Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Khia Thomas.
Dr. Thomas, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Admissionisms is an extension of what I’ve been doing my entire life. I was the kid whose face was always in a book, so it’s no surprise that reading and learning is my jam. These days I’m applying these skills to help young people sort through a dizzying array of college options and navigate the college application process.
Growing up, good grades were non-negotiable, according to my family of educators. In my transition to high school, I was accepted to Stanton College Preparatory School, at that time the only college prep magnet school in the Jacksonville, Florida school district. College preparation was infused in every aspect of the curriculum – I mean, down to our vocabulary words in English class – and it propelled me on a path to earn a full-ride academic scholarship to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).
I’ve earned quite a few honors over the years, but ironically, it would be a series of failures that would set the stage for my business pursuits. Very early on, and partly due to few faces that looked like mine in textbooks, I set out to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology. I had no idea what earning a Ph.D. entailed, except that I had always (nearly) excelled in school, so with the proper motivation in place, how difficult could this be?
As it turned out, it was much trickier than I anticipated. I fell flat on my face the first two times that I applied to Ph.D. programs. I’m talking rejection letter after rejection letter – despite maintaining an A- GPA and pretty good GRE test scores. There were many tears shed, but ultimately, learning from my mistakes would enable me to get it very right – to the tune of multiple acceptance letters – and admission to one of most highly-regarded psychology Ph.D. programs in the nation at the University of Michigan.
I thanked my lucky stars, tucked away my embarrassment, and simply moved on with my life. Years later, I stood in front of a classroom at Broward College and confessed my entire failure-before-success story. That moment of vulnerability inspired a former student, my first unofficial client, to reach out for help with her grad school applications. Intuitively, I looked at her materials and zeroed in on how she could better emphasize her strengths to truly stand out from other applicants. Several months later, she was rewarded with an acceptance letter to a doctorate of physical therapy program.
As an educator, it was easy to see the gaps – places where students would fall in the cracks – due to myths, misconceptions, or general lack of know-how when it comes to navigating to and through college. I was also aware of a shortage of accessible school counselors to supply one-on-one help to students in places where they got “stuck.” At first, I shook my head, thinking that things should be different. It was a complete mindset shift when I adopted the role of using my 20+ years of experience in higher education to make sure things were different for college-bound students. This was when Admissionisms was born.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think anyone can describe starting and sustaining a business as easy. I grappled a lot with my changing professional identity. Was it possible to be an academic and a business owner? After all, what in the world did I know about running a business? What would people think? What if I failed?
I quieted these fears and jumped in with both feet. I would never know if it was possible if I did not try. I had to lay claim to entrepreneurship, let people know about my business, and put myself out there. I dreamed up and created events, not knowing if a single person would show up. Show up, they did. As for all of the wasted “what would people think” energy, nearly everyone has rallied around in support.
Being a solopreneur and starting a business as a “side hustle” with plans to grow over time is tough. I clock out of my 9-to-5 and clock into a second work shift – this time, working on realizing this new dream of mine. I work primarily with high school students and meet according to their busy schedules, which means many of my evenings, weekends, and free time are booked. There are many invites to social gatherings that I have to pass on, particularly during the busy season, and I’m still working on striking a balance with building in self-care to my schedule. However, this is the crazy life I chose and I would not have it any other way.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Admissionisms story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m often asked what Admissionisms means. An -ism is a system or philosophy, and in this case, I’m asserting that there’s a better, different way to do the college preparation and application process. It does not have to be unduly stressful or overwhelming, as is the case for many students and families, particularly who are going it alone, without much support from schools or anywhere else.
I work students as early as 9th or 10th grade to begin laying down the foundation in applying to college. With an early start and strategic guidance, we systematically research college options, begin identifying career interests and issue recommendations to improve chances of being admitted to colleges of choice. When Senior year of high school rolls around, students have already assembled a foundation toward creating truly exceptional college applications.
What I am most proud of is seeing students blossom through this process. The college application process is an important rite of passage to adulthood. I see my students transform from unsure of themselves, full of anxiety and nervous energy, to owning their unique strengths. I feel privileged that my clients come to know and trust me. There is something incredibly energizing in hearing an enthusiastic, “Thanks, I don’t know how I would have done this without you” or to receive a “OMG! I got in!!!!” text on a random Wednesday afternoon. (And I love to send back dancing GIFs – I am truly just as excited as they are).
I absolutely love the work that I’m doing. I love the impact that I’m having. And I would not trade it for the world.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Oooh, good question. College Admissions Gate blew wide open in 2019 when several high-profile businesspeople and celebrities, including Felicity Huffman of Desperate Houswives and Lori Laughlin of Full House, were busted and indicted on charges of paying exorbitant amount of money to have their children admitted to colleges they otherwise would not have gotten into.
This national story will impact the field for years to come. First, it brought attention to the fact that there are professionals that help students through the application process. Many people had no idea that you could hire someone to assist with the college application process. Instead, they were frustrated and struggling alone or getting overwhelmed by the lack of specific information on the Internet. A good college admissions consultant can help sort through and synthesize this information in a way that’s tailored to the specifics needs of your student.
However, this scandal was a double-edged sword because the consultants involved were completely unethical. There is no college admission consultant worth their salt who will coordinate bribes or other unethical means of giving unfair advantages. To my knowledge, none of the consultants involved had taken steps to earn any certificates, credentials, attend conferences, or were affiliated with professional organizations who do vet and uphold ethical practices in college admission consulting.
More people are aware of the good work that a proper college admissions consultant can do, and accordingly, will seek out someone with solid professional integrity. They will turn to organizations like the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) or Higher Educational Consultants Association (HECA), who properly vet professionals in this field. In the future, I believe that more parents will seek out the types of services that we offer as colleges continue to adapt and change their admissions practices, policies, and procedures year over year.
Pricing:
- Hourly Consultation Sessions: Start at $125/hour
- Blueprint Session (an overall assessment of academic and extracurricular profile, career interests, college choices and affordability, and college admissions landscape with the goal of crafting a signature application plan). Starts at $350
- Ready, Set, Apply Comprehensive Packages (our college planning curriculum and one-on-one application support spanning across 11th and 12th grades): Start at $1650
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.admissionisms.com
- Phone: 305-928-3042
- Email: hello@admissionisms.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/admissionisms
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/admisisonisms
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khia-thomas-phd/
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