This is our second child that will be attending college, however, this journey was much different…read morethan with our first child. Maggie and Academic Pathways Consulting was pivotal in navigating our student's college future by providing professional, yet personal guidance and encouragement every step of the way. She was there from start to finish; strategically charting the course to improve graduating GPA, assisting with test prep options, adding guidance in submitting applications and essays, managing deadlines, and obtaining letters of recommendation. She has an innate ability to connect and communicate with young adults on "their level", while balancing and (as needed at times) mediating the relationship between parent and student. Best of all, Mom and Dad were able "hand over the keys to Maggie" and allow our student to independently take charge of their future; while still having peace of mind knowing a trusted and knowledgeable guide was there to keep things on track. Thank You, Maggie, we appreciate your dedication and expertise, and we really couldn't have done this without you!

From the owner: Academic Pathways Consulting specializes in simplifying the college admissions process. We help…read morehigh school students find the best college that fits their unique strengths and interests.

Many high school students struggle to find colleges that are the right fit for them. With hundreds…read moreof difference colleges and universities around the country, Mary Pat helped me narrow down my college choices. Starting in my junior year she sat down and really got to know the real me, beyond the resume and beyond the GPA. We worked together to figure out what I wanted to study and where I could best achieve that. We narrowed my list down to 7 different school around the country. We worked together to cultivate my story and really make it stand out. She took the time to go beyond just correcting grammar, she knew where to dig deeper and how to highlight my best parts. Not to mention she's fantastic at getting essays down to the word limit. In the end, I was accepted to 6 out of the 7 schools. One of my teachers even congratulated me and said "Out of all of the seniors college lists you, by far, have one of the best lists in terms of good fit schools!". I learned so much from Mary Pat, and to this day remember the lessons she taught me as she helped me during my college selection process.

Mary Pat is amazing! She was such a big help when trying to tackle the daunting process of putting…read moretogether a medical school personal statement. Mary Pat was able to take the overwhelming task of packing your entire life into a personal statement and make it simple and manageable. Further, working with her was an absolute pleasure. She was kind, friendly, and extremely skilled at breaking down the task into smaller parts and then helping me tackle them one at a time. In the end with her help, I was excepted into one of my top medical schools and for that I am so thankful. I would recommend her services for any applicant. Whether you are just starting out on the personal statement process or looking to add a few finishing touches, Mary Pat can help you get it done.

KC has mentored me for the past year through every step of the college app process. Alongside…read morehelping me get accepted to almost every school I applied to, she taught me many life sills as a mentor. She connected me to an internship, and helped me to plan out my senior year and future. She was available at every hour, and always provided thorough and meaningful feedback. With her help, I got into my #1 dream school!

From the owner: Using my Ph.D. in Cognitive Studies in Education, I assist students with all aspects of the college…read moreadmissions process. My students attend universities ranging from the University of Puget Sound to Stanford and MIT. I'm a member of IECA, PNACAC and SACC and regularly visit colleges and attend professional development workshops. My students start companies, shadow vets and doctors, start non profits, create apps, manage local theatre productions, and publish original research. As a certified Highlands Ability Battery Consultant, I offer college major and career counseling to students and adults. I have experience working with high achieving, neurodiverse, & LGBTQ+ students. Email me today for a free consultation.

This review is based on an initial consultation only, so take it with a grain of salt…read more If your main consideration is getting into an Ivy+ school, my sense is that David will work hard to help find you an "edge" to get in. Any loophole, category, segmentation, activity that can make you more attractive to the Ivy+ admissions folks, he will find. And if that's what you're looking for, someone with a serious lawyer/accountant sensibility, I'd recommend talking with him. However if you are not Ivy+ bound, and/or have a student who is looking for well-rounded help in the overall college selection/admissions/financial aid process, I doubt this is where you should be looking. There are others who have broader skill sets and a more nurturing outlook.

My experience (as a student) with College Match has been phenomenal. I've worked with David and his…read moreteam for the past year now on my college journey, and just committed to my dream school. When I began the college process in my junior year, it was extremely daunting and stressful for my parents and I. Hundreds of schools to choose from, many essays to write and so many moving parts to figure out. When I started to work with David and his team, they helped me navigate this convoluted process, helping me build my college list, providing feedback on my essays, answering many questions about applications and so on. What really made my experience with College Match so successful was the dedicated individual attention from David and his team. They were always available to answer last minute questions, call to discuss feedback on an essay or anything else I needed during my college process. It feels so relieving to finally be done with the college process and be going to my top school in the fall. While applying to college is very stressful, having a knowledgeable advisor to guide you through the process helps more than you know. College is one of the most important decisions you'll make in the next few years and making the right decision will pay off in the long run. Thank you David for everything!

Debbie is fantastic!…read more I will gladly recommend her to others. She helped to edit my daughters' essays, and her feedback was right on target. She corrected grammatical errors that only experts like her could catch, and everything that she recommended made perfect sense.

I was very impressed, although on ramp was not a perfect fit for our situation, they gave me a…read morereferral to some one who could help.

I'm so happy we brought Michelle onboard to help my son with his college application process…read more Michelle provided just the right amount of guidance and support in choosing colleges and provided professional and knowledgeable insight into the different colleges he was considering (which I would not have been able to do). She helped him to outline his goals, helped him focus in on essay ideas and provided invaluable editing help through the many essays required with each application. She went above and beyond on several occasions. I would highly recommend Michelle if you're considering a college counselor!

From the owner: My name is Michelle Silbernagel and I provide personalized guidance to students and their families…read morethrough the college planning and admissions process. I offer insight, knowledge, and resources so that students apply to colleges that meet their unique priorities (social, academic, financial, and geographic). I am a "touchstone" for the family but also empower the student to own their process so that ultimately, when the acceptance letters arrive, they have choices where they will be successful, happy, and thrive.

My senior needed assistance with college essays and applications. We were able to tailor the…read moreservices to our needs and adjust accordingly. We had an excellent experience working with Christina. She was able to pull together a lot of thoughts together to direct my daughter in expressing herself through her essays. Would highly recommend.

We had my daughter do the one on one SAT test prep with Seven Points Prep and we were happy with…read morethe result. Scheduling was easy as well. We really liked that they give in person mock tests every weekend. It really helped with managing her time when taking the real test.

We hired Claudia to help our daughter in the college application process in her junior year. We…read moreinterviewed several college counselors on the Eastside. The fee for private college counselors really run the gambit and Claudia's service was more affordable than the other counselors we spoke to. However, the reason we chose Claudia was because my daughter took an immediate liking to her, probably because of her warm and inviting demeanor. She assured my daughter, who was by then quite beaten down by the academic rat race, that there was a lot in her, and that there was without doubt a perfect school out there for her. During the next year and a half, Claudia maintained a relaxed and positive outlook in her dealings with my daughter, and in hindsight patiently coaxed us, the parents, to stay out of the way, while assuring us that everything was going as planned. My daughter, with Claudia's help, selected 10 or so schools to visit in the summer preceding the application. Claudia was keen that my daughter have an assortment of reach schools and safe schools, but not be overly ambitious in terms of total numbers (My daughter still applied to far more schools than Claudia wanted, but less than she probably would have applied to if she were without counsel). In the end, my daughter got into one of her top choice schools. Claudia made the whole process a lot less nerve-wracking for both my daughter and us. These were very stressful years, as my daughter was suffering from a lot of academic pressure at high school, and there were bouts of social anxieties, hormonal issues, and friendship dramas every week. However, I can say that Claudia's steady existence in the background really helped in all of that. Today, my daughter is in her sophomore year and is excelling at college. The best part, in my view, is that she really has confidence that she had done her research with Claudia before applying, and that the school is a good fit. I think this confidence translates to her taking her classes and academic career seriously. Thank you, Claudia!