Answers by Alex Bennett.Describe your business. Did you find it, or did it find you?
Aria guides high school students into their perfect college. We assist from start to finish—from SAT/ACT prep and essay writing to finding scholarship money and making the final decision. Unique to Aria is our proprietary college database—custom software that can search among thousands of colleges to find the perfect fit for prospective students. While working as a tutor with Chris’ other company (Tutoring Rocks), he and I decided that if we wanted to work together long into the future, we were going to start a college planning company.
How are you involved with both the community and your customer?
Our true purpose is to ensure that students attend the absolute perfect college for them. Because of the thousands of schools out there, we do everything we can to set students up for success. We also plan to host College Information Nights where parents and students of all ages can come and learn more about the college application process for free. We want the community to be educated about what it takes to get into college!
What life accomplishments are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of Aria’s first successful year! My heart skipped a beat every time one of my students texted me letting me know that they had received another acceptance letter. When all was said and done—and Aria helped 10 students receive over 40 acceptance letters and over $500,000 in scholarships—I knew we had done something noteworthy.
What’s your favorite place to eat out locally?
I think I eat at Sizzling Fresh Mongolian BBQ a minimum of three times per week.
And finally, customer service is…?
The cornerstone of Aria College Planning.
