Robert Powers has guided 300+ students to their best-fit colleges over more than a decade. From freshman year through the final enrollment decision, College Torch families move through the process with real clarity, not anxiety.
I built College Torch because the families I was meeting weren't lost. They were paying attention. They cared deeply about their teen's future. What was missing was someone to sit down with them and build a real plan.
My students don't get generic timelines. They get a strategy built for where they actually are: their grades, their interests, their goals. We figure out together where they should be headed, and then I help them get there.
That's the whole job.
Robert Powers (M.A. Johns Hopkins) · Founder, College Torch · Sierra Madre, CA
Comprehensive, one-on-one counseling across the full college process. Robert gets to know your teen over time. The guidance gets more specific the longer you work together. College list, testing, essays, applications, and the final enrollment decision.
Learn about College Hero →Modular, task-specific services built around one part of the college process. Pick the sprint that covers what you need right now. Most families start with the MAP Sprint, a focused strategy session that produces six personalized planning documents and tells you exactly what your process should look like.
Three focused courses built from Robert's decade of experience: activities for the Common App, testing strategy, and the UC Personal Insight Questions. The same expertise as a direct session, at your own pace.
“Having Robert guide me through the college process turned an otherwise terrifying prospect into something completely manageable. When my results came out, I didn’t feel the stress my friends felt, because Robert had already helped me build a list of schools I’d be genuinely happy attending.”
Luminaries are college explorers. The students who thrive working with Robert tend to share a handful of qualities. If these sound like your teen, you’re in the right place.
They love learning, even if they love learning in their own way.
They’re searching for that amazing, just-right campus, and they’re open-minded about where it might be.
They’re different, and they’re allies to others who are different.
They motivate themselves. They don’t need someone to push them, they need someone to guide them.
They care about the world, its people, and its problems.
Part of building a strong college list is identifying schools positioned to offer meaningful merit aid. My students earn significant awards regularly. These are four examples from the Class of 2023 alone.
Merit aid opportunities like these come up for College Torch students regularly. It starts with building the right list.
Robert is one of a small number of college consultants in the country who specializes in the LGBTQ+ college search. He evaluates every campus using his 5 Ps framework: People, Places, Policies, Personal, and Pride. Schools that don’t meet the bar for genuine safety and affirmation don’t go on the list.
Many colleges market themselves as inclusive. Far fewer have actually built the culture, policies, and resources to back it up. For LGBTQ+ students, the difference between those two things matters enormously.
Whoever your teen is, they should be able to be themselves loudly on campus. Robert makes sure the list is full of schools where that’s actually true.
Free resource: 10 Red Flags on LGBTQ+ College Visits“On the night of the election, I suddenly felt terrified. It was the middle of application season, and I realized feeling safe in college as a gender nonbinary teen wasn’t a guarantee at all. Robert told me he had already been thinking about that possibility the entire time, and he knew the schools on my list were still going to be perfect for me. If I hadn’t found Robert, I might not feel as happy and safe on campus as I do now.”
“Robert was fantastic from day one. He has a well-thought-out plan that helps students get through the entire process: finding colleges that fit, writing essays, managing timelines, applying for financial aid, and making a final selection. Having Robert manage our son’s progress meant far less tension in our family. His services are worth every penny. We were so happy that we came back for our second son.”
“Robert genuinely cares. He spent time getting to know my son, helping him understand his strengths, and coaching him to develop personal statements that highlighted his uniqueness. I was very impressed with how Robert guided my son in evaluating college fit: not just academically, but culturally, so he’d be in an environment where he could truly thrive and grow.”
“Despite facing setbacks and enduring difficulties reflected in her grades, Robert kept her on track and skillfully guided her in weaving these experiences into her college essays and narrative. To my surprise, she received acceptances from institutions I never thought possible, including Northeastern, Babson, and many more.”
