I've been working with Sara Denaro to help guide my son through the college application process, and I honestly don't know how I would have managed without her support. From building a smart college list to helping him brainstorm and polish his essays, she has been organized, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable every step of the way. My son feels more confident and less overwhelmed, and it's been a huge relief for me as a parent to know that he's in such capable hands. Sara has a great way of balancing honest feedback with positivity, and brings out my son's authentic voice in his writing--something I really appreciate. If you're looking for someone who is experienced, responsive, and genuinely invested in your child's success, I highly recommend Sara Denaro. This has been one of the best decisions I've made during the high school years! read more

Sara has been an incredible support for my four kids during the college application process. She has a unique ability to meet each kid where they are and provide personalized help in the areas they need most. All of my kids have talked about how easy it was to work with her and how much confidence they gained in navigating the process. As a parent, Sara's guidance has been an absolute godsend. Knowing she was there to help my kids every step of the way made the entire experience so much smoother and less stressful for all. I cannot recommend Sara enough to anyone looking for expert, compassionate help with college applications! read more

Advised my HS senior on college application essay writing on an hourly basis at a very reasonable rate. Positive, supportive and easy to work with. Great communicator. Got a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. Guided my student well in answering the prompts in an engaging way that was still authentic to their voice. Highly recommend! read more

Sara is terrific at working with students- getting them motivated, organized, and into college. Our son is one of those who does well on tests but doesn't bother to turn in homework, and the idea of him completing applications sounded liked it would be a nightmare. Sara, however, guided him through the process seamlessly, and he didn't miss a step in the process. Thanks in no small part to her help, he got into his reach schools and is weighing his options. Without her help, we don't know where he'd be. She does all of this at an amazing value. We'd talk to other counselors who charge quite a lot more than she does - and she also offers pro bono services to those who qualify (we didn't, so I don't know the details). Your high schooler will get great support from Sara, plain and simple. read more

There is your life before Sara Denaro. And there is your life after Sara Denaro. Before Sara my student (and let's be honest-me) were anxious, overwhelmed and confused with the prospect of selecting colleges, working on essays and the whole application process in general. Sara got to know my student, recommended colleges based on her high school career, personality and her future goals and dreams. Sara was honest, kind, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, encouraging and treated my student like the adult she is about to become. We could have NOT have navigated this process without her! Thank you, Sara! read more

Sara was a great find. She's got a gift for working with kids this age. Mine needed help understanding the process, what she wanted to do, where to go, and what to put into words to tell the best story in her applications. As a result, she was sort of overwhelmed and dreading the process. Sara helped her know what to focus on, what was not important to her (even to build a list of schools that would be best for her), and that boosted her interest a ton (which also made me feel a lot better too!). Sara's a very experienced teacher, and was very very efficient and organized, and she helped by daughter do her best on the apps. That also helped make her very affordable - she tailored her approach to the things we wanted help with, which was great. A+ for Sara. Great experience, all around! read more

Our family feels so fortunate to have found Sara. Not only is she great with teens and incredibly knowledgeable about all things college selection/application/essay writing, but she is just an all around wonderful person with a clear mission to help young adults navigate what can be a very daunting process. With the number of schools to choose from and the complexity of the higher education system today, any and all students will benefit from the support services Sara offers. She is extremely organized and efficient and has done a wonderful job keeping our son engaged and motivated as they have been working together this summer. Sara's pricing is very reasonable and she also gives back by providing free consulting services to students who might not otherwise have access, which is another reason you can feel great about working with her. We have nothing but the most positive things to say about our experience working with Sara. Do yourself a favor and contact her if you have a student who is getting ready to embark on this exciting journey! read more

Sara is a teen whisperer, I kid you not. My husband and I were no help during our daughter's junior year. Luckily, Sara guided our daughter through the whole process. It was amazing to see our kid come out of the darkness of early pandemic days to making plans for her future. The transformation was a joy to witness. We are forever grateful that Sara was available to help when she did. I've been telling everyone about her so I recommend you sign up today and take this off your plate. Thank you, Sara! read more

Sara is outstanding at what she does. My daughter worked with her and Sara very quickly helped her decide on an essay topic, find her own voice, and write an A+ essay. She made the whole process smooth and accessible. I can't recommend her highly enough. read more

Sara has been helping my HS senior with the college application process and has truly been an invaluable support. The process of applying to college has changed pretty dramatically since I did it and I was feeling lost and alone in the wilderness, defenseless with my first born child looking to me for my "expertise" . In just a handful of hours my child has gained confidence, applied to several universities, and written a grand slam college essay that brings me to tears. If you have the means, do not sleep on this resource while you're doing college applications with your children. read more

Sara has helped my son greatly with his college essays, and he enjoys working with her. She is a retired English teacher who brings great experience and understands the perspectives of high school students through the essay process. I'd highly recommend her! read more

Sara is a gem. Even though I have an advanced degree I really didn't know where to start with our son, a junior at a Chicago public school. The entire process simply felt overwhelming since so much has changed since I graduated 30 years ago. Sara is incredibly patient and explained the process to me (and my son) which naturally helped me relax. More importantly, Sara is working directly with our son and he now has a realistic list of safety, target and stretch schools. She has him motivated, exploring colleges and working away on his essays. He does not seem flustered or stressed about the process anymore! Sara's pricing is extremely fair and she also gives back by taking on pro bono students that may be first generation college students. Clearly she values education and thrives on helping dreams come true. Thank you Sara... read more

We hired Sara to help my daughter with the college application process. Sara was amazing. She talked with our daughter and was able to break down all the steps - starting with selecting which schools to apply to all the way through essays and applications. Sara had a great knack for meeting my daughter where she was and helping her see possibilities and also increase her confidence to do the work required to apply. With Sara's help, my daughter completed her applications with the two of us still on good speaking terms :) read more

Sara connects instantly with young people. She is funny, kind and incredibly smart. She is an excellent teacher and knows how to edit with precision and care. She works hard at helping your child find their voice and the results are outstanding. I am thrilled that she is working with my daughter. She has already helped my daughter become more invested in the process. Thank you!! read more

Sara was a huge help to us in working with my daughter to select and apply to universities. She helped her to create a list of schools to apply to that made sense for my daughter and was realistic. Then she ushered her through the whole process in the summer - finalizing her list of schools, essay writing, application process - so she didn't have to worry about it once school started, and she could apply for early admission. It is safe to say that this is not where we would be without Sara's help. My daughter was motivated to complete the process and really enjoyed working with Sara. Her fees are very reasonable, especially considering how much stress it removed from my life! read more