Tommy Gerow wasn’t sure what type of college he was looking for when he started his junior year at Newfield High School. He enjoyed science and technology, but he didn’t know what he wanted to study in college.

To help him start his college search, his parents contacted Lucia Tyler, owner of Tyler Admissions Consulting. After meeting with Tommy four times, Tyler created a list of seven colleges that would fit his needs, and the family began visiting schools in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

“That made a big difference, just feeling what it would be like being there,” said Jean Gerow, Tommy’s mother. “We went to the open houses, and seeing the classrooms and seeing the kids walking around and trying the food — that was very helpful.”

One of the colleges they visited was a school Tommy had never heard of — Elizabethtown College, a small private school in south-central Pennsylvania. When they arrived at the campus, about four hours south of Ithaca, Tommy immediately felt that he would be comfortable attending the school.

“I liked the college when I visited it,” Tommy said. “It has a nice, small campus that is well-maintained. It’s not too big, which is nice too.”

Elizabethtown has about 1,700 students, which is larger than Newfield High School but still a manageable size. The school was also situated in a rural area, which was familiar to Tommy since he grew up in Newfield.

At the end of his college tour, Tommy narrowed down his list to two schools — Elizabethtown and Champlain College in Burlington, Vt. On the advice of Tyler, Jean started negotiating with the schools on financial aid, calling each one to see if they would increase their offer.

“Elizabethtown is a good small college,” Tommy says. “I have liked the people at the college. It has a pretty good dining hall — as far as college dining halls go — a nice campus and a lot of good professors.”

Jean has recommended Tyler to other parents of high school students who are just starting their college search. One of the main benefits in working with her is identifying a list of colleges where your child will thrive, she said.

“There are a lot of colleges out there,” Jean said. “Lucia helps you narrow down what is appropriate for your child, and she also helps you navigate through all the scholarships and how to fund it. It’s a big-ticket item.”