Today's college application process is full of hurdles and potential minefields, particularly if…read moreone is applying to several colleges. I used Balanced College Planning in Santa Barbara to help me with the process and I'm so glad I did! Rya Carpenter and Jean Fox have many years of experience supporting students in the application process and they are outstanding, value-minded professionals at helping students navigate that complex process. I worked very closely with Jean Fox, who patiently asked questions to understand my needs (my #1 goal was to transfer into UCSB, which is local for me). Jean provided clear direction, great insights and laser focus on the many steps required to create my strongest possible application. Jean was always cheerful, supportive, flexible and a pleasure to work with. Whether you are entering the college application as a high school student or as a transfer student (I am an older student), I would highly recommend Jean, Rya and Balanced College Planning! This Wednesday, I received my acceptance letter to UCSB. I couldn't be happier!

Rya's skills, knowledge and passion gave our family the tools to assist our two kids in their quest…read morefor their #1 college choice. She is a coach, a trusted advisor and a realist in helping us understand the process along with what scholarship may or may not be available. Anyone looking to get an "edge" in the competitive college application process, we strongly encourage you to hire Rya. If we had two more kids, we certainly would! Steve &Debbie Woodward

Working with Nita is one of the best experiences a parent could hope for when their teen is…read moreapplying for colleges. Nita is kind, patient (especially with eager parents!) and more importantly knows how to connect with teens! My husband and I are a bit unorganized and well, frankly, clueless about college applications and financial aid. Our son didn't seem interested in discussing colleges with us, which was also frustrating. He began sessions with Nita in January 2022 researching colleges and their locations, lifestyle and academic programs/offerings. He has enjoyed working with Nita and has made great progress. He recently completed essays and application requirements and submitted his applications. We have already recieved an acceptance letter from one college, Western Washington University! Nita is very knowledgeable about financial aid and how to prepare for freshman year. I was referred to Nita from another mom who had a similarly outstanding experience. With gratitude to Nita - The Schous.

From the owner: Nita June, College Counseling guides young adults with expertise, wisdom, and heart on their higher…read moreeducational adventures.

Cassie has been great for our Sons application process. She is very focused and clear with him…read more We were working with another college adviser who had a lot more experience, but not nearly the interest in getting to know him and understanding his interest. It certainly was not by the numbers process with Cassie. She is young with lots of experience and we are so happy to have found this service. She had an ongoing text message and meeting schedule with our son. Every deadline was meet with time to spare. He even enjoyed the essay process as they discussed the pro's and con's of each essay. I even thing he learn a bit more about himself during the entire process. I suggest that if you decide to go this route it is worth interviewing a couple of professionals before moving forward. We first selected someone who everyone said was the best, but to us her approach turned out to be a tired process. It was an extra expensive to use this service, but in the end the cost was small knowing that the college application process was stress free. College Specific's far exceeded our expectations.

From the owner: Founded by Cassie Nichols in 2010, College Specific provides college admissions consulting services…read moreto families throughout the world. In addition to individual consulting, College Specific is the creator of "College Specific Toolkits": a collection of multimedia products designed to help students prepare for and apply to college. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, College Specific's counselors meet one-on-one with families - in person or online - working with them to make wise academic and extracurricular choices throughout high school, build an ideal list of colleges, complete their college essays and applications, and stay organized along the way. College Specific's counselors travel throughout the United States and abroad, conducting workshops and presentations on college admissions for schools as well as private groups and organizations.

Had a great experience! I needed a tutor to help my daughter on a college admissions essay, and…read morethe person they assigned us was smart, professional, and fast. I recommend!

From the owner: Private tutoring & educational consulting with a holistic approach to academic and personal…read moresuccess. We believe that all teaching must be empowering, individualized, and fun.

Janice is such an amazing college counselor! She is very intentional and breaks the process down…read moreinto manageable bits so that students don't get overwhelmed. She really manages student and parent stress. She is also so patient and positive! Her knowledge of the field and trends is spot-on as well. I highly recommend her to any family! She is a gem.

From the owner: College application season is here! Call today to give your student every advantage to secure their…read morefuture. Janice Brown, an independent college admissions consultant, loves working with high school and transfer students on their unique college identification/application journeys. She is passionate about helping each student understand the process, identify a balanced college match list, and much more. With Apply Well College Consulting, students receive: A customized college application plan that organizes the process into manageable steps that will get you on track. Students receive an online platform to research potential colleges and track their progress, assessments to discover their interests in order to find the right major or college program, a college match list that is curated just for them, and guidance to find their unique voice for application essays.

We are a busy family with little time to discern the pros and cons of the ACT vs the SAT. Lisa…read moreMazor expertly guided us in identifying the most appropriate test for our daughter to take for her college applications. She was invested in explaining to us the differences between both tests and how each test benefits specific types of students. We settled on our daughter taking the SAT and then signed up for a series of group test prep classes taught by Ms. Mazor. Our daughter came home from every class with a "can do" attitude about the test, invested in studying for the practice tests and reviewing errors she made in practice tests (of which there are many!) The class series was taught at a steady pace and in five short weeks accomplished review of strategies and material, taking 4 proctored tests that simulate the real SAT test experience and analysis of test errors and writing samples. I believe our daughter's level of enthusiasm and commitment to give this experience her very best was inspired by Ms. Mazor's approach to teaching. She communicates positivity, accountability to be the best one can be and her teaching style is dynamic and engaging. My daughter was never bored in these classes and remained focused on studying at home and learning from her errors throughout the test prep period. The final outcome was an SAT score that exceeded her (and our) expectations! We could not be more satisfied with our experience with Test Prep Santa Barbara!!

From the owner: Through our SAT and ACT test prep classes, we have helped thousands of students successfully…read moreprepare for their college entrance tests - for over 29 years! Test Prep Santa Barbara is a Santa Barbara based test preparation company. Preparing students for the SAT and ACT is what we do, and we have proven that we do it well! We also offer academic subject tutoring and partner with schools to provide our high quality, effective test prep programs in California and the Pacific Northwest.