Our Educational Philosophy:

We believe in supporting every student to achieve at their highest potential. We put the student first, centering and balancing the student’s needs – academic, personal, professional, and financial – in every educational endeavor. If ever we cannot do that, we will refer you to someone who can.

 

Ethical Principles and Practices: 

Cowan-Tsai Advising provides tutoring, test preparation, and admissions services consistent with the ethical principles laid out by the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

 

Academic Tutoring: We will not write a student's papers or complete a student's assignments for them. We will help them discover how to do it themselves, and we will give them the support and tools they need, but their work must be their own. Additionally, it is the student's responsibility to know the terms of their institution's Honor Code and what is -- and is not -- acceptable help on any given assignment.

 

Test Prep: We will not take a student's exam for them, nor will we provide them with answers to any official administration of an admissions test. We will, however, teach them how to take the test and the content they need to know to succeed.

 

Admissions Advising: We will not write a student's admissions essays for them or allow them to submit an application that contains any false representations of themselves or their experiences. We cannot guarantee admission to any particular school, but we will help the student put forth the strongest application possible at every school to which they choose to apply.

 

Student and Parent/Guardian Expectations:

Because all work must ultimately be the student’s and no one else’s, the student is expected to complete their assigned work themselves in a timely fashion, meeting all deadlines set by Cowan-Tsai Advising. Failure to meet these deadlines may result in an inability to submit assignments or applications that advance the student’s interests. Cowan-Tsai Advising cannot be held responsible for negative outcomes stemming from a documented failure to meet deadlines.

 

Because all work must ultimately be the student’s and no one else’s, parents/guardians will not participate in student sessions with Cowan-Tsai Advising unless invited to do so by both the student and the educational consultant. Parents/Guardians are always welcome to reach out to consultants or to management with their questions, comments, and concerns, and in the case of minor students, consultants will update parents/guardians regularly throughout their work with the student.

 

Because all work must ultimately be the student’s and no one else’s, the student and the parents/guardians are expected to disclose the identity and qualifications of anyone else besides the Cowan-Tsai Advising consultant who is working with the student on any endeavors with which Cowan-Tsai Advising has been retained to help. Cowan-Tsai Advising cannot be held responsible for negative outcomes stemming from advice or assistance given by other parties.

 

Materials, Billing, and Cancellations:

Students may require specific materials for their work with Cowan-Tsai Advising. Our consultants will offer clients the option of purchasing those materials themselves or of having us arrange for them to be sent to the student. In the latter instance, the cost of these materials (and shipping) will be included in our invoice to the client. In the event that the consultant requires any highly specialized material for their work with the student (such as a particular edition of a textbook not commonly available), Cowan-Tsai Advising may request that the client be invoiced for the cost of these materials. Such instances will always be cleared in writing with the client before any purchase is made or invoice issued.

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Invoices will be sent to the email address on file after each session. Each invoice will be dated with a 10-day deadline unless other terms have been specifically previously established, but the invoice must also be paid before the next scheduled session. Payment can be made through the invoice via Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover or via ACH -- if a different method of payment is preferred, please make a request in writing to info@cowantsaiadvising.com as soon as possible to avoid delays in scheduling while payment is still pending.

 

If a client misses a scheduled meeting or cancels a scheduled meeting with less than 24 hours' notice, we will charge for 100% of the scheduled session. If a Cowan-Tsai Advising educational consultant misses a scheduled meeting or cancels a scheduled meeting with less than 24 hours’ notice, the rescheduled session will be provided at no cost to the client.

 

The rates quoted at the outset of Cowan-Tsai Advising’s relationship with an individual student will be honored for the duration of that school year. Clients will be notified before any rate changes occur.

 

Because we cannot under any circumstances guarantee a grade, test result, or admissions outcome, prompt payment of our invoices is expected in all circumstances. Nor are we liable for circumstances beyond our control, such as interruptions to the student’s school year, cancelled test administrations, or institutional closures. Any client who is unable to pay an invoice should contact Cowan-Tsai Advising immediately for payment/reconciliation options.

 

End of Service:

Any party to this at-will agreement may terminate service in writing at any time; however, fees for services rendered in good faith up to that point will still be due.

 

Any violation of these terms is grounds for Cowan-Tsai Advising to terminate service. Equally, any transgressions of moral turpitude on the part of the clients – student or parents/guardians/financially responsible adults – constitute grounds for Cowan-Tsai Advising to terminate service.