Meet Your Team

Tom and Ardeth Meier

We are a husband and wife business team and have worked together for 26 years. We function well as a team because we understand division of labor. Tom and his team work with the parents helping to find funding or advising on the best ways to fund. Ardeth and her team work with the student in the complete college prep process. This September we will begin our 12th year in this business.

Ardeth’s team meets with students to assess where he is in the college prep process. They look at curriculum completed and advise on upcoming curriculum for the student. The team makes recommendations for classes available at a specific school. They advise on preparation for the national testing through SAT or ACT. High school freshman, sophomores, and juniors are provided with a plan to prepare and study for these tests. Online preparation, local prep courses, hard copy study materials, and private SAT preparation consultants are all suggested as possible options for helping the student prepare. We look at the student’s contributions to the community and the responsibility level the student has achieved. We help the student find the proper niche to volunteer in the community looking for areas that fit with the student’s other activities and with the student’s interests. We do not provide cookie cutter service. Each student is treated as a unique individual.

Tom and his team evaluate the cost that the family will incur with college expenses. They give an approximation of any need base funding that may be available. Ardeth’s team may provide insight into the possibility of merit money. The parents are asked to provide the names of 2 to 3 colleges they think might be possible school choices. They may recommend more schools which the parents and student will add to their list and do their due diligence.

70% of our new students are referred by previous students or their parents. Once a family starts their first child in our program, they will start their next child even earlier so that student can benefit even more.

Windy Johnson

Windy Johnson graduated from Pepperdine University in 3 ½ years with a BA in English and a minor in Spanish. After college she went to work as an editor for Price Stern Sloan, Inc., a children’s publishing company and then Pine Forge Press, a college textbook publishing company. Windy had been an editor for the past 15 years.

Leah Elmquist

Leah Elmquist has served eight years in the U.S. Navy (combined active and reserve) and worked for Nelnet, a student loan company, in Lincoln NE. She studied construction management/civil engineering at the University of Nebraska and plans to finish her degree at a California university.

Michelle Osburn

Michelle has been working with Tom and Ardeth for more than 7 years and is an expert in helping transfer students!

Nidia

Nidia has worked for Tom and Ardeth for the past 6 years and has grown to be an integral part of the Advanced College Solutions team. While working for ACS, Nidia is also studying Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.

Marcia

Marcia is in her first year with Advanced College Solutions. She is a graduate of USC and has worked in human relations, marketing and project management. She is currently the Director of Educational Outreach.