

Help Students Find Their Future

Each year, millions of students head off to U.S. colleges and universities, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Each one of those rising college freshmen is a potential Class 101 client!

College planning is a multi-year process. Between meeting application deadlines, visiting schools and securing scholarships, there is a lot to do. Class 101 works with all students from 8th to 12th grades, creating a predictable, recurring revenue model for our franchise owners. We take the pressure off the parents by offering one-on-one college planning and providing the individual support that their high school student needs (siblings too)!

What Are The Results?

The average Class 101 student applies to 6-8 schools and earns $201,000 in scholarships and financial aid, while the typical non-Class 101 student applies to 2-3 schools and earns only $20,000 in scholarships and aid. On average, Class 101 students improve their SAT score by 170 points and their ACT score by 3.1 points.

“High schools have guidance counselors, not college counselors. Guidance counselors are working with students on their classes, social skills and family issues such as divorce, which all take away from college preparatory time,” says Class 101 Founder and CEO Tom Pabin. “It’s a numbers problem. They don’t have enough time to work with these kids — the top 10 maybe — but the other kids don’t get looked at or they get treated casually. We all know that casualness causes casualties. It’s what people don’t know that ends up killing them on financial aid.”

At each session, we work with students on setting goals and ensuring they are meeting all critical deadlines — from scholarship applications to submitting financial aid forms. We take the stress of the college application process off of parents and become a trusted mentor to students who are often more likely to listen to the expert guidance of a Class 101 counselor than to Mom or Dad.

The Need

The demand for college planning will continue to rise. The average college tuition and fee bill is 24% higher in 2019-20 at public four-year institutions than it was in 2009-2010, and it’s 20.2% higher in the private four-year sector, according to the College Board.

Class 101 is a simple, but highly effective, business model. “In year one of opening a business, we aim for 100 client referrals a year, with a goal of just 40 to 50 students,” says Tom Pabin, Brand President & CEO of Class 101.

The Offering

It doesn’t take long for word to spread among high school students about the great results that come from working with a Class 101 counselor. After a free initial consultation at the Class 101 office, our counselors meet one-on-one with college-bound students every 2-5 weeks, typically after school or on weekends, depending on the time of year and the grade level of the student. Parents are not present at the individual counseling sessions, although we are in constant communication with them about their child’s progress.

The 10 Services We Offer:

1. Developing a College List
2. Visiting Colleges
3. Improving Grades
4. ACT / SAT / PSAT Test Prep
5. Upgrading Your Resume
6. Crafting College Essays
7. Managing Applications and Deadlines
8. Exploring Scholarship Opportunities
9. Pursuing Financial Aid (FAFSA)
10. Transitioning to College

But it’s not just about getting into college, it’s about helping students find their future.

This Could Be You

The ideal Class 101 owner has a passion for working with young people and a heart for helping families save time and money during the college application process. They have a background in business or education, whether as a small business owner, an educator, a guidance counselor, or other similar work experience.

Other helpful attributes of a Class 101 franchise owner include:

• Communication Skills ‐ As a Class 101 franchisee, you will be conducting seminars and communicating with students, parents, educators, and other business owners. We are looking for someone with strong speaking skills who can simplify the often confusing process of college planning.
• Business Acumen ‐ A Class 101 franchisee needs to be business-minded. Ideally, we are looking for someone who can manage a business effectively and successfully.
• Impeccable Organization ‐ Keeping track of client schedules, deadlines and other critical data requires someone with excellent organizational skills.
• Patience and A Heart for Teens ‐ Having the patience to work with teens to set goals and make positive, incremental changes is a plus. At the core of everything we do is a passion for helping young people find their future.

Ready to help students find their future? Learn more at class101franchise.com.