CO•LAB 1:1 · Rachel Abra Josephs
College Counselor · Educator · Mentor · 2001 – present
Not a service. A partnership. You bring who you are — your curiosity, your confusion, your ambition, your doubts — and we build the path together. The work is always yours. I'm just the one asking the questions that help you find it.
"In over 40 years in education, including 12 years as the head at one of our Nation's leading college preparatory schools, I have rarely seen Rachel's equal."
John F. Green — Head of Peddie School EmeritusAbout
I've been doing this work since 1995 — and doing it professionally since 2001. Not because it's a career path I chose, but because young people and their futures are what I was made for.
My independent practice started in New York City, where I worked with students across the full spectrum — kids at elite private girls' schools and Manhattan day schools, middle schoolers applying to top boarding schools on the East Coast, and high schoolers navigating the Ivy League process. At The School at Columbia (Teachers College's lab school), I supported 8th graders through the competitive NYC private high school application process. The NYC Department of Education commissioned me to write an arts curriculum for 300,000 students. I have been a lead teacher, a mentor teacher trainer, and a curriculum designer across subjects and age groups.
At TEAK Fellowship — where I spent 13 years, six part-time and seven full-time — I directed High School Placement, managing 30 students simultaneously through every application, school visit, and family conversation. Then I founded the Middle School Academy: a school where each student chose a deep area of passion and every subject was woven through that lens, with yoga, meditation, and research methodology built in from the start. Those kids went to Phillips Exeter, Choate, Andover — and eventually Princeton, Yale, and Columbia.
Over the years the work has grown to include graduate school, law school, PhD programs, and professional school applications. The stakes are different at every stage — the approach is the same: your story, told with precision and depth.
Now I'm on the Front Range of Colorado, doing the same work one family at a time. The approach has never changed: I meet you where you are, ask the questions no one else is asking, and stay with you until the work is done.
Work Together
Every student is different. These packages are starting points — we'll shape the work to what you actually need.
Most families add sessions during testing season — easy to do at the client rate
Best started September of junior year
Condensed but powerful — four months of focused preparation
Summer start strongly recommended
For students who have a plan but need the writing
The stakes are different. So is the work. Your story still has to land.
New or standalone sessions: $275/hour. Current clients adding sessions: $250/hour. Tutoring, academic coaching, homeschool curriculum support, and mentorship for middle and high schoolers all available. Sliding scale options exist for families who need them — reach out and we'll figure it out together.
How students describe Rachel — in their own words
In their words
"Rachel also taught me to challenge myself and take positive risks... It was Rachel who encouraged me to apply to boarding school. I ultimately attended Phillips Exeter, which led to the four most academically challenging but rewarding years of my life. After Exeter, I gained the confidence to apply to Princeton, study abroad in Italy and the UK, pursue a masters at Cambridge, and apply to law school at Yale."
"Rachel Josephs is what you get when you mix Mahatma Gandhi and dynamite. She's full of life and overflowing with selflessness — my North Star and the luminescent mentor of hundreds, if not thousands of people. Before Rachel, I was never treated like an individual, more like a collection of my problems."
"In over 40 years in education, including 12 years as the head at one of our Nation's leading college preparatory schools, I have rarely seen Rachel's equal."
"Rachel is more than just an exceptional educator and tutor. She is also a life coach for young people. The way she challenged our son to reflect on who he is and how he wanted to convey himself in his application was truly transformative and inspiring for us to watch as parents."
"Rachel made me dig deep. She took my initial ideas and made me go further — to make my essay portray a deeply personal story. She truly cares about her clients and wants the best for them. She will push you to be phenomenal while forming a connection with you along the way."
"With the amount of individualized attention I received, I often lost sight of the fact that Rachel was carrying out all of this work for 29 other students simultaneously. Rachel is one of the most dedicated and passionate educators I've ever met."
"Rach has been there as mentor, older sister and wise sage helping guide me through the pitfalls of not only college but life in general. Academically sound, Rachel has helped me bring to life, with structure, several writing assignments — including my college personal statement and senior thesis."
"Having worked with Rachel for 4 years, I was able to get into one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the world. When I first met Rachel, I was getting a mix of B's and C's. I am now getting all A's and B's and striving to get into an Ivy League college."
"Rachel was a thorough teacher, meeting my needs as a learner with different strategies to help me reach my academic potential. Outside of the classroom, Rachel was approachable, warm, and helpful. She could relate to my experiences as a student navigating independent schools and always created a friendly and inclusive environment. I trust her services wholeheartedly."
Connect
Every student's path is different. Reach out and tell me where you are — we'll figure out the rest together.
Phone
(720) 708-9684Location
Front Range, Colorado
Also available
Remote & nationwide