Now that I have both of my teenagers at UC Santa Barbara I can stop to thank College Planning…read moreSource and their entire staff. I can't even begin to tell you how much you they have helped our family. With two UC degrees, I thought I was pretty smart until I tried to help my kids apply to colleges, and then apply for Financial Aid. Was I wrong!!!! They filled the void of both high school counselors and financial aid counselors. Each of my kids started out really knowing very little about where to apply, what their real chances were of getting in, what a particular college would be like, etc... CPS was able to build rapport with them and help them come to smart decisions on where to apply, how to set their expectations and then fill out the college applications. They went back and forth so many times helping with the college essays, what to put on the applications, etc. That in itself paid for the fee. Everything else was like icing on the cake. Also, let's face it, filling out the FAFSA is like doing your own taxes, you need to hire someone who knows what they are doing - and College Planning Source knows what they are doing. There is no question that they were able to significantly help us reduce the cost of attendance for our kids. I tell everyone that I know with prospective college students that they need to call t right away. Working with them was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Michelle and her team are AWESOME! 2 of my children worked…read morewith Michelle with fantastic results. Because of the program, my kids were far ahead of their peers in app submissions, much less stressed overall and they felt very confident. Michelle is exceptional at communicating w the parents and really is personable with the kids. I HIGHLY recommend Michelle and her services!

Before working with Allison, anytime I thought about the college application process I was filled…read morewith questions and anxiety. Fortunately, I started working with her in the middle of my daughter junior year, and it was obvious right away that she knew what she was doing. With his help, my daughter Ana spend the summer before my senior year at talking college film classes at Syracuse University and Arizona State University. This experience was vital to her decision to go pre-med, and it would not have been possible without her. As for college applications, Allison help was truly invaluable. We started in the beginning of August and met every single week until I got my ED acceptance letter. Allison always found a way to improve Ana's writing, even if it was as simple as changing one word. Anytime She had a question, she had an answer, and she helped Ana showcase the best version of her. Applying to Film was not what we where expecting, it was overwhelming with portfolio, additional essay's it was incredibly stressful for Ana and Allison was a game changer and guide her all the time. Ana applied early as Allison suggested and that was the best decision we made, Ana prepared with time (beginning of junior year) and got ready, apply Early, that give us a better opportunity with colleges acceptance and financial aid. By December Senior year we already had accepted letters from many schools including Ana's top chose Emerson College in Boston, it was not an easy decision with too many acceptance letters from amazing schools and an incredible financial package. Before Allison, we had barely considered applying to Emerson College, casting it off as unrealistic. Now, we are beyond ecstatic to begin my future there. Thank you, Allison, for helping Ana with what has undoubtedly been the longest and most grueling process I have been through. You took away a lot of the stress and always kept me right on track. I am so grateful for all your help and I cannot imagine going through this process without you. If you are looking for a college consultant It's a pleasure for me to recommend you Allison Henderson, she will really help you in many different topics, not only essay writing but also career path, what schools to apply and financial aid guidance. Allison was the best decision we did to get our daughter into college.

Allison is super helpful, professional, and informative. I called with scholarship essay questions…read moreand many other college related questions. She was informative and helpful. Can't wait to work with her for the next round of scholarships that are applied for. Blessings to Allison for all of the helpful information.

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.

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.

Total scam!!! They are incredibly deceptive and make it sound like you're signing up for valuable…read moreboot camp information to help save money when sending your child off to college. I felt completely taken advantage of. I paid hundreds of dollars for this service, only to discover that there was essentially no meaningful service provided after the initial sales pitch. I spent months trying to get help and get answers, with no response. I ultimately had to file a claim with my credit card company, and thankfully, I was able to receive a full reimbursement after the company ignored my attempts to resolve the issue. I'm usually someone who is very cautious and doesn't fall for scams, which is why this was especially frustrating. The sales approach was extremely sophisticated and convincing, but the actual service did not deliver what was promised. It delivered nothing. Do not waste your money on this. Save yourself the hundreds of dollars and the months of frustration.

Wonderful school. We love that they offer pre-K through high school, so the kids aren't losing all…read morethe friend's they make between elementary, middle, & high school. The kiddo has also really been enjoying the additional Elementary classes outside of the regular classroom, such as music, art, P.E., & chapel. The elementary school has a fun new playground. The kids also enjoy checking out what's growing in the garden! Highly recommend for Christian families!

I went to Calvin from 6th grade up to 10th grade, before finally opting to transfer to a nearby…read morecharter school. Calvin is a small school. It has grown, but it's still small. There are benefits, of course, such as small class sizes, individualized attention, and open dialogue between teachers and students. However, it also has its downsides. Please look at this list of criteria (created by me): Is your child considered "troublesome"? Is your child struggling with any sort of mental health issue? Is your child not Dutch/Caucasian? Is your child not a teacher's pet? Is your child not often a popular kid? If you answered yes to any of those questions, Calvin is not the place for you. I am not a troublesome student. I graduated high school with a 4.11 GPA. I got A's in almost all my classes no matter what school. However, I did struggle with my mental health starting freshman year, which is ultimately the reason I left the school. I received the label of being a "depressed kid" and was never able to shake it, and I ended up taking that on as my identity. I transferred to get a fresh start from the teachers and the students, and I did much better once I didn't have that label following me. There isn't blatant racism at this school, but in my class all the Dutch girls sat together, and all the non-Dutch girls sat elsewhere during lunch. I am not Dutch, so I sat elsewhere. The Dutch girls didn't say you couldn't sit with them but weren't welcoming to any newcomers in their group. There were no other friend groups in that grade. That's also pretty much how it went for every grade. Calvin has diversified since then, but the saying "if you ain't Dutch, you ain't much" is well-known and I would say it is true. All the Dutch students were favorited by the teachers as well, but that's because most of the Dutch kids had their parents go to school there, so they were really just "legacy" students who were automatically favorited. The trick for getting good grades is to be a teacher's pet. If the teacher doesn't like you, you're screwed. I was a teacher's pet, and I was able to finagle my way out of several bad grades by gaining sympathy from the teachers. If you're not a teacher's pet, Dutch, or a popular kid, you're going to have to do a LOT of hard work to get good grades that other kids get simply by having parents who went to the school. Most of the teachers were amazing. Shout-out to Mr. Marriott, Mr. Bakker, Mr. VDP, Mr. Beutlich, Mrs. Lapka, and Mrs. Lundgren. They made learning fun and were genuinely such kind-hearted people. I always felt safe around them. However, as with every school, there are teachers that aren't great. The history teacher, when I was trying to explain my ADHD to him in regard to the accommodations plan I had, just kept telling me, "Oh, it's like my tinnitus". He also refused to accept my accommodations plan to break up a 100-question test into two parts. When my mom reached out, he told her that the class has a B average, she's never taken the class, and would I be receiving a modified diploma? I took an incomplete for this class and retook it my senior year at my new school. I got an A+. Also, they do present that 100% of their students go off to college. However, that's not actually true. I had a friend who ended up faking that she was going to go to college (she wasn't) so that it would look like she was in the graduation ceremonies. They even got her college merch from the college she was supposedly going to attend. I would have never known had I not been close friends with her. This school has its secrets. Teachers were quietly removed from the school for reasons that were pretty big deals, such as inappropriate communication with students and emotional outbursts at students. As for the principal. I thought he was great... because my beliefs aligned with his and he took pity on me. Yes, he does meet with students with the blinds open for all to see. We once all saw a student get his backpack searched for drugs in the office. Whether or not he had drugs, the blinds should have been closed. His office is in a common passing place so everybody can and will see. The principal seemed to like me a lot, so we got along and I liked him, but I can see how others wouldn't like him. He is adamantly anti-LGBTQ+, which can be expected at a Christian school, but he expressed this in an unkind way. God still loves those that are LGBTQ+ and this principal did not express that. Last thing! I hope your kid loves public speaking. My class had to give 7-10 minute speeches with no notes... apparently, this is not a thing in public schools, and my class was graded quite harshly. Anxiety was not tolerated. It's good to learn public speaking, but 10 minute speeches without notes on subjects kids aren't passionate about? That's harsh, especially for sophmores. This was for sophmore year. I am ultimately glad I left this school, but I believe others can thrive here... just check that checklist!

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!

My son has spent two years at High Bluff as a full time student in 9th and 10th grade. It was, and…read morecontinues to be, the best decision we could have made for his high school education! He is excelling in all of his classes (including the one's he was sure he couldn't do, like 2nd year Spanish) and just finished up his Sophomore year with straight A's and awards for his school spirit, leadership, and consistent high level of effort in all of his classes. I was blown away with the glowing description these teachers had for my son's academic performance. And to top all of that, when all of the schools got locked down due to the COVID 19 pandemic, High Bluff Academy took on the challenge QUICKLY to move to online the very next week, maintaining the rigorous academics and supportive environment you would expect and hope for. My son is very happy, feels safe, enjoys his friends at school, and especially likes the relationship he has with his teachers. As a parent, I can highly recommend this college prep school with absolutely no reservation.

I spent six years homeschooling our daughter before high school because we couldn't get a handle on…read moremedical conditions that were causing her to have learning issues at the time, and with healthcare the way it is, it took a long time to get diagnoses and relief. If it wasn't for High Bluff Academy, I don't know what we would have done to ensure academic success for her. Our daughter will be going into her third year at HBA, and she's done extremely well the past two years. Her GPA has been 4.0 and 4.2, and her teachers and the administration have all taken an active interest in her success and well being. We're very thankful we found a place where she can excel.

Hilary made all the difference for my son's college applications. He needed help with writing the…read moreCommon App essay and answers to the UC PIQs. Hilary helped him to pick the topics, draft and edit the essays. She was wonderful for him to work with providing guidance and encouragement, but also keeping him organized and on track. Her communication was excellent, providing me with updates and thoughts on his progress. I've already recommended her to a friend for his son for next year!

We could not have got through this process without Hilary. From our very first meeting you get the…read moresense that she is really looking to make this process one that fits your kid's unique personality. Started with and extensive college list that fit her academic level while taking into account what she wants in a college experience. Then narrowing it down to find the schools that make the best fit for her. My kid has really come to trust and build a great relationship with her. Looking to Hilary's advice, knowing that she is going to take what is important to her, while also giving good feedback. Hilary's assistance with essay writing, has really helped highlight her voice and personality. She makes a very stressful and overwhelming process seem less so.