I started my company, My College Planning Team (MCPT), in 2014 because — like many of you, I’m sure — I saw middle-income families struggling to pay for college and how very little high school counselors knew about financial aid and college financial planning. (How could they? They have so much on their plates already.)
I thought I could do well by doing good — and we have. Over these years we have served families and launched hundreds of students on their college careers.
Now, at 84, I’ve determined that it’s time for me to sell MCPT and (finally!) retire. This is an opportunity for a financial advisor who also sees a huge need among their clients: grandparents and parents with high school-age children who are staring at the prospect of paying for college like deer in headlights.
Yes, it’s a business, but it’s also a mission — one that I (and my team of 40 academic, financial aid and financial planning experts) find immensely gratifying. If you are seeking a new business opportunity, it could be a great fit for a number of reasons.
What We Do
MCPT is among the few college planning companies in the U.S. that regularly host workshops at public high schools and libraries.
We’re able to offer these complimentary workshops because many members of our team come from the nonprofit sector, with backgrounds as college financial aid directors and academic counselors. In addition, all of the speakers have been published and have gotten a high percentage of the audience to request a complimentary personal college planning session.
We are in the top 10% of all competitors in our major markets in our Google authority ranking. This will give a new owner, who is willing to keep investing in SEO, a head start on landing on page one in Google searches. This should set the stage for them to succeed in attracting users to the website.
MCPT is scheduling more than 75 workshops for Fall 2025. A third (25) of these workshops will be at high schools and 50 at libraries in our major markets. We fully expect these workshops to collectively produce 1,000 or more attendees.
And you do not need to be a college planning or financial aid expert.
Who Helps
Our greatest asset is our team. Their bios and published articles in high profile and relevant publications draw the attention of families seeking assistance on their college journey. When a client has a need for college planning, you’ll be able to connect them with a variety of experts — from financial aid to essay writing, test preparation, and services for students with disabilities.
Our venue partners are also our marketing partners: The libraries and high schools market the workshops, which can be in person or virtual. We empower them and have them send out email invitations, which will have a better open rate coming from them than from us.
Though we started in the Chicago area, MCPT’s market now includes (besides Illinois) Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Through virtual workshops, we can do business elsewhere. If our new owner, for example, is based in Texas, we will help them establish a market in their area.
Though the company is more or less a turnkey operation, the team and I will be available to assist during the transition period.
To Learn More
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can help your clients on their child’s or grandchild’s college journey while expanding your business into a new area, you can visit this website for additional information, or contact me directly at jack.schacht@collegeplanningteam.com.
Jack Schact, founder and CEO of My College Planning Team, has over 40 years in marketing, management, career development and business leadership. His first business, Career Counselors, launched the careers of hundreds of college graduates at major companies throughout the Chicago area.
