Update December 2013-- Fast-forward 4 years since I wrote…read morethe review below, when Kathy Rosenberg-Wohl helped my first son gain admission to his top choice college: today, my younger son was admitted Early Action to Harvard, and it never, ever would have happened without Kathy's guidance, encouragement and timely prodding. From his freshman year, my younger son met with Kathy to talk about the path ahead. In the earlier years of high school, she helped him pick courses of the right difficulty, nudged him to take AP Calc instead of AP Stat, and helped him take his interests to their fullest expression. Always with a smile, good cheer, and often homebaked cookies for energy and motivation. In his Jr. year, my son met with Kathy more often--especially the summer before applications were due. She helped him select test prep tutors (she even interviewed them free of charge!), focus on his testing schedule, and develop his interests in music, media production, and web design. She urged him to apply for grants and awards. This last summer, they selected colleges and worked through essays as the deadlines approached.. Best of all, Kathy nagged him when he needed it--and he did, often--so that I wouldn't have to! Thanks to Kathy Rosenberg-Wohl, this has been a dream process for us, and totally stress-free for me. She is the cheerleader, coach, second mother, wise teacher, and analytical strategist that every family needs to help them through this process. Today, my son called me to say, "Mom, I got in to Harvard!" The next thing he said was, "I'm going to call Kathy now." Like me, he knows who he needs to thank for the next four years. ------------------------------------------------------- Sept 2010-- Kathy Rosenberg-Wohl was simply put: a lifesaver ! She took what would have been the most stressful period in my life as a parent and made it so easy. Kathy helped my oldest son select colleges, craft and hone his essays, maximize his recommendations, track all his testing and transcripts, prep for interviews--the works! He worked with her throughout the summer before his Sr. Year, and she even baked him cookies to munch on during their sessions! He returned to Senior Year with his applications essentially done. Best of all though, Kathy really believed in my son--she was a cheerleader, a coach, a mentor and a friend to him. In the end, my son got into 5 schools but none of his top choices. Despite the seemingly poor odds, he decided to appeal the decision at his top choice--UC Santa Barabara--and Kathy helped him with that too! She was on the phone with the admissions officers finding out what he could do and what the chances were for success. Thanks to Kathy's belief in him, my son did get in to his top choice school on appeal. But most importantly, she helped to empower him, to make him realize that he turned things around largely through his own initiative. Now I have my younger son working with Kathy, and have since he was a Freshman. It was just a few hours last year--but time well spent talking about extra-curriculars, selecting the right degree of difficulty in his class schedule, and understanding what he needs to do to get into the colleges he is setting his sights on. Kathy sends us emails about programs he might want to apply for, tests he needs to take, award opportunities he should be applying for. She signed up for his high school bulletin to stay on top of things at his school! (Thank goodness, because she often catches opportunities that I've missed.) I know that for every hour for which Kathy charges, she puts in several more in researching, writing, and crafting a strategy that is unique to each child. I like that she charges hourly (rather than a lump sum like some counselors,) so I can determine what feels comfortable for my budget and prioritize what I need most. I can't imagine a better college counselor--one who really loves kids and listens to them--but still keeps them on track in a way a parent never could.

If you have a high schooler who will be applying to college, definitely seek out Kathy, especially…read moreif your child aspires to Ivies, Stanford, UCLA and other top schools. Definitely call early, best to start with her freshman or sophomore year so you're not scrambling come senior year. I had two daughters who were recruited athletes and Kathy helped them tell their stories, and they ended up at their first choice schools (Yale and Stanford). Your journey may be different but Kathy did fabulous work for us.

**Scott is the BRILLIANT STUDENT WHISPERER!!** We first sought his services years ago, when my son…read moreneeded to improve his scores for admissions applications to independent high schools. Fortunately, my son is quite bright--but he suffers from ADHD and lack of self confidence. Scott immediately bonded with him--he's pretty amazing in his talent for putting kids at ease and finding their strengths--and he set up a super effective study and skills-building test prep schedule for my son. Scott also gave him super smart inside knowledge on how to pace himself, with strategies for both answering multiple choice questions as well as managing testing time constraints. My son improved his scores by 50%!! And my son thinks of Scott as a true friend and mentor, as well--trusting his judgment and sage advice completely. Fast forward, my son is now applying for colleges and that lack of self-confidence has returned. On top of that, he's super stressed out and depressed about the whole process and his ability to get into the colleges he'd aspired to get into, even though his grades and test scores should admit him into some pretty good schools. Again, Scott to the rescue. He helped my son really think deeply and analyze what he wanted out of a college and his future. And Scott knows SOOOOO much about *all* the different colleges and their academic environments, teaching atmospheres, stress levels, and the kinds of students who might succeed there--he is able to give great advice about what might be the best fit for someone, based on their personality and abilities. Scott was able to get my son to step outside of himself and his insecurities, and come up with a plan for his future that he feels confident about pursuing--most of all, a college plan with options that my son truly believes will make him happy. We can't say enough wonderful things about Scott except that we feel blessed and lucky to have him in our lives. THANK YOU, SCOTT!!

Without question, engaging Scott was the most valuable educational investment I made to support my…read morechild. It's not cheap, but the outcome is extraordinary. The impact Scott had on my son went well beyond college essay preparation/production. Pre-Scott, my son could barely write a coherent sentence and through the magic of Scott's teaching methodology and in a relatively short timeframe, the improvement was dramatic. The counsel, candid discussions, and direction Scott provided paid huge dividends in the classroom and in daily written communication (emails, texts). My son became a more confident writer and student which of course, carried over to everyday life. As he heads-off to college in the fall (UCLA), I'm forever grateful to Scott for the life-changing role he played in preparing my son for the next chapter and beyond.

Gordy guided me with my application process for grad school back in 2015. He provided me with many…read moreresources and tools to get what I needed to write my personal statement. Good techniques pointers is what really allowed me to manage my time during this process and get everything to go smoothly. I was given useful tips with incorporating generations of family history into my essay that I personally think that's what got me in! Needless to say, I'm two years into Acupuncture & Chinese medicine school and I enjoy it so much.

Gordy is an exceptional college counselor! He kept my son on tack and met all the deadlines even…read morewhen we had limited time. He was encouraging and used virtual services effectively. I also liked how he created google folders and made the whole process of essays and tasks easy and even fun! I would highly recommend Gordy!

Thank you to Ariel and the Golden Ticket team for helping so much with the college application…read moreprocess! This is such a difficult time for families, and her expert guidance was supportive every step of the way. As a former Stanford Admissions officer, Ariel was the perfect person to answer all of my most intricate questions about college applications. She has been helping students get into their dream schools for over 10 years now, and it shows in her professionalism, attention to detail, strategic guidance, and thoughtful feedback on everything from personal essays to building my extracurricular profile. Most helpful was Ariel's assistance crafting the personal statements. There were SO many, but with the support of the Golden Ticket team it was much more manageable. I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of Golden Ticket. Very thankful for the outstanding support!!

First, Ariel is a fantastic person to work with. She is kindhearted, professional, considerate, and…read moreempathetic. She understands the delicacy of students' stories and helps them communicate them in an impactful and personally inspiring way. She is a highly responsible communicator and an expert on all aspects of the admissions process. She was quick to answer my queries about ANYTHING related to admissions (even outside of the essay-writing process) and was massively helpful regarding interview questions. I could not recommend Ariel enough. My child was accepted to multiple colleges (T5) and with likely letters thanks to the strength of her writing, and she definitely helped her accomplish this.

If you have a teenager preparing for college, I strongly encourage you to look into the services of…read moreJessica Brenner, and her partner, Lisa Josefik. What could have been an incredibly stressful senior year, has been instead a beautiful memory made. What Jessica, and Lisa did to help my grandson, and me from start to finish of the college application process is amazing. I never realized the complexity that went into this process, as I never had to do this for my children. The guidance, structure, and encouragement from them was invaluable. As a parent/grandparent this process can be extremely frustrating when it comes to making sure the SA's are completed, or that they are studying for the SAT test, etc. To our teenager we are just nagging them. Being able to hand that over to Jessica, and/or Lisa, who are so knowledgeable and understanding of what it takes to successfully complete this process made this entire experience much more exciting and enjoyable for my grandson and myself. They gave him structure, and progress goals that he followed. When he started his senior year he was all ready to submit all of his applications while his classmates were just starting to do what he had been doing during the summer. He actually received his first acceptance letter before many classmates had even submitted an application. Jessica and Lisa would tell him, "Tristan, all this hard work is going to be so worth it once you start receiving your acceptance letters." When his first letter came, he was so excited he could hardly stand it. Tristan has been accepted to eight colleges, including his number one choice. Thank you, thank you Jessica and Lisa for all you did for us and all the other families and kids you work with. You truly make a difference!

Jessica Brenner walked our daughter through the application process with absolute precision…read more From preparation for SAT/ACT, essay guidance and appropriate school choices, Jessica created a timeline that was manageable and stress free. We believe that Jessica's help enabled our daughter to gain admission to better schools than her peers, who had similar qualifications. We highly recommend Jessica to any family in this super competitive environment.

There are truly no words that fully convey what Michaela did for my daughter during her high school…read moreyears. She stared working with Michaela early on as a writing instructor and coach. She helped my daughter with her entries for numerous writing competitions, including the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, for which she won gold and silver medals over multiple years. She then helped with college essays and planning. I cannot recommend her highly enough! She became an advisor and artistic guide. My daughter's high school fulfilling writing journey was truly made possible with Michaela's support and guidance!

Michaela is great with my 6th and 8th graders who have been working with her this year, including…read moreon my 8th grader's high school applications. They genuinely enjoy the sessions with her (and they're not usually the type to want to do anything "extra"). Michaela makes it fun and not intimidating which is key for my kids and probably a lot of other younger students out there. Our family is so glad to have found Michaela!

Sophie provided minimal constructive criticism for my college application essay edits and I felt…read morelost under her guidance. This ultimately made the whole process more stressful for me, and in retrospect, her services were overpriced for the quality of college counseling. If I were to go through this cycle again, I would have decided on a different advising service.

I truly look forward to my sessions with Sophie! She has a warm and open grace that makes me…read moreincredibly comfortable. While meeting with her, I've gone from tears to ecstatic laughter within minutes. Whether discussing sources of grief, excitement, fear, or exploration, Sophie provides insightful guidance that helps me realize patterns. Together, we create meaningful goals and she provides tools for reaching them. I also appreciate Sophie's way of applying focus and structure to our sessions without sacrificing exploration and discovery. Each time I face the rest of my week with more confidence and patience -- it's like LASIK for the soul. I'm excited to continue learning and growing through her counseling!

Hands-down Terry is someone you want on your team! Whatever it is you are trying to accomplish in…read moreyour career, academically, in life - Terry is an amazing coach, mentor and friend. I met Terry when I was in a post-bacc program. When I started the program I had no confidence in my academic abilities and was struggling with severe anxiety when studying for my classes. I came to Terry explaining that I wanted nothing less than to have confidence in my abilities and to get A's in the program. I added that I simply did not think it was possible and that if he couldn't be direct in solving the issue that he should not waste my time or his. All I can say is that Terry delivered. What I admired most about how he worked with me is that he never got offended nor did he take things personally when I would tell him a technique or an approach was not working. He instead had a way of being patient, listening to my concerns, analyzing what went wrong and coming up with creative solutions that were tailored specifically for me. Suffice to say I accomplished all that I wanted in the program. Furthermore, I think the best take away from my time with him is that what I learned has been sustainable. Two years after having finished the program I have accomplished more than I ever thought was possible because of the confidence in myself he fostered through our work together. If you are looking for someone to be your ally and your advocate in accomplishing what you want in your career or your academics, Terry is the man for you! You will not only learn specific techniques on how to accomplish your goals, you will also gain a great mentor. I am grateful to have met such a dedicated and passionate individual that truly cares about the success and well-being of his students. I highly recommend Terry!

This review is from my friend SC-SF:…read more "I met Terry while I was in a post-bacc program and have grown to know him as not only a fantastic learning coach, but also a trusted mentor and friend. He was a leading contributor towards my efforts to strengthen my learning skills, and essentially taught me how to "re-learn" how to learn. His approach was never condescending, but was still firm and gave me the accountability that I needed to thrive. I highly recommend Terry to anyone who would like to strengthen their learning abilities and realize their true potential. As I am applying to health professional schools, I know I will continue to use the skills I learned from Terry to help me become a successful student and professional"

I found Collegible through Yelp while looking for SAT preparation for my child, and it has been a…read moregreat experience. We chose the one-on-one online tutoring, and Eli has been incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and professional throughout every lesson. Eli explains difficult SAT concepts in a clear and easy-to-understand way, while also helping build confidence and effective test-taking strategies. The lessons are well organized and personalized based on my child's strengths and areas for improvement. My child is preparing for the August SAT this year, and we've already seen noticeable progress. I truly appreciate Eli's dedication, teaching experience, and encouraging attitude. If you're looking for high-quality SAT tutoring, I highly recommend Collegible and Eli.

Eli at Collegible comes highly recommended. He is calm, patient, and communicates clearly, taking…read morethe time to explain concepts in a way that truly makes sense. Eli does an excellent job preparing students to feel confident when taking the HSPT. What's especially appreciated is his constant feedback and his ability to break down problems step by step, while still encouraging students to think through solutions on their own and collaboratively. Students feel supported throughout the process rather than left to figure things out on their own.

As parents of a high school student accepted to Rice University, the college of his first choice,…read morewe would like to recommend David Montesano (College Match) without hesitation. We began working with David toward the end of our son's sophomore year and for the next year and a half, David met with our son on a monthly basis, helping him make steady progress toward the college entrance preparations. The college admission process is a highly competitive and complex process for the high school students and the parents alike. Working with David was like having an excellent guide by one's side, and helping us know what to expect greatly relieved some of the anxiety. David maintained excellent rapport with our son, gently motivating our son to challenge himself to achieve his college preparation goals. With David's encouragements, our son developed increased motivation towards improving his grades (he only needed a slight improvement to make the cut), made timely preparations for the ACT, SAT and the SAT subject tests, and continued to build upon his extracurricular activity strengths during his critical junior year. David's expertise regarding the college admission process and his vast knowledge about the colleges themselves helped us to pick and to obtain an acceptance to a college that would fit our son the best both academically and socially.

It's the same in every profession…read more Whether we're talking about doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, or educational consultants, the very best providers give you the right answers. They don't waste your time, and are worth every penny they charge. Those at the top of the pile, the experts, the seasoned pros, the 99th percentilers, these are the people you want to work with. Unfortunately, finding such individuals can be extraordinarily difficult and time consuming. Look no further. David Montesano is your man. David did a great job consulting with our daughter as she was preparing to do the whole daunting "college application" thing. He met with our daughter and helped her to future-project, seeing herself 10 years down the road, already through with college and beginning her career. David's wealth of knowledge about various college and university programs - together with his insider status in the field of educational consulting and brilliant marketing acumen ("everything is sales," including applying to college!) - enabled him to suggest particular programs and schools based on his uncanny insight into our daughter's personal strengths and potentialities, helping her present herself effectively to a wide range of excellent schools. Although our daughter chose to attend a liberal arts college (Wesleyan) instead of a large university, she managed to beat the odds and successfully enter the tech field. Now - less than six years after graduation - she's a senior software engineer at a FAANG company, happily married, and a home owner on the San Francisco Peninsula. The arduousness of today's Byzantine college application process is unbelievable, and it's only gotten worse due to Covid. More than ever, it's important to hire the right private college counselor, not only for the sake of the hardworking student involved, but to allay the concerns and save the frayed nerves of parents, as well. A great college consultant will not only give you the right answers and make good use of your valuable time, he'll reduce family stress and anxiety to a minimum. Every family with the means to do so should hire one as teens enter high school and begin planning for college. I can attest, both from personal experience and from his reputation which precedes him, that David Montesano is one such great college counselor. He's absolutely top self. David has earned my sincere thanks and my highest recommendation. I urge you to contact him right away.