-- Advanced College Planning (ACP), a Connecticut-based college planning organization founded in 1992, is commemorating more than three decades of helping families navigate the interconnected decisions of college selection, admissions, financial aid, and funding. As college costs continue to shape higher education choices, ACP continues to guide students and parents through a coordinated planning process designed to help them identify the right college at a more affordable price while supporting their long-term financial goals.
The idea for ACP grew from the experience of founders David and Leslie Martin. While building careers in financial services, they saw families receiving detailed retirement-planning guidance but very little coordinated support for answering another important question: “How are we going to pay for college?”
Today, ACP combines admissions counseling, academic planning, financial planning, and long-term mentorship under one coordinated process. Students receive guidance with applications, essays, interviews, and standardized test preparation, while credentialed financial planners work with parents to evaluate funding options before completing forms such as the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and IDOC. The goal is to help families understand grants and scholarships that generally do not need to be repaid, along with other available resources, while protecting broader financial priorities such as retirement.
President Jeffrey Bliss says his own college search reinforced the importance of evaluating more than cost alone. He chose the University of Connecticut because it appeared to offer the best financial value, but later recognized that factors such as class size, learning environment, internship opportunities, and overall campus fit deserved greater consideration. That experience continues to shape his work with students and families today.
“A college can look like the best value on paper and still be the wrong environment for the student,” Bliss says. “Our work is about connecting academic fit, personal fit, and financial fit before a family makes one of its largest financial decisions.”
ACP’s mentorship model begins as early as a student’s freshman year of high school and can continue through college graduation, providing continuity throughout the planning process. By encouraging families to start early, the organization helps students prepare for admissions milestones while giving parents time to evaluate funding strategies without unnecessary pressure. Bliss explains, “The best part of my job is working with the next generation of college students, providing a valuable resource I wish I’d had when I was going through the admissions process.”
The organization reports that participating families have secured an additional $25,000 to $40,000 per student per year in documented grants, scholarships, and institutional discounts, amounts significantly higher than what students typically receive when applying without professional guidance. For the high school Class of 2022, whose students graduated in 2026, ACP documented more than $3 million in additional gift aid earned through strategic negotiation and appeals for increased financial aid.
These figures represent actual dollars saved over students’ full four‑year college careers at the institutions they ultimately attended and graduated from. Families interested in understanding how ACP calculates, verifies, and documents these award totals are encouraged to explore this during an individual consultation, where the organization explains its methodology and demonstrates the economic value it creates.
Over more than three decades, ACP has continued to guide students toward right-fit colleges while helping parents understand how college expenses fit within their broader financial plans. By coordinating admissions planning with funding strategies, the organization seeks to make one of life’s most significant investments more manageable and better aligned with each student’s educational goals.
Connecticut families with middle school or high school students can request a college planning consultation with Advanced College Planning through its website to learn more about its comprehensive approach to college admissions and funding planning.
Contact Info:
Name: Jeffrey Bliss
Email: Send Email
Organization: Advanced College Planning
Website: https://www.advancedcollegeplanning.net/
Release ID: 89197932
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