Providing elite-level, in-school college counseling services to students in Greater Birmingham.
From his peacock-like hair and supreme wit to his unique skill set and relentless work ethic, Mr. Beverly has proven to be the perfect college counselor.
Beyond hearing my peers’ testimonials, prior to meeting him, I overheard assistant principals gushing about Mr. Bev, noting how he helped lead our 2018 seniors to achieving $17 million dollars in gift aid---an astronomical leap from my school’s $4-5 million historical average.
Upon directly working with him, I saw why Mr. Beverly’s students experienced so much success. He spearheaded numerous after-school workshops to aid students with their applications, some of which lasted past midnight (e.g., Questbridge). He also hosted 50+ individual college information sessions (compared to only the 8-10 feeder schools we’ve historically hosted), enhancing our access to college reps from all over the country.
More personally, Mr. Beverly spent countless hours on my college essays, often staying up past 3 AM on Google Docs. Furthermore, he coached me on the ACT, developed a study regimen around my entire schedule, and used his own money to buy me ACT prep guides. Consequently, I scored a 33. He apparently advocated for me supremely well, too, as my Yale admissions officer remembered me by name (@ orientation) and offered her own praise for Mr. Bev - calling him a “tremendous advocate”.
Outside of academics, Mr. Beverly was there for me emotionally and mentally, too. Whether it was lifting my spirits when I had a difficult time with my eldest brother or offering effective advice on improving my skin and hair’s health, Mr. Beverly is a jack-of-all trades.
Even more, I can say he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.
Yuriy D., Yale University
With no money or support from my community, I wasn’t sure if college was going to work out for me. But Mr. Beverly spent hours reading applications, writing letters, and editing essays to ensure that I would make it. With his support, I was accepted into some incredible programs (the Columbia School of Engineering as well as the Macaulay Honors Program, for example), received hundreds of dollars in scholarships and gift aid, and ultimately decided to attend Stanford University.
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Mr. Beverly was there for every step of the process and was an incredible resource, not just for college applications but for career advice and for support in other areas of my life. I know that my classmates and I received a lot of support from him that we could not have found elsewhere.
Rena S., Stanford University
Mr. Beverly has honestly provided me with the most support I received, from the college application process and emotionally. Offering a welcoming environment to students, he edited countless college essays on nights where he also bought students pizza. He assisted many in finding scholarships, choosing colleges, and calling college representatives in favor of applicants. Mr. Beverly is committed in seeing students succeed, from matriculating into top choices of colleges to providing positive feedback. He has even assisted in the drafting emails that got students off the waitlist into elite colleges.
But beyond his devotion during the college process, it extended to his motivational words and personal support. This is what I’m extremely grateful for.
Surely enough, I was introverted before meeting Mr. Beverly, reluctant in talking to new people and overlooking on different opportunities. However, he brought me outside my comfort zone. His advice in drafting emails to college representatives or volunteer/job opportunities has extended to his sympathy of others.
Listening to students’ experiences, Mr. Beverly was dedicated in erasing negative energy that was draining many. His advice aided me and many of my fellow classmates to progress from unpleasant experiences. As a college counselor, Mr. Beverly showed a certain compassion to his students that’s more deserving than these words.
And this is what I cherish the most from my time with Mr. Beverly. With his enthusiasm and drive in helping students achieve big dreams during their college process, Mr Beverly will always be the “BEVst of the Best”.
Jasmine C., Bates College
Before I met Mr. Bev, I struggled to find my own story and had limited knowledge about universities outside of New York State. Admittedly, I also did not know how to express my thoughts creatively and comprehensively. After I scheduled one session with Mr. Bev, he had helped me discover a topic I was passionate about and spent hours, thereafter, guiding me and the rest of my graduating class (over 500 students) through the rest of the college process. He also inspired me to apply to schools outside my state like Brandeis University, where I was admitted to the International Business Scholars Program.
Once the college application process ended, I came to Mr. Bev with a full-scholarship application, which provided me the opportunity to gain working experience at JPMorgan Chase. He gave me phenomenal career advice, helped me draft an innovative resume, proof read my supplemental essays, and even prepared me for the professional interviews. With his guidance, I was a recipient of JPMorgan’s full scholarship program, and I committed to Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.
Mr. Bev is the most reliable, honest, and passionate educator and mentor. He cares about every student and is willing to emotionally support students at any time of the day. His dedication for college access is inspiring, and I am very fortunate to have him guiding me throughout my academic and career journeys until this very day.
Maria B., Fordham University & JP Morgan Smart Start Scholarship Recipient
From the initial awkward “Hello Mr. Beverly” to the current laxed greeting of “Hey Mr. Bev!”, senior year was a stressful yet rewarding year of preparation and help towards my college application. Being the first person in my immediate family to attend college, I was overwhelmed and bewildered by the entire application process. However, with Mr. Beverly’s help I was able to successfully compact myself into the six-hundred-fifty worded essay that depicted my personality, interests, background and aspirations.
From the group meetings held in school to the additional essay workshops held afterwards, my peers and I were able to tremendously benefit from Mr. Beverly’s help in terms of crafting essays, brainstorming ideas, and developing our overall college application. Additionally, with Mr. Beverly’s encouragement, I was motivated to found my school’s first robotics team (Cybernetics), which allowed me to take on a leadership position and further develop my interest in the tech field.
Whether it was essay revisements or application suggestions, Mr. Beverly transformed the entire college application process and allowed me to grow in terms of improving my writing and character. With his help, I was eventually admitted into my dream school: Carnegie Mellon University.
April W., Carnegie Mellon University
I first met Mr. Beverly through a brief summer program our high school provided for students applying to college, and his fearlessness and tenacity in regards to the college process showed from the first time we met. Mr. Bev had no problem getting personal with his story so that ours may shine through in our application.
Mr. Bev was the ideal counselor for me because he was direct and honest when evaluating my countless essays for the Questbridge application. He even went out of his way to help me look for additional SAT prep resources, which shone through in my test results. I would recommend Mr. Bev to anyone -- he is personable, goal-oriented, and genuinely cares about your success. I now attend Columbia University, my top choice, because of his invaluable help.
Diogene A., Columbia University & QuestBridge College Match Scholarship Recipient
I could have never imagined that I would be where I am today, and I have Mr. Beverly to thank.
Prior to learning about the college process, I thought college applications meant I had to send my grades to a couple schools, maybe a couple test scores, cross my fingers and hope for the best. Things changed quite dramatically when, with Mr. Beverly’s help, I learned that there was tons more work to put in. Everything from obtaining recommendations, to helping me put the final touches on my admissions essays, Mr. Beverly never failed to prove that he was a top notch college counselor.
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However, one thing that struck me the most about him was his ability to also just be a friend when I needed him to be. It’s true that sometimes students may feel like the admissions process can be pretty mechanical - find a college, send an essay, maybe a couple scores, and click submit. But if you’ve had the pleasure of working with someone like Mr. Beverly, you’ll know that’s not at all the full package.
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He goes above and beyond to bring out the enormous potential he knows his students are capable of demonstrating. With his humorous and incredibly empathetic nature, Mr. Beverly never failed to bring out the best in me. Interviews with admissions staff and essays were no longer a bothersome task, but rather wonderful opportunities to engage in meaningful
conversation or to practice the communication skills that my counselor helped me discover.
Today, I am enrolled at Swarthmore College, one of the top private liberal arts college in the country. I am surrounded by students with dreams just as big as mine and minds just as open; I’m truly at home. I’m lucky to have met someone like Mr. Beverly, and I can only wish him the best.
Leslie E., Swarthmore College & QuestBridge Finalist
Starting senior year at a position to change my entire persona to someone I truly enjoyed to view in the mirror, I'm glad Mr. Bev was there to help me transition into someone I was comfortable being. From just our first official encounter, I remember being at the verge of tears because I had poured my heart out so easily to a stranger, but he was just one of those guys you could rant to and he'd always look for a solution for you, even if you didn't ask for one. He knew more of my personal life than any of the people I've been friends with all throughout high school. We met at a point in my life where all the emotions and problems I had were so repressed, I was already falling apart without even realizing. I truly believe we were supposed to meet, even though our encounters were short and infrequent due to my extreme awkwardness, we always met in the middle. Looking back onto all those meetings, I don't remember meeting a college advisor, but rather a friend and a mentor.
He really made the college process manageable with all that was going on in my life. Alongside our therapy sessions, he showed me schools that were better fit for me and always made sure I was on top of all my work. He never held back from the criticism either, he was always upfront about my writing and told me exactly what I needed to add, without ever doing the work for me. He really pushed me into being a better writer with all the drafts I had to write for each idea I came up with because with all his comments made me feel like there was that perfect essay out there that I needed to write. I came to his meetings with one idea in mind and with just a simple conversation, we were bringing things to light that I didn't even know needed to be said. In the end, he helped me write the essay that I needed to write, not only as a college essay, but as a cleanse for my soul to finally release myself from everything that was holding me back.
As cheesy as it sounds, I would've never found my dream school without Mr. Bev. I'll always hold immense gratitude and appreciation for him because my future has been crafted because of him and I'm not afraid to live it.
Celina N., Bryn Mawr College
I entered senior year of high school completely clueless about the college application process. I had no idea what schools to apply to, or what steps I needed to take - that was, until my first appointment with Mr.Bev. He aided in creating a college list tailored to my wants, and wrote out a clear plan of action for me for the coming weeks. When we began work on my personal essay, Bev helped me settle on a topic, and offered specific, paragraph-by-paragraph feedback throughout the writing process. Days before application deadlines, he stayed with a large group us until well past midnight, making final essay edits.
I am incredibly happy to be attending Barnard College of Columbia University this fall, and I can not thank Mr.Bev enough for making this possible. His support and guidance had an immense impact on me, far beyond getting accepted into all of my top schools. Witnessing his exceptional passion and work ethic served as a huge inspiration in my personal life, and I owe it to him for reigniting a sense of drive and confidence within me. The lessons I’ve taken away from working with him will stick with me for the rest of my life. Perhaps I will never be able to fully capture in words all that Mr.Bev has done for me and countless other students, but I can say with confidence that I am eternally grateful for having had an opportunity to work with him.
Sevara A., Barnard College
The first time I saw Mr.Beverly, I found myself asking “Is he a student here?” As halfwitted as that may sound, Mr.Beverly’s natural ability to communicate with students and provide them with a sense of comfort in conjunction with his contemporary appearance instantaneously turns him into the guy that everyone wants to be friends with.
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I was fortunate enough to get to know Mr.Beverly better than most other students. Through our various college discussions, essay revisions, financial aid sessions, and sports debates, Mr.Beverly and I created a friendship built on mutual respect and conversing about the world of sports.
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Mr.Beverly’s knowledge goes beyond that of his degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Honors College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, as he strives to assist all of his students in becoming the best possible version of themselves both academically and interpersonally. I, for one, can safely say that I would not have been able to become the man I am today without the tutelage of Mr.Beverly.
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Regardless of your background, Mr.Beverly will always accommodate for any of your college advisement needs. He has historically worked with a large portion of low income students, which subsequently led to them to receiving record breaking grant and scholarship money by their respective school’s standards.
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I highly suggest that any rising high school senior seek the help of Mr.Beverly, as it will make your college application and decision process easier than you would ever know!
David B., Baruch College & QuestBridge Finalist
When I first made an appointment with Mr. Beverly in April 2018, I had no idea that he would provide me with not only the tools I needed to successfully apply for college, but also become a source of mental and emotional support while I was going through one of the most trying times of my life. Over a fourteen month period, I scheduled session after session with Mr. Beverly, desperate to improve my personal essay for college. He spent countless hours combing through my written piece, providing constructive criticism, and extended our sessions way past the allotted time just to make sure my essay was the metaphorical cream of the crop. Throughout our time together, he also provided me with monetary options for college, such as the Posse scholarship and the Questbridge scholarship program- information I did not receive from any other counselor at my school. He also provided me with a list of schools he thought would best fit my ambitions, my single mother’ budget, and most importantly, me. Mr. Beverly consistently checks in on his students to ensure that they are on task with their college work and also takes the time to get to know each and every one of us so he can know how best to assist us.
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I’m forever grateful that Lance Beverly chose Forest Hills High School as his home for many years. His guidance, devotion to his students, his intellect, and, of course, his sharp and hilarious wit, led me through the twisting and thorny path of applying for college and ultimately, landed me at one of my top three choices- Brooklyn College! Although he’s leaving New York, I know he won’t leave me and the countless other kids he’s helped behind and he’ll be here to guide my fellow Class of 2019 graduates and I thought grad school and all of our lives’ endeavors.
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From the bottom of my heart, I want to say- Thank you, Mr. Bev. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Aaliyah W., Brooklyn College
To all future Bev students,
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I want you to know that in Mr.Bev you are not only gaining an astonishing college counselor but a friend who will have your best interest at heart during this difficult college application process. For two years Mr.Bev has worked tirelessly to help me get into COA (which was one of my top college choices). During this time Mr.Bev has made numerous advocacy calls to speak on my behalf to college admissions counselors about my character and why I should be accepted in their school. Close to college application deadline time, Mr.Bev often stayed at school past 12 AM to help fellow classmates and me make final tweaks on our common app essays and help navigate the complex application process.
Emotionally Mr.Bev has helped me through the difficult aspects of my life, during my senior year he set aside time during his day regardless of how busy his schedule was to speak to me when I had difficulties at home or when I just needed words of encouragement. I will be forever grateful for the burden Mr.Bev has helped take off my family with his help to get scholarships for college.
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I have no doubt you will have a fun time with Mr.Bev, and I know Mr. Bev will work tirelessly with you to help get you into the college of your dreams.
Doderick T., College of the Atlantic
When it was time to apply to college I had a goal. I wanted to go to a private university in New York City. I lived with just my mom and I feared leaving her alone however, I did not want to let that limit my opportunities to go to a prestigious university. At first, I didn’t think it was possible. My SAT score was good but not enough to get enough scholarship money to attend one of the prestigious universities in New York such as NYU or Fordham
That all changed when I went to Mr. Beverly for the first time. He immediately told me he saw the potential for me to go to an even better school than any of the ones I thought were possible. He helped me believe in myself and in my goal. He not only helped with the application process physically, but psychologically as well. I was confident that with him by my side I could accomplish my goal. Thanks to him my application was incredible. Specifically my essay, which surprised me at what I could do. Then, when the acceptance letters came I realized my dream came true. I had the option to choose between NYU and Fordham with one giving me a full ride and the other really close. I now attend NYU and they are giving me money back every semester. It would not have been possible without Mr. Beverly. All I can say is Thank you Mr. Bev.
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Kevin P., New York University
With no clue as to when or how to start the tedious college applications process, I began attending Mr. Bev’s summer workshops. He has a warm and fun personality that makes you know that you are indeed in a safe space when with him. He helped me, as well as many others, discover a topic that meant a lot for me to write about.
Mr. Bev mentioned applying to Questbridge at the end of summer, giving me plenty of time to work on the application and seek help from him. During the school year, he set up workshops that ran well into the night for not only Questbridge, but for ED deadlines as well. Mr. Bev is the only counselor that would go well out of his way to reach out to students––responding to 2am emails, buying us pizza as we worked together on applications, and being someone to just catch up with.
I found that he believed in me more than I did myself. He helped me find my drive and encouraged me to study for the SAT, giving me a list of workbooks he recommended, along with studying strategies so I could knock out as many SAT practice tests before the real test. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn't have gone up 40 points, nor finished an entire prep book in a span of five weeks. Mr. Bev also urged me to apply to Vassar College, saying it would be a good fit for me based on what I was looking for in a college. Admittedly, I was hesitant to apply, but doing so was one of the best things that happened to me. I began reading about the school and when I visited, I fell in love right away. Not only did Mr. Bev know what was best for me, but he had even called Vassar admissions to speak on my behalf, something that I wouldn’t have fathomed he would care to do for me. I am now proud to say I’ve been admitted to Vassar College through Questbridge and if it weren’t for him, I would not have known about Questbridge, nor the College. I wouldn’t have even made it thus far without all his aid and genuine concern. Anyone to have Mr. Bev counseling them should consider themselves fortunate.
Valerie E., Vassar College & QuestBridge Finalist
​Mr.Beverly was my academic advisor during High School. I use the term ‘academic advisor’ loosely because I feel it does a disservice to Mr.Beverly. He was so much MORE than just an academic advisor. He was my secret weapon to perfecting my college essays, my confidence booster when I was applying for scholarships, my ACT tutor and most importantly he was my friend. I was dealt with an extremely difficult circumstance of being in the hospital my senior year. Despite this, Mr.Beverly kept in contact with me every step of the way. Usually, being one of the only representatives from my school to reach out to me.
He was just an advisor at first but quickly became a close friend. After we were done writing essays he would try to make me feel as normal as possible by giving me a brief escape from the hospital. Whether it was talking to me about my fantasy football team or offering to bring me tacos while I was sick. In doing so, he made me feel wanted and most importantly that someone cared.
Mr. Beverly bent over backwards to ensure I received the same assistance as everyone at school. He often sacrificed his social life to work around my extremely unorthodox circumstances. It was not uncommon for him to stay up until one or two in the morning helping me perfect my essays.
It was this persistence that made him more than just an ‘advisor.’ He never let me fall through the cracks or get over looked like I so often was. He never gave up on me or any of his other students. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have made it to the University of Texas, let alone make there with more than 60k in scholarship.