With Starboard Advising, you will receive guidance and structure to help chart a clear course to college.Balika Haakanson, Independent College Consultant, is excited to help families tackle the college admissions process. Individualized assistance BEFORE it is crises/ go time. Serving North East Seattle in-person and online, rural Alaska (online), and many places in-between! Services can be hourly and as-needed (just help with the essay or help making a college list) or the more holistic early intervention Compass package (8th-10th grades) & giving the student skills to complete college application season independently, and ensuring the family is on the same page.Hiring a college consultant is a way to offload some of the stress of high school and to quiet the noise that sometimes makes junior and senior year so overwhelming. Similar to how the starboard light on boats helps you navigate, so will an independent college counselor help steer families in the direction they are meant to go.After graduating (St. Andrews University in Scotland), Balika headed back to her home island of Kodiak, where she taught gifted education for 12 years and helped middle and high school students dig deep, figure out what drives them, and where they might flourish after high school.Balika moved to Seattle in 2013 where she teaches middle school science and works with families on weekends and evenings. Her goal as an independent college advisor? To use her years of experience with adolescents to make the college application process an empowering process.Balika truly enjoys the college admissions process, has always read deeply and analyzed institutional data, and feels a calling to help guide students and families towards making the best college decisions for their families.

Services

**Middle School/ Early High School Starboard Compass Family 4 part private workshop Coming in 2027- $1000FROM EARLY ACTION TO INDEPENDENCE:
START EARLY & STEER CONFIDENTLYMost families feel overwhelmed by too many college options, unsure how to balance dreams with financial reality, confused about where to start and who should be doing what when.
We replace uncertainty with clarity, alignment, and a plan. This is what I would have wanted, looking back, before my kids hit application season.By the end of this process, families will have:
• A clear definition of “best fit” for your child.
• A balanced, student-built and advisor-guided college list to build upon.
• A realistic understanding of costs and financial strategy, plus a strategy for understanding financial best fit for your family.
• A structured application timeline and understanding of how to navigate application season independently.
• A more confident, independent student who understands what to do and when.
• A calmer, more aligned family dynamic with mapped out strategies for navigating emotions and decisions during college application season.Perfect for families who:
• Want to start early and be intentional and want their student to take ownership of the process
• Value both financial clarity and student well-being
• Don’t need/ want expensive college advising services junior & senior years, just a little kick-start!My Signature Framework is focused around 4 key points in a series of private sessions.Session 1: Alignment (family meeting)
• We begin by aligning family expectations around values/ fit, finances, and college goals while building an understanding of student needs and family financial parameters. Together, we define what “best fit” means to guide every decision moving forward. Aligning expectations early prevents conflict later.Session 2: Student Exploration/ Self-Discovery (student meeting)
• This student-centered session helps clarify strengths, interests, and future possibilities in a low-pressure, exploratory environment. The goal is to build confidence and translate self-understanding into clear college preferences. Builds student ownership (critical for motivation).Session 3: Build the Strategy (student meeting)
• Students learn a structured approach to researching colleges and building a balanced, realistic list. By the end, they will have a working draft that reflects both personal fit and financial considerations. Teaches a repeatable skill for sorting and prioritizing.Session 4: Execute with Confidence (family meeting)
• We bring the family back together to review the college list, align on application strategy, and clarify roles for the coming years. This session provides a clear roadmap (via an exit binder)—including timelines and financial planning—to reduce stress and support student success in coming years.Follow up: Upon conclusion of compass package workshops, families can sign up to receive email reminders about key dates and reminders. There will also be options to re-engage with hourly or more comprehensive support closer to college application season, if needed, but the goal is self-sufficiency and independence!

Single Guiding Light $175/ hour. First two hours will be $125/each
Are you pretty set on all things college-related, and maybe just need help on one or two things? Contact Balika Haakanson to receive hourly help. Topics may include:
Deciding upon and drafting the essay
Editing/ polishing the essay
Reviewing resume and advising about making candidate more competitive
FAFSA assistance/ Financial consult
Help me get started on my college list
General fielding of questions at any point in the process!
To allow us to get to know each other and to familiarize myself with your situation, the first two hours will be billed at $125/ hour.

Reviews and Testimonials
"We cannot express enough how grateful we are to you for helping A. through this time. It is incredible how stressful senior year is, finishing applications, keeping up with schoolwork and activities, working on this essay. You took such a load off of us and A. and made our level of worry go down quite a bit. For this, we are eternally grateful." (Parent after 4 hours of hourly work that started with an idea and a couple rough drafts and ended with a beautiful essay!)