College Admissions Advising
Powered by Scholar Co. and informed by over two decades in secondary education, Nikki Vivion offers expert college admissions guidance to students in grades 8-12.
Rising/current seniors:
Now is the time to ensure your college list is both aspirational and achievable. With so much to already manage at school, Nikki can help you keep track of application deadlines and will provide crucial feedback on essays and short answer responses.
Students in grades 8-11:
Leverage the time you have to maximize your future college options and ensure you don't unknowingly miss an important opportunity. Nikki can assist with portfolio and narrative development as well as with careful scaffolding of high school courses.
Services Offered
Academic and standardized test planning
Take a strategic view with long-term course planning and careful scheduling of standardized tests. Develop an academic portfolio that showcases your achievements over time.
Narrative building and college list development
Telling your authentic story may feel like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be! Careful crafting of your narrative also helps inform strategic major selection and an appropriately balanced list.
Application support
Be more effective and efficient throughout the application process by implementing helpful guidance and expert feedback. You don't need to navigate the Common App or school-specific supplements alone!
About Nikki
Nikki Vivion brings over two decades of experience working with students in middle and high school to her advising work as a Powered by Scholar Co. admissions consultant. Nikki earned B.S. degrees in general biology and sociocultural anthropology at UCLA, where she also minored in women’s studies and was selected to the Mortar Board Honor Society. Nikki later earned her Master’s in Public Health also from UCLA, majoring in community health sciences with a concentration in sociocultural aspects of health.
Nikki began her career in education as a science teacher and quickly discovered a passion for curricular design. She created, taught, and authored materials for courses such as The Genetics of Cancer, A Sustainable World, and Do People Choose Their Own Health? to science students at select independent schools in Los Angeles and New York City. Beyond teaching, Nikki has coached, advised, and mentored students in various capacities, including advanced science research, academic planning, and executive functioning support.
A true systems thinker, Nikki brings an integrated approach to college admissions that helps simplify and demystify the process for students and families, from early-stage strategic planning to the management and execution of the application. Patient and empathic, she enjoys empowering students to recognize their unique talents and distill their authentic story to find individual success in the application process.
Customer reviews
Daniel K.
"I honestly received the best service I could have asked for. They were super professional to deal with; they met all my needs and helped me a lot."
Ron H.
"The entire experience was so easy and friendly, and the price was very reasonable. I don't know what I would have done without them."
James F.
"I can't say enough good things about the quality of this company. Highly, highly recommend using them!"
Powered by Scholar Co.
Mission Statement
Powered by Scholar Co. (PBSC) recognizes the power of the relationship, and specifically that families want to work with college advisors who will connect, listen, support, and adapt. Parents want to partner with a professional who not only understands their child’s school and regional community and the complexity of the admissions process, but also genuinely cares about their child’s growth and success. This observation drives our partnerships with regional experts like Nikki Vivion, who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education and has cultivated deep ties in her community.
The Scholar Co. brand focuses on empowering students to open the doors to a lifetime of opportunity. Driven by our passion for education and for helping young people develop and leverage their skills and interests, we:
- support students in defining and articulating their goals;
- curate an individualized roadmap so that each student can work toward long-term objectives authentically and incrementally; and
- provide both strategic planning and nuts-and-bolts guidance to demystify the college application process.
The Scholar Co. model is
scale-to-fit,
flexible,
reflective, and
adaptable. These values allow us to pair individuality with universalism. At its core, this model recognizes that:
- each student is a distinct individual with deeply personal needs, aspirations, and strengths; and
- certain aspects of the admission process are broadly applicable.
With roots in relationships and community, Scholar Co.’s growth was a manifestation of its impact. Whether raving about the skills their student developed, the decrease of tension in the household through the oft-fraught application process, the preparedness achieved through early high school, or the results themselves, parents saw the power of our method and passed along our name. Indeed, despite all the benefits of modern technology, there are just some questions that Google cannot answer, namely: Who is right for my child? Who will understand the needs, priorities, values, and constraints facing my family?
Nikki embodies the Powered by Scholar Co. mission, offering students and families the best of both worlds. With strong relationships in her community, she is backed by the power of a highly effective model, the collective expertise of a deeply experienced team, and the proprietary tools and materials that ensure she stays current and knowledgeable. These skills, attributes, and resources are reflected in the lifelong impact Nikki makes on the people she serves.
