PLEASE NOTE! A WORD OF CAUTION FOR POTENTIAL CLIENTS: Barbara talks a lot about how much your…read morechild's story means in their applications, but her actions while editing my child's essays speak volumes about her capabilities and false pretenses about loving students. When my child would come to her with heartfelt essays about her experiences and hopes for the future, Barbara would brutally slash up my child's essays until they were bare boned. No story, no flair, no emotion, nothing. Not to mention Barbara also told my child that her essays were "terrible" or that she should not apply at all. Those same essays, without any edits, got her into incredibly competitive schools in and out of state. She also edits the essays in FRONT of my child right before they meet. She wouldn't spend time to thoroughly edit the essays beforehand despite asking for them a week in advance. To top it all off, Barabra is phenomenally bad at making good on her scheduling appointments and will force you to sign a multi-thousand dollar contract, to lock you in. She has made appointments with my child multiple times and then proceeded to cancel last minute because she double booked, or would force my child to wait.

The college process is truly daunting. Barbara helped us to break it down into manageable steps,…read moreworking with my twins from their sophomore year in high school through to the end of the application process. Notable points for twins: she works with each child separately, drawing out their specific interests and talents with regular one-on-one meetings. If they don't really know what they are interested in or they are interested in many different things (normal for a teenager!) she helps them figure it out so that by senior year they have a real portfolio of volunteer and community activities, internships, research projects and leadership experiences that they can use to clarify their interests and to get into excellent colleges! She is very honest and direct, while at the same time enjoying the kids' unique strengths and opportunities for laughs that come along the way. She helps them pick out schools that fit their characters and helps them streamline the process as much as is humanly possible for such a high-stakes venture. Thanks so much, Barbara!

I had an amazing experience working with Gourdy. He helped raise my ACT score a ton and was super…read morehelpful with all my college essays, from private schools to UCs. He really knows what he's doing and made the whole process way less stressful. He was also a big reason I got into UC Berkeley, which I'm super grateful for. On top of that, he's really knowledgeable but also funny, so sessions never felt boring. Definitely recommend if you want someone who actually makes a difference.

Gordy is an exceptional college counselor! He kept my son on tack and met all the deadlines even…read morewhen we had limited time. He was encouraging and used virtual services effectively. I also liked how he created google folders and made the whole process of essays and tasks easy and even fun! I would highly recommend Gordy!

My son worked with Alex on his post-graduate schools and doctoral program applications, and working…read morewith Alex made huge difference. He was extremely knowledgeable about the process and easy to access at any time. My son accepted to a fully funded program.I highly recommend Alex if anyone looking for a coach to help with their writing . Thank you Alex!! I m grateful for your dedication and availability

Dr. Blum worked with my son on his college personal statement. Coached him over 5 sessions on how…read moreto organize, edit, transition and finish his statement. What we really appreciated was Dr. Blum did not write or direct the paper. He helped my son through the writing process. Strategies my son will use long past college. Highly recommend his services.

I am very grateful for the role that Nicole Freeling played in our son's college selection process,…read moreand would like to explain it in some detail. My wife and I approached Nicole during our son's sophomore year. He had suffered a brain injury the prior summer and was struggling in school because of visual deficits and persistent head pain resulting from the trauma. At that moment, we were more concerned about how to get the right treatment for our son -- and the right accommodations in place -- so he could finish high school. But engaged Nicole because the decisions we made would ultimately affect our son's ability to attend a great university, and we wanted him to believe that this was still within his reach. He's a deeply intellectually serious young man, so we wanted to keep his horizons broad. Nicole did the research and returned to us with the conclusion that we should extend our son's high school career so he could focus on his recovery, and that a fifth year of high school would be a better solution for his circumstances than graduating on time with a less rigorous curriculum. We plotted his high school trajectory to maximize time spent in recovery during this junior year, ramping up the rigor and density of his coursework through a "gap year" that allowed him to finish his A to G requirements most at UC Berkeley and BCC, to great success. Nicole believed in our son and supported his application to a range of selective colleges. She had on-point advice on making the list, ensuring that it included schools he would likely get into as well as reach schools. Most importantly in this process, she encouraged our son to tell the story of his recovery, which he was not otherwise inclined to do. In the end, he was admitted early decision to a highly competitive college, where we believe he will thrive. We are all very grateful for Nicole and On My Way for their role not just in the college process, but in our son's overall recovery. These are good people.

I chose Olivia becauseshe brought the insight, expertise and best practices that I needed to help…read moremy kids. Olivia brought structure to how my kids should think about the types of school and the majors they should explore. She was tremendously helpful in deciphering the financial aid black hole for my and my husband. I love her collaborative approach with my kids and us parents. Working with Olivia helped open up opportunities, lessen the stress and even made the application process a little bit fun. I've already recommended Olivia to all my friends with college bound kids. You and your kids will be glad you decided to work with Olivia!!

Elaine is a world-class advisor--thoughtful, capable, compassionate, and responsive…read more She worked with our twins for several years as we navigated the stress and uncertainty of the college process--where to apply, how to think about value, and how to strike the right balance between reach, target, and safety schools. The process today is daunting. With Ivies accepting just 3-5% of applicants and UC schools also extremely competitive, it's too risky to go it alone and hope for the best. Elaine dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and care guiding our kids through every step. No matter the situation, her advice was always thoughtful and transparent. She responded quickly to every question, usually the same day or within 24 hours. Of course, no advisor can work miracles if a student isn't already committed and putting in the effort--but for motivated students, even the strongest ones, her guidance is invaluable. She also helps set realistic expectations for both kids and parents, which is just as important as anything else. Now the results are in. Both of our kids are strong IB students who were active in music and leadership programs. While the Ivies ultimately proved too far a stretch (despite their qualifications), they were accepted to several top UC and state schools, as well as USC, LMU, and others. Our daughter has chosen UC Berkeley, where she also received a significant merit scholarship--something we were especially grateful for given the cost of college today. Our son was also offered spots at UC Berkeley and UCSD, but has USC Thornton in his sights. If you have a child entering or already in high school, I highly recommend starting with Elaine for an initial consultation. Our whole family--especially our kids--is grateful for her guidance, which led to outstanding options at some of the top public and private universities in the country. We couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome and look forward to the next chapter with twins in college.

Elaine Chan helped my daughter apply for college for the fall of 2023 and I can't say enough…read morepositive things about Elaine! Let me try though... First of all, Elaine is extremely knowledgeable and professional- she does her research on colleges and keeps very up-to-date on the changes in universities and in the application process, even going on regular in-person visits to check out college campuses herself. She offers very personalized counseling services because she gets to know the student in conversation as well as through assessment tools. She counsels the student and family to apply for best-match colleges based on all relevant interests including academic, social, environmental/"vibe", geographic, financial, etc. Secondly, Elaine is super accessible and an awesome communicator (dare I say, to a fault, with the speed in which she answered emails and texts??) and she is very organized. Elaine makes herself available to answer questions and to be helpful in any and all ways she can. Elaine is resourceful and provides important resources and support without overwhelming the student with TOO much information. Elaine is very easy to talk with and helped make the college application process practically painless! Thirdly, Elaine knows how to bring out the best in the student by helping the student understand and capitalize on their strengths and coaches the student in the essay writing and in all the other application requirements. Because of Elaine's deep familiarity with the college application process, she is able to counsel the student on approaching college application in a strategic manner. Lastly, Elaine is a genuinely wonderful person- she is warm and caring and we felt that she had my daughter's best interests in mind in all of her meetings with Elaine. Additionally, Elaine has a special place in her heart for first-generation college students and has extended herself above and beyond for students who would otherwise not have the knowledge, resources or support to apply for and attend college. We are grateful for Elaine's help and would give her 6 stars if we could!!

"...the most competitive college-applications year on record" Wall Street Journal 4/23/22…read more Rebecca Field has been a godsend. Thanks to her exceptional guidance, both of my girls (twins) were accepted into several of their top choice schools. While I don't know how we would would have fared had I not called Rebecca, I can say that before the phone call I had spent quite a lot of time worrying, while making 0% progress, and I was feeling a sense of panic and dread. Afterwards, I felt a wave of relief. Hiring a college counselor is pricey, but here's why, especially in hindsight, we thought is was well worth it. The main benefit was that I was able extricate myself from the process, and avoid the inevitable struggles of trying get my teenage offspring to listen to me. We started the process in January of 2021, when my girls were in their Junior year of high school. Where I had failed, Rebecca convinced my girls to beef up their resumes. That year and the following summer were filled with relevant jobs, extra-curricular activities, pre-college mentoring programs, and summer internships. This alone was a huge accomplishment and I think a major factor in their acceptance letters. We were pretty set on applying to out-of-state colleges. For me, thumbing through several phone book sized "Guide to College" books, and trying to navigate the Naviance website was overwhelming. Rebecca broke things down into bite-sized chunks, gave the girls doable weekly assignments that included researching colleges, writing their personal statements and essays, and keeping them top of deadlines. My daughter says that without Rebecca, she would not have been nearly as organized and diligent in her college search. In the end, my girls received offers from several competitive schools such as University of Washington, Boston University, UC Berkeley and University of Chicago. We really liked Rebecca Field's approach and methodology. We could not have made it through the process without her. I recommend her wholeheartedly.

Our family cannot say enough good things about Rebecca. Through tools, and texts and reminders,…read moreand productive calls, she enabled our son to identify his targets and to organize his activities and jobs on how best to present to the colleges. It was well worth the money, as it can be more productive to have a caring third party (other than the parents!), for the kid to listen to and ask questions. We as parents were still active in the process, as well as his high school college counselor, but Rebecca was the key glue in the process and really helped drive the milestones (that start in the Junior Year). Our son was accepted to over 10 schools, and accepted a spot at his top choice, a top university in Boston.

We had an excellent experience with StrivePath. Sunny and Jenny gave great advice and counsel as…read moreour son was navigating college football recruiting. With Jenny being a former college athlete, she provided insight and helped us with messaging/approach across the different coaches our son interacted with during the process. They were also diligent and we could tell they genuinely cared about our son. StrivePath was worth every dollar we spent--this company is really professional in its approach but more importantly personable. I give them my highest recommendation.

From the owner: The Bay Area’s Leading Academic and College Advising Company. StrivePath empowers students and…read moretheir families by providing comprehensive, personalized academic and college advising services. We aim to build a supportive and enriching environment where students can discover their strengths, develop self-awareness, and achieve their full potential. By focusing on holistic development and individualized support, we guide students through the complexities of academic planning, career exploration, and college admissions, ensuring they are well-prepared for the future. Happier students. Less stressed families. Better admission outcomes.

If you have a high schooler who will be applying to college, definitely seek out Kathy, especially…read moreif your child aspires to Ivies, Stanford, UCLA and other top schools. Definitely call early, best to start with her freshman or sophomore year so you're not scrambling come senior year. I had two daughters who were recruited athletes and Kathy helped them tell their stories, and they ended up at their first choice schools (Yale and Stanford). Your journey may be different but Kathy did fabulous work for us.

Professional, knowledgeable, and super helpful for admission to selective colleges. Thank you,…read moreKathy!

Having taught at several Ivy League institutions as well as at Berkeley, having sat on a few…read moreadmissions committees and being a pretty good writer/editor, I thought I knew a lot about what my daughter would need to do in the college admissions process. I kinda did. But Michele Rabin of Admissions One Consulting knew soooo much more. She started out by coaching my daughter to a good list of places to apply and then staying on her to write excellent essays and put together a great "package," including all the secret tips about how to get admissions officers to really notice you. Most impressive was that she gave really flawless insight about how to improve and deepen my daughter's essays. When I thought they were pretty darn good, Michele knew exactly where they could go deeper to really make an impression. She found the spots my kid could polish to a gleam. She definitely caught/suggested things I wouldn't have. For example: "Please describe where you've lived in your life to date, in 50 words or less." The normal thing is to list things in chron order...but no. The best answer is to focus on one place and say something memorable about it. Pretty sure she was right given my daughter's admissions success rate. Nothing but good to say about her!

From the owner: My goal is to provide highly personalized, strategic and structured support throughout the college…read moreexploration and application process and my passion is to help you understand and articulate your strengths and explore college options that will provide the best fit for your interests, goals and unique personality. I tailor a comprehensive strategy for each of my clients to highlight your individual strengths and work closely with you to help you tell your unique personal story so as to distinguish yourself in an applicant pool. With over 25 years of experience in admissions at different colleges and universities, I’m up- to-date on the latest admission trends and school profiles, and make it a point to visit campuses across the country so I can help guide you to make an informed decision about schools that will be good matches for your academic and personal growth. I offer comprehensive packages for juniors and seniors, and hourly rates for younger students. I also work with prospective transfer, graduate, JD and MBA students and offer similar packages. I’m based in Sonoma County, California but my clients span the globe and I’m happy to work with you over Zoom/Skype.

What can I say about Judith and Positive Outcomes? Well it was positively the best decision we…read morecould have made for our daughter and family to navigate the incredibly complex college selection landscape! We did not even know where to begin and my daughter felt like she didn't even have a chance because she didn't have a 4.0 and perfect test scores, she was discouraged before even starting the search. Judith quickly got to know our student and she was genuinely interested and excited to hear about our daughter's passions. Because of this Judith really got her to open up and explore ideas for the essays and personal statements. After every meeting with Judith, our daughter felt more and more confident and even started getting excited about her options! Judith is extremely organized and knows all of the ins and outs of the college admissions process, I was pleasantly surprised by how deeply familiar she was with so many colleges across the country, she could answer almost all specific questions off the top of her head. If she didn't know the answer, she would quickly research and get back to us. Judith manages everything with the student, as a parent I only had to get involved when I wanted to, Judith empowers the students to own the process and be accountable and it worked! I'm happy to say our daughter got into most of the schools she applied to and we can't be happier with the college she has decided to attend. Thank you Judith!

I have used Judith's admissions expertise twice. After getting into my first choice university with…read morea scholarship, I recently used Positive Outcome for Admissions Success' services again for my law school applications. As someone who considers themselves an excellent writer, I had major writer's block when it came to writing about myself. Judith helped me get over my fear that I sounded like I was bragging, and got me to highlight why I was a competitive candidate for school. Judith has a talent for getting you to bring out the most interesting aspects of your story, helping you consider the most advantageous angle. She talked me through my experiences to understand my strengths. Then she worked with me to edit out the fluff to create strong concise points and an effective essay which truly reflected my character. With college applications, you are presented with limited space in which to demonstrate who you are. Positive Outcome helped me make the best use out of the space I had, eliminating unnecessary information so that my strengths were highlighted. With Judith's guidance, I was able to produce a personal statement that I was proud of. I was accepted to my first choice school with a $50,000 yearly leadership scholarship. This scholarship would not have been possible without Judith's help. She got me to reflect and really draw from the strongest parts of my experience-- to show I was a leader, not just say that I was one. I am currently waiting for law school acceptances without stress, knowing I sent in my best application materials.