Another family had a list of colleges their high school guidance counselor suggested but were not a fit, nor did the student have a good chance at them due to his spotty transcript (he had everything from A's to even a D). I revamped his target schools and suggested places he hadn't considered, including Pepperdine. We worked on countless drafts of essays and threw away anything that didn't work. He is now in a dorm room overlooking the ocean on a full scholarship.