Subject: important press release attached
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 1997 13:07:01 -0400 (EDT)

CHRISTOPHER-DAVID independent college advising
755 Everett Street
El Cerrito, California 94530
510-558-1817
[email-masked]    
www.christopher-david.com

PRESS RELEASE 				For Immediate Release		

Contact: Jeffrey D. Cook
510-558-1817

COLLEGE COUNSELING FIRM FOR GAY STUDENTS RECEIVES NATIONAL ATTENTION

EL CERRITO, CA--Christopher-David, a new college counseling firm speciali zing in helping 
gay high school students find the best college match, has recently received national attention 
for its first-of-a-kind service.

Founded earlier this year by firm partners Jeffrey C. Moss and Jeffrey D. Cook, Christopher- 
David was represented during a panel discussion on college counseling issues for gay and 
lesbian students at the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission 
Counseling held in San Francisco last month.  The Chronicle of Higher Education, the leading 
national weekly newspaper for higher education, along with Harvard University's daily 
newspaper, The Crimson, recently ran stories on the firm.

"We feel that there is a real void in traditional college counseling" said Mr. Cook.  "Many gay 
high school students have experienced tremendous intolerance and even violence.  Others 
can't be honest with family and friends about an important aspect of who they are.  There's no 
reason college can't be a positive experience, where they'll find success and happiness."

Based in El Cerrito, a San Francisco suburb near Berkeley, Christopher-David hopes to serve 
students nationwide through a unique distance-counseling program using the Internet, phone, 
and mail.  "We want to reach students not only in the Bay Area, but in middle America, too. Gay, 
lesbian, and bisexual students have new help in finding a college in which they'll be 
academically, politically, and socially comfortable" said Mr. Moss who heads-up 
communications and logistics.

Based on specialized data and commentary from colleges and universities, along with research 
and interviews with those on-campus, Christopher-David constructs a recommended pool of 
college options by meshing this information with other criteria gained from the student client.  
Mr. Cook, an experienced college admissions professional originally from upstate New York, 
points out that the search for a good match can be complex.  "There's no simple top 10 list 
since each student is looking for different things in a prospective college.  We need to work to 
find the best match for the individual, confirming that target campuses accept and celebrate 
sexual orientation diversity. We'll then help students through the entire admissions process 
and transition to college--as much or as little as they want or need."

Cook also said that Christopher-David will break the conventions of traditional educational 
consulting which carries a reputation of being used mainly by wealthier families hoping to get 
their children into selective schools.  "We do what we do from the stand-point of service and 
high ethics.  We offer very affordable counseling directly to high school students who want to 
find good colleges, and who want to be who they are in a world that sometimes wants them 
to be someone else.  We present college advising from a younger, down-to-earth perspective 
to which they can relate, enjoy, and understand."

Services range from advice on running a search, to compiling a short list of prospective 
institutions, to preparation and assistance in gaining admission.  "A Newsweek article in a 
special college supplement said private consulting can cost a few hundred to a few thousand 
dollars. Those days are over. Christopher-David puts service to students first" said Cook.

Christopher-David can be reached through its Web site at www.christopher-david.com, by 
e-mail at [email-masked], or by calling 510-558-1817.