"Honestly, I believe, without the help and support of my Collegewise Counselor, Colleen, I would not have been as prepared or as confident as I was when applying to college. I was nervous, yes, but what eased my anxiety was the frequent check-ins and continuous support even after I was done writing my essays. I owe a lot of my 'success' to Collegewise and could not thank them enough." -Thafir, Wesleyan University 

"This was a great experience for Reilly! Colleen was a good fit. I felt like they really made a connection and worked well together. Reilly is a really great kid but definitely needed help with college applications. He would have been really stressed out if he had to do it alone or with his parents." -Robin, mother of Reilly, UC Santa Cruz

"I really don’t think I could have gotten through the application process without Colleen. It is a stressful time, but very worth it the long run. I could not be happier with where I ended up." -Meghan, San Diego State University, Weber Honors College

"Having a college counselor really helped me throughout the college application process. Colleen made sure that I was on track and knew what I wanted in a school, where I wanted to apply, and how I was going to write my essays at the appropriate times in the process. I think this was especially helpful for me, because I think that without having a counselor, I would definitely have not been able to organize all the research I had to do throughout the process, and probably would have procrastinated and ended up making poor decisions. Colleen as a person was also really kind throughout the process, always having a positive attitude and upbeat demeanor." -Matthew, UC Santa Cruz 

"Colleen was able to communicate with Matt in such a way that he would listen to her advice. It was a learning experience for me as well, as the admissions process for my teenager is much, much different than when I entered college over 30 years ago. Colleen has in-depth knowledge about the college admissions process and was an invaluable help to Matt with his essay writing. She also gave us some summer options that Matt truly enjoyed (Economic for Leaders). Hiring a Collegewise counselor is the way to go!" ​-Gina, mother of Matthew, UC Santa Cruz  

"Starting my supplemental essays for college was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to do. All I could think about was how nothing really interesting had happened in my life, and I thought no college would accept me. Colleen video chatted with me in the midst of my freak out and calmed me down. She assured me that even without a traumatic experience in my life I was able to write an amazing essay! And she was right! After brainstorming, we finally finalized my essay! Thanks, Colleen!" -Amelia, Indiana University 

"I genuinely believe that I would not be where I am today without Colleen’s incredible help and support. This whole college application process can seem like a chaotic jumble of doors that are all painted slightly different colors, and to a mere high schooler who doesn’t know exactly what they want in a school, it can start to seem like a game of Russian roulette. She kept me on task and helped me meet all of my deadlines, and trust me, this is no small feat. I love that she really took the time to get to know me, both in order to find the schools where I would be happiest and to help me bring out my personal voice in every aspect of my applications." -Connor, University of Southern California ​

"We enjoyed working with Colleen during the entire college application process. From identifying schools to filing the applications, she was able to make each step of the process more manageable. When we were overwhelmed by the number of universities and majors from which to choose, she was able to help us find an approach. Colleen kept my sons motivated and gave them the right amount and type of feedback on the applications and essays. I was particularly impressed by the nature of her comments on their essays–she gave my sons feedback and guidance so that they could improve their essays on their own. Colleen was able to maintain a balance between being their friend and being a teacher–they trusted her and felt comfortable sharing their thoughts with her. Through all of this, I appreciated how Colleen kept me informed and addressed my concerns as they arose."  
​-Elizabeth, mother of Connor and Spencer, University of Southern California

"My entire approach to the long and often tedious college application process was changed for the better because of Colleen. She gave me a structure and held me to it, something that I probably would have struggled with on my own. In addition, Colleen was great because she not only told me why my essay topic was weak, but also helped me find a better alternative. That, to me, was the difference, and as a result I wrote the best essays possible. Her advice and experience was incredibly beneficial in this process, and I would do it again." -Spencer, University of Southern California

"​Our experience in the past couple of years working with Colleen was great. We learned so much about the process and having someone with experience to guide us was invaluable. For every family, the process is long and daunting and for most of us, the admissions process is a bit of a black box, so having someone to help you keep perspective during the journey is important. I would highly recommend using a college admissions coach and Colleen is certainly a wonderful choice!" -Annette, mother of Chris, American University

"Colleen was fantastic to work with. She guided my daughter through every step of the process, setting an achievable pace that ensured all crucial admissions steps were completed successfully and ahead of schedule. She kept my daughter focused, calm, and empowered to determine her college path. She advised well on a variety of college options that met both my daughter's and my criteria. Colleen kept me up to date in a proactive way and was always available for consultation. Highly recommended! We are thrilled with the outcome." -Robin, mother of Ruby, University of Oregon

"I absolutely loved Collegewise. The counselors are so friendly and welcoming, and I don't know how I would have gotten through the whole application process without them. Colleen made sure I was on top of everything and helped me finish all my applications early. Without Collegewise, I might not have even applied to University of Oregon and might not have chosen such an amazing college that’s perfect for me." -Ruby, University of Oregon

"Colleen’s help made the college search process much more manageable. She provided guidance in finding programs that are a good fit for my daughter’s interests, and she took time to fully understand what is important to my child. She encouraged my child to explore options ranging from smaller private schools to large public schools, and to find honors programs, merit scholarships, and financial aid. Having Colleen as a counselor is like having a map in the labyrinth that is the college search process. It really helped to know what to look for and what was coming up ahead." -Alice, mother of Heather, Carnegie Mellon University

"Colleen was very supportive and encouraging throughout the application process. She helped our daughter figure out what was important to her in a college and helped her choose where to apply. She guided her through the application and essay-writing process, which allowed us to be supportive from a distance. Colleen was always punctual and answered emails promptly. Our daughter applied to 9 colleges, was admitted to 8, and waitlisted at 1. She was very happy to have her pick of some great schools! As parents, it's wonderful to know she's going somewhere that's a great fit for her." -Sue, mother of Oona, Lewis & Clark College

"Colleen definitely took the stress out of the college application process for us. She helped my son come up with a list of colleges based on his interests, goals, and preferred geographic areas. Colleen kept Dylan on track and accountable by setting up regular meetings with him via Skype, which was so convenient. I appreciated that she also kept me informed through emails as well. Colleen is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. I would highly recommend her to any student or family." -Greer, mother of Dylan, University of Nevada, Reno

"Our experience with Colleen and Collegewise was incredible. The process is professional & personalized and kept us moving forward through the college application and selection process with ease. Colleen suggested colleges that fit my daughter's criteria, even when her criteria was a bit unclear. Most of all, Colleen kept the process on track and SO positive. She instills confidence in the student and takes the angst out of this otherwise stressful experience. I would highly recommend both Colleen and Collegewise to students and parents looking for a professional and superb quality college advisory service. Colleen introduced our daughter to a school that she quickly put on the top of her "most wanted" list - and with Colleen's expert help, she is thrilled to be attending that school this fall. Thank you, Colleen!" -Susan, mother of CJ, Butler University

"I loved working with Colleen because she was really great about planning and spacing out the tasks I needed to complete and she was also very helpful in many aspects of the college application/search process that I was unaware of. She made my experience applying to colleges smooth and timely. I also had a really great time working with her because we were able to become friends and talk about each other's lives so it wasn't strictly work all the time, she made it a fun process." -Emily, University of Arizona

"This is the second time we worked with Colleen and she is worth every penny. Colleen helped my first child, who went to a big public high school, navigate through the labyrinth of the college application process. When it comes time for my second child, who went to a private high school, we thought he wouldn't need a private counselors as much. Boy, are we glad we signed him up! Colleen spent time listening to his thoughts and ideas as he explored what he wanted for the next four years. She helped him find schools that would be a good fit and have specific programs that he would be interested in. It's obvious she went above and beyond. I would recommend Colleen to anyone looking for an independent counselor." -Alice, mother of Thomas, University of Miami

"Colleen was amazing! She chose the perfect schools for me to research and chose schools where she knew I could excel. I appreciated her hard work to make sure I would succeed." -CJ, Butler University

​"My experience with Collegewise and Colleen, my counselor, specifically was very rewarding. Both her supportive words and helpful tips made the college application process a lot less stressful and overall a very manageable experience for me. I am very happy with my results." -Isabel, Arizona State University, Barrett Honors College

"Colleen helped out with every single aspect of the college application process, even the most arbitrary questions. My process was much different than my peers due to my personal interests, yet Colleen still helped out with anything that she could and kept everything very organized to make the experience that much easier." -Thomas, University of Miami

"Colleen, my Collegewise counselor, made the whole process of applying seem to accessible and easy to navigate. The otherwise very complicated process was simplified through her straightforward communications and understandable directions. I am so thankful for all of her effort and I know that I would not have received the amazing college acceptances without her." Pragati, UCLA

"At the beginning, I didn't really know anything about applying to college. My counselor helped me so much with things I didn't even know I needed to do. She always made sure to email me about upcoming things. She was also very easy to talk to and ask for help. All of the Collegewise websites always worked and I never had problems with them." -Taylor, University of Oregon

"I have had the best experience with Collegewise! Colleen helped me with so much. I would recommend any high schooler to use Collegewise if they have the opportunity to. Colleen helped me with coming up with topics for my college essays, narrowing down college choices, and showing me the entire application process. I was super lucky to be able to work with Colleen for two years, and we have created a bond that I will definitely miss. While working with Colleen, she knew that my father wasn’t enthusiastic about paying for me to go to a college out of state. She helped me get the Presidential Scholarship for not only one of my top choices, but two of them! I am super thankful for Colleen and all of our hard work together. Not only was she a college counselor to me, but she was also a friend to me. I will miss getting on our weekly video chats a lot more than I can admit. Thank you for everything, Colleen!" -Gaby, University of Mississippi