Alexis was a great help to my son as he went through the college application process this past…read moresummer and fall. I am grateful for her experience, organization and persistence. 2022 was a hard year for student admissions and we are happy that my son was accepted at many excellent universities. He decided to go to Rice University in Houston TX on a full Navy ROTC scholarship. Thank you Alexis for all your help.

In the competitive world of top-tier college admissions where most applicants have outstanding…read moreGPAs, test scores and glowing extracurriculars, we are so grateful for the support and guidance offered by Alexis Sloustcher and her team. Their expertise was essential in helping my incredible daughter gain entry into The University of Southern California as well as many other elite institutions.

She was good with helping expose my daughter to colleges around the country. And she helped with…read morethe personal statement, however she did not help with anything else. It did not prepare her for applications. She overall is not a good teacher and didn't help at all. Save your 6000$.

Brady College Counseling was the best investment I made for my son's college education. From the…read morefirst meeting we were guided by a professional who took the time and care to get to know my son. Brady College Counseling went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable with the application process. At such a stressful time in my son's academic career, it was great to have a professional help us along the way and steer us in the right direction. I highly recommend Brady College Counseling!

We are so grateful to have been referred to College Bound by a random mom I was having casual…read moreconversation with while waiting for kids to get out of school at Painted Rock Elementary many years ago. When it became time to submit CRF's in 8th grade (for 9th grade) I was confused and a bit overwhelmed. Debra was incredible with my son. She spoke directly to him the whole time and helped guide him to what was available and in his best interest. Fast forward to a year later it was time to submit CRF's again for 10th grade, we had another like meeting and made necessary adjustments based on things that had changed for my son. Debra was available for questions throughout the year if something came up that we needed clarity on. It will be the best money you every spend. My son just wants to keep his options open and so having this guidance early on is truly priceless. It was so affordable for these initial consults I don't know why anyone would NOT do it. To the person that reviewed this company with 1 star. I can only imagine you had been calling the wrong number. I have already referred 2 other families to CB and both families experience was similar to mine. FIVE STARS!

If there were a 'less than 0 rating', College Bound Consulting is earning it...they must be SO…read moreoverwhelmed with business they simply do not need to return phone calls or emails (we have left many voicemails in addition to several emails with NO response, to date). This review cannot attest to their college consulting abilities but if it is anything compared to their lack of a considerate response, we now have no trust in whatever services they provide - they have left an underwhelming impression at best.

We have two college bound kids and the thought of paying tons of money was overwhelming to us. We…read moresearched for help and found Cal. college Planning. Merrit was amazing! He was patient with us and very knowledgeable. He explained all the ins and outs. They did a great job getting our first one in a great school with a great financialaid package. We are looking at a lot lower expense versus doing this ourselves! Thanks Merrit!

From the owner: College preparation, selection, student positioning, funding strategies. Student Positioning…read more Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Greg was recommended by a friend of mine and at first I wasn't sure we would need him. My son had a…read moregreat GPA and very good SAT score, so we thought we could do all the college applications essays himself. Well, a month before he was supposed to submit his essays he decided that he did not like what he wrote and that it wasn't representing who he was. In a panic mode we contacted Greg to help. In just a month they were able to do an incredible common app essay and over 10 supplemental essays for all the EAs my son was sending out. In short 2 months my son was able to submit around 40 supplemental essays to various top 20 Engineering schools. Greg provided an amazing structure, accountability and results. It made the process so much easier and stress free, not only for my son, but also for us, the parents. And the best part of this process is, that it gave my son a much clearer picture of who he was, what he strengths are, he was able to grasp all his accomplishments from someone that has never met him before and it's not his relative. PARENTS this is HUGE for a teenager!!! We are early in the game but so far from the 2 universities that my son applied early to, with decisions by the end of the year, he was accepted to both. We can't wait to see where he ends up going! Thanks Greg, for all your help!

My daughter is currently in 10th grade, so we have a long journey ahead of us. We decided to hire…read moreGreg during the summer between 9th and 10th grade as the college app landscape has changed so drastically. He has helped us with some critical course selection choices. We will use him for ACT prep this summer as well as math tutoring. We know this is an area of strength for Greg, as tutoring was his prior career. Greg has a great demeanor. He is very approachable and he listens attentively. Greg provides balanced, fair, and honest feedback that leaves us realistic yet hopeful about college prospects. We feel so fortunate to have found an "all in one" tutor and college counselor who will guide us through these next few years.

We participated in Bootcamp event recently to better understand the financial aid process and help…read moreus in developing a strategy to mitigate our costs. The event was fast paced and informative. The presentation included a lot of information, but also allowed for questions that were more specific to your situation. As a result of attending we now have many tools and strategies that will help in prioritizing our actions moving forward.

SCAM!!! DO NOT LISTEN TO THE FIVE STAR REVIEWS. These people are not helpful at all!!! I get that…read morecollege can be daunting to new families, and these people take full advantage of it. I have been trying to get a refund for my mom for months now and it is radio silent.

The Short Version: Our experience with Balboa City School, including the director and the staff,…read morehas been fantastic. We have seen a vast improvement in our daughters' academic abilities and overall confidence. The school's facilities need some improvement, but the staff knows this and is actively working toward that goal. Overall, I would highly recommend Balboa School to any parent. The Long Version: After struggling for several years with the public school system, despite all the help that the elementary school staff could manage, my wife and I placed both of our daughters at Balboa City School in the middle of a school year. They have attended the school for two years, now, and we still believe it was the best choice we could have made for our children. Having read the other reviews, here, I think it's important for me to address some of the things mentioned by others: First, and foremost, our children have had only the best and most caring attention and support from the entire staff, from the director all the way down through administrators, counselors, and teachers. Dr. Parker is involved with every student. He is direct and forthright, and I have never seen him be cruel or demeaning to anyone. I get the feeling he understands the students because he's been where they are and that he truly wants to create an environment where they can excel. Balboa School is a place where children's specific needs can be addressed. While many of the kids have learning challenges, such as attention deficit disorder, this is not a place where the kids have severe behavioral problems. Children's individual needs are assessed and addressed by skilled teachers and counselors in very small classroom groups. There are many brilliant students at the school who are able to challenge themselves academically, while improving their social skills and learning how to navigate the world outside of books. My wife and I have always been impressed with how polite and attentive the upper grade students are. Even as they depart from school in the afternoon, their behavior is amazing, especially compared to some of the things I've seen from kids who attend public schools. Those good manners are at least in part the result of modeling and molding that happens at Balboa City School. When we came to Balboa City School, our daughters left a classroom of 36 students. They were a full year behind in mathematics, despite our efforts to help and guide them through their schoolwork. Their previous teacher had allowed their classmates to grade homework and in-class assignments and had no idea what our daughters' capabilities or deficits were. Now, they are in a classroom of 6 students. We are able to work directly with a teacher who fully understands and can engage them and the other students at all times. Both of our girls have completely caught up in their grade-level-appropriate skills and express a much more positive attitude to math and science, classes that they didn't like at all at their old school. As for the apparent misrepresentation of the school's facilities, you should know that the school is not, in fact, in the middle of Balboa Park. It is on the corner of Hawthorne Street and 6th Avenue, right across the street from the park. Every few weeks, the children take field trips to attend art exhibits, symphonic concerts, ballet performances, and other cultural events. While not actually part of the school campus, as one might assume from the pictures on the website, the school absolutely incorporates the park as a learning resource. Additionally, our experiences in the handling of problems between students has been nothing short of amazing. As sometimes happens, one of our daughters has been having difficulty with one or two other students. The entire staff has worked very hard to assess the situation, ensuring that all sides have been presented, and has worked with us to address things. The director's personal involvement has been phenomenal. He has made sure to work with us and our daughter, enabling her to see her role in the problems, as well, rather than simply viewing herself as a victim. I wouldn't normally share even this much personal information on a public site, but I think it's important for people to understand how valuable the school's staff can be in handling both academic and social challenges for the kids there. Lastly, I will say that the facilities at the school could use some improvement. The building is large enough for the students they have, but unless the class takes a field trip into the park, the only area for recreation is in the inner courtyard, which I think is insufficient for real "recess time." Improvements in the facilities are ongoing, and the director is working hard to ensure the kids have the best possible environment. Overall, we are very happy at Balboa City School and look forward to having our girls attend for many years to com

Drove an hour to tour the school after speaking with the principle on the phone-who invited me to…read moretour. When I arrived, we were immediately taken to her office where she told us that after thinking it over that it wouldn't be fair to start my child mid year and disrupt the class (they were advertising on their website they still had openings). No tour, no interview, just said the teacher and students were in a groove now and invited me to apply next year

Pam was incredibly helpful to me and my son during the college search process. From 9th grade, we…read moremet regularly and she helped me understand college athletic recruiting. While we knew my son would focus primarily on his education, with Pam's help I learned about the recruiting process. My son ended up at his top choice school and plays for his top choice team. Pam has since completed her formal training at UCSD in college counseling and through the IECA. I have hired her to more formally assist my younger son in his college search. She's honest, tough (especially on essays), organized, professional, and fun. I cannot recommend her more highly.